Anthony Francis O'Connor

   Cause of his death was pancreatic cancer.

  General Notes:

Per Sacred Heart Church records, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland:
Anthony born at Clattice Harbor September 23, 1906. Godparents: John Bennett and Annie Connors (she was his Aunt , a sister of his father Timothy Joseph)

1913 McAlpine Gazeteer describes Clattice Harbor:
"...a fishing settlement ...nearest post office St. Leonard's 2 miles; port of entry Oderin...contains one store..population 150..."

The family was more commonly known as Conners/Connors, rather than O' Connor and when I asked A. F. O'Connor why, he said because it was "easier" to write.
Orphaned at the age of 4 years he went to live with his paternal grandparents Timothy and Agnes Bollard O'Connor. Agnes died when he was 7 1/2 yrs old and his grandfather who was a fisherman made arrangements with the village priest (Rev. A. Fyme) to take care of him.
Anthony went to live with the priest at the rectory at St. Kyran's in Placentia Bay which was several miles away from where he lived with his grandparents. He did odd jobs for the priest and took him by boat to various parts of the parish to administer sacraments and say Mass. In exchange he earned his room and board. He remained with him until he was 17 and then was sent to the States to a Christian Brothers Noviate in New Rochelle, north of NYC to study to become a religious Brother. [The Adelphian 1924 Vol 18 No.04 states " F. X. Donnelly, W. Hibbs, M. Stoyles, A. Greene, A. Turpin, R. Keefe and A. O'Connor having become Christian Brothers, are now in the Training School on the Hudson."] Here he remained until 1926 when he ret'd to St. John's NFLND and taught grade school for one year. He then requested that his guardian allow him to return to NYC and attend Trade School. This granted he ret'd to NYC in 1928 and learned the plumbing and steamfitting trade.
By now the Depression was in full force and times were very hard. He did a variety of jobs and slept on park benches at night. Finally he took a job as a plumber's apprentice with Edward Arnold. Mr Arnold and his wife had a summer camp in Riverside, NY [The Adirondack Mountains in Northern NYS] and invited him to spend the summer there. While there he met a young waitress named Mary Moore and they eloped in Oct of 1933. At first they moved around a bit but finally in 1942 they were established as residents of Chestertown, NY. Anthony Francis, now called "Frank", found work in the area.
In 1943 he entered the US Navy and served 18 months in the Atlantic. Following the Naval Service he ret'd to Chestertown to work. There were now four children and Mary's father, John Moore, had moved in with them permanently.
At first Frank was in business for himself but then he joined the Union and worked in many places: the State Campus in Albany; building of Motels and nursing homes in the Glens Falls area and Lake George; and at the government facility in Plattsburgh where parts for the space program were manufactured and assembled.
He retired in the 1970s and just did small jobs for the local summer people who had always depended on him to take care of their camps around Brant Lake, Friend's Lake and Loon Lake.
In early 1980 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and after several surgeries died June 20, 1982 early in the morning hours of Father's Day. He is buried in the Elbow Cemetery in Brant lake, NY.

*********************************************************************
forwarded e-mail from Jim Rogers of Newfoundland.
Thanks Jim,
The record I located had Anthony leaving St Kyrans on December
4, 1923, he was eighteen at the time. He listed Timothy Connors, St Kyrans
as his nearest relative. In New York, he stayed at the West Park Seminary,
St Marys Hudson. The name of the ship was the S.S. Rosalind. [Jack]

NY Passenger Lists
vessel :NERISSA
19 Apr 1928
Anthony O'Connor age 22; born Placentia, NFLD; single male teacher
port of departure: St John, NFL
port of arrival: New York, New York
*********************
Vessel: FLOMAR
US Navy Armed Guard Crew; 27 Aug 1944
port of departure: Port of Spain, Trindad, British West Indies
port of arrival: New York, New York
Anthony O'Connor born c1908; age 36; "gunner"
nationality: USA; ht: 5 11; wt;142 lbs

Find A Grave Memorial 14058871

Anthony married Mary Ann Moore, daughter of John Franklin Moore and Agnes Elvira Bennett, on 18 Oct 1933 in Johnsburg, Warren County, New York. (Mary Ann Moore was born on 26 May 1913 in Brant Lake, Warren County, New York, died on 12 Feb 2003 in Cohoes, Albany County, New York and was buried in Brant Lake Cemetery in Horicon, New York.). The cause of her death was ruptured abdominal aneurysm.

  Marriage Notes:

married by Rev A. J. Cambridge in Methopdist Parsonage in Weavertown, NY