Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Joe O'Mara,
Goes to Canada:
He
went to Canada to run bacon factory
in
Palmerston,
W of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(not far from London, Ontario).
[Lavelle, 1961]
says:
"grandfather bought a bacon factory in
Palmerston
and one of his younger sons was sent out to manage it".
DIB
thinks this was 1901.
He
went back and forth the Atlantic a number of times.
He is listed as arriving at
Ellis Island, NY,
2nd Apr 1904, on the Lucania
from Liverpool.
He is
listed as single, living Limerick.
He is listed as arriving again at Ellis Island,
accompanied by his brother James,
on 14 May 1904
on the Campania from Liverpool via Queenstown.
He is described as living London (as is James).
Joe held a dinner on 6 June 1904 in Palmerston
to celebrate the opening of the Palmerston Pork Packing House.
The toasts
show that his brother James was still with him for the dinner.
He wrote letters in
think Sept 1904
and Aug 1905
from Palmerston, Ontario,
to his brother James.
He is
listed as living Palmerston, Ontario, at mar.
|
He
mar 9 Dec 1905
to Adelaide Sheppard
[Adelaide May Sheppard,
born 26 Feb 1881 in Toronto,
NOT 1882,
NOT "S. Shepherd"].
She was an Anglican. She was eldest dau of Thomas Sheppard by his 2nd wife Sarah Breen. She appears as infant under 1 year old in 4 April 1881 census of Canada, family living St James Ward, Toronto. Her father listed as "Book Keeper". All family listed as "Church of England". They later lived Orillia, Simcoe county, N of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Thomas Sheppard was Mayor of Orillia about 1898-1900. Family listed in Orillia town in 1901 census. Adelaide listed as student. Adelaide is listed at mar as living Orillia. They mar in Orillia. They visited Ireland after their marriage. Letter from his father from Limerick on 23 Dec 1905 says: "Joe and his bride arrived here on Wednesday". See photo in late Dec 1905 at Hartstonge House. The O'Maras had enough money to cross the Atlantic for visits. |
They returned to Canada.
See
entry
for "Adelaide Sheppard", Elm Lodge, Orillia,
in Joe's father's address book
[P40/234].
Must be written in before she married his son.
Letter of 13 Sept 1908
says they are selling up the Palmerston business.
Letter of 5 Mar 1909
says Joe is finishing involvement in Palmerston.
Daughter born July 1909 in Toronto.
Joe is decribed as a "manager" at birth.
Adelaide's father registered the birth.
Joe's parents visited them in Canada in 1910.
His mother wrote a letter in
Jan 1910
and describes Adelaide as a wonderful mother.
In 1911 census they were living with Adelaide's parents
in Orillia.
[Donovan, 2012]
says he is "Joseph O'Mara"
who was Treasurer of the
Irish Film Company of America, registered in Massachusetts,
which distributed his brother-in-law
Jim Sullivan's film
Knocknagow
(1918)
in America.
As at 1920 Joe had summer house up on the
Muskoka Lakes, N of Toronto.
|
K & S tyre company:
He set up a tyre
company in Toronto.
He was Managing Director of "K & S Tire and Rubber Goods Ltd", Toronto. Manufactured tyres and other rubber goods. "K & S Tire and Rubber Goods Ltd" is listed in a 1921 Directory on Oak St, Weston, Ontario (then just outside Toronto, now part of greater Toronto, see map). Directory lists Joseph O'Mara as Treasurer and General Manager, Thomas H. Sheppard (presumably father-in-law) as President, both living Toronto proper, not Weston. Joe listed separately as living Toronto in 1921. Dick Humphreys, family friend of the O'Maras, set up motor business in Dublin 1922, importing Joe's tyres into Ireland as "O'Mara's tyres", later "K & S tyres". A letter of 15th Jan 1923 from Joe to his brother Jim says "Adelaide and the children join me with love to you all". His tyre business got into trouble in late 1920s. [Tommy O'Brien] recalled that Britain's control of rubber plantations pushed up price of rubber in US and Canada. Dick Humphreys (who married Joe's niece in 1929) finally dropped O'Mara / K&S tyres in favour of Pirelli tyres. |
Back to Ireland:
[John O'Sullivan] says Joe and Adelaide separated.
