The theme for Week 28 is "Random." Sometimes we find the most random things about our ancestors. For me, it was discovering that my great-grandfather had a tattoo on his upper arm. You could also pick a random ancestor and write about him or her this week. Have fun with this theme! Click here to check out all of the themes for 2023.
I decided to write about my 2nd great grandfather, Myron O’Brion. This man was just another name on my tree, I never thought very much about him. Then one day, a distant cousin wrote me and told be more about Myron O’Brion.
Myron was born in 1835 in New York, the son of John O’Brion and Jane Margaret Kress. After spending much of his childhood days in Dodge County, he married Mary Goodwin about 1859 in Fox Lake, Dodge County, Wisconsin, USA. Mary was born January 1, 1839, the daughter of Thomas Goodwin and Jane Burns. After marriage, they moved to a new home in Fountain Prairie, Columbia County, Wisconsin, USA. The farm was located one and one-half miles northwest of Fall River. After living there twelve years, they moved to a farm in the Lost Lake area of Dodge County. I have identified 7 of their 8 children. Per the 1900 US Census, Mary had 8 children, and 7 are still living. Myron lived there until his death on November 19, 1883, Mary also lived on the farm until her death on March 18, 1910.
As Paul Harvey would say… “the rest of the story”
SUICIDE. - On Tuesday p.m. last Justice Calkins, of this place, was called to hold a coroner's inquest upon the body of Myron O'Brien, found dead by the road side some four miles from his residence, in the town of Westford. The justice, accompanied by Dr. Bliss, went to O'Brien's house and a jury was convened the same evening, which rendered a verdict that the deceased came to his death from poison administered by his own hand. The facts as developed at the inquest are as follows: Mr. O'Brien left his home on Monday, on foot, stating that he was going to Columbus, and that his family would not see him again alive. His son accompanied him a mile or so, vainly trying to persuade him to return home. He arrived at Columbus and had his will drawn up by a lawyer, signed and duly attested. On Tuesday morning after procuring a bottle of whisky and a vial of strychnine, he started for home on foot. When found, the whisky bottle in his overcoat pocket was nearly empty and the strychnine bottle duly labeled was found in his bootleg, with about a teaspoonful of the powder taken out. The presumption is that on his way he had drank enough of the whisky to nerve himself up or case him then added the strychnine and taken a last and fatal drink. Mr. O'Brien was a farmer, some 60 years of age, supposed to be well to do and not a man of sufficiently in temperate habits to impel the commission of the act. He had been in a depressed mental condition for some days, induced, it is said by some temporary pecuniary trouble and a difference of religious views between himself and the family, they being Catholics, while he, we believe, was not a member of any church. His suicide is doubtless attributable to the combination of these causes.
“Now you know…the rest of the story,”
One final thing to note: most of the family spelt their name O’Brion not O’Brien. This does help with genealogy, because when I come across the spelling of O’Brion, most likely they fall into this branch, somewhere.
Remember to have fun and Just Do Genealogy!
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