Joe went back to Ireland. Adelaide stayed in North America.
Joe was a Director of
O'Mara's bacon company
at time of
O'Mara's centenary, 1939.
Agent for Christopher Lynch:
In the early 1940s, Joe became the agent for
Christopher Lynch,
a young Irish
Tenor.
Lynch (born Rathkeale, Co.Limerick, 1921)
sang from the stage of a Limerick movie theatre
in 1942.
The O'Maras were in the audience.
They arranged for him to study in Dublin.
Joe got Lynch a job
singing on the weekly
Radio Eireann
program
sponsored by
Donnelly's sausages.
With Joe's help,
Lynch moved to America 1946
to become the lead tenor on
"The Voice of Firestone" radio show
sponsored by Firestone tyres.
Joe dies, 1950:
Joe is listed at death as "company director", of Lisnamara, Corbally, Limerick.
He died 30th Dec 1950, age 72 yrs,
at his sister's house,
"Greenfields", Milltown, Co.Dublin
[GROI].
See obituary
in
Irish Times,
January 1, 1951.
Wake in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin.
Funeral at Church of the Assumption, Milltown, Co.Dublin, think 1 Jan 1951.
His wife and children (all living in US) were not at his funeral,
but the
President
was represented by his
aide-de-camp.
He was
bur in New Cemetery, Limerick.
He is listed on
Stephen O'Mara grave,
Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick.
See funeral report
in
Irish Times,
January 2, 1951.
Adelaide is described as of New York
at son's marriage Dec 1951.
As at 1953 she and her daughter were confined to a psychiatric hospital in Long Island. See below.
Joe and Adelaide
had issue:
Adelaide Sheppard and Joe O'Mara
on colorised version of the 1905 wedding photo.
This version is
colorised by AI by
MyHeritage In Color.
See full size.
Adelaide Sheppard and Joe O'Mara
on colorised version of the 1905 wedding photo.
This version is
colorised by hand by
The Photo Alchemist.
See full size.
Photo at the time of the wedding of Joe O'Mara and Adelaide Sheppard, 1905.
The 2 parents, the 9 surviving children, and their 4 spouses so far.
The O'Mara family did not go to Canada.
Rather Joe and his wife made a visit to Ireland in
late Dec 1905 after the wedding.
Back (Left to Right): Joe, Adelaide Sheppard.
Middle (Left to Right):
James,
Agnes Cashel,
Stephen,
Kat,
Phons,
Bill O'Sullivan,
Norrie.
Front (Left to Right):
Nell,
Fr. Paddy,
Ellen Pigott,
Stephen O'Mara,
Mary,
Michael Rynne.
See larger
and full size.
Photo 1905 at time of
wedding of Joe O'Mara and Adelaide Sheppard.
Back (Left to Right):
think Stephen,
Mary,
Stephen O'Mara,
think Nell,
Agnes Cashel,
think Phons.
Front (Left to Right):
Kat,
Fr. Paddy,
Ellen Pigott,
Michael Rynne,
think Norrie.
See larger
and full size.
Joe O'Mara.
A metal sign for
O'Mara "K & S" tyres.
See larger
and full size.
See other shot
and other shot.
See other side.
Dinner held by
Joe O'Mara on 6 June 1904 in Palmerston, Ontario,
to celebrate the opening of the Palmerston Pork Packing House.
See full size.
See menu and toasts.
O'Mara's London letterhead on letter of
30 Aug 1912.
Lists packing house in Palmerston, Ontario.
See
full size.
Joseph O'Mara's "Pork Packers" on
1914 map
of Palmerston, Ontario.
Though it is unclear where in the town this is meant to be.
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