The Story of Maurice Owen O'Donnell / Memories ... April 9

This post tells the story of my maternal Uncle, Maurice Owen O'Donnell  (1925 - 2006).

Our common ancestors are:  James O'Donnell and Sarah Mary Josephine McCane.

I'm publishing this post on the anniversary of my uncle's birth.

Anniversary of a Birthday:   

(also for my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

• My maternal uncle, Maurice Owen O'Donnell was born in 1925 near Gumlu, Queensland, Australia.

Photo likely taken c1932
Maurice (aged 7) with his older brother Edmond and sister Margaret (my Mum), as well as three of his younger brothers, Jim, Jack and Eddie.
(Photo shared by Terry O'Donnell)

• He was the third-born child of my grandparents, James O'Donnell and Sarah McCane.

Photo likely taken in 1935
Maurice (aged 10) with his older brother Edmond, older sister Margaret (my Mum),
younger brothers Jim, Jack, Eddie and his younger sister Marcella.
(Photo shared by Terry O'Donnell)

• Maurice was known as 'Morrie' throughout his lifetime.

Photo likely taken in 1941
Maurice with his older sister Margaret (my Mum), his younger sister Marcella,
his older brothers Jim, Jack and Eddie, along with his youngest brother Terry
(Photo shared by Terry O'Donnell)

• He had five brothers and two sisters.

• Morrie attended Gumlu State School.  The school photo above shows Morrie (circled) and his brothers Jim and Jack (same row, third and fourth from the left). 

• Maurice worked for Queensland Government Railways. The 1949 Australian Electoral Roll shows that he was working as a railway staff officer in Bowen, Queensland.  He was 24 years old.

• I found a number of newspaper items from the 1949 edition of the local newspaper, the Bowen Independent, mentioning Maurice's / Morrie's name.  It appears he was rather a good cricket player in the B Grade cricket scene at the time.  He played for the Railway Institute Club (known as the Railways) cricket team, which makes perfect sense since he worked for the railways!

- Mar 11 1949:  Morrie was mentioned as the player who scored the most runs, and he also "carried his bat".  I had to google that terminology and apparently it refers to "an opening batsman (either No. 1 or 2) who is not dismissed (not out) when the team innings is closed"  (quote taken from Wikipedia).

- Mar 25 1949:  Morrie "carried his bat" once again!  Twice in one season!  Not bad!  I love that the reporter referred to him as "that mighty man"!

- Apr 22 1949:  Morrie (otherwise known as "the mighty man") won the trophy for the highest batting average, seemingly on a technicality, but I'm sure mighty man was deeply proud.

• Maurice had married Olwyn Edwards sometime in his early 20s, but sadly she passed away in 1952, when Maurice was only 26 years old.

• Two years later, Maurice placed an 'In Memoriam' notice in the newspaper on the anniversary of her death.

• By 1958, Maurice was working for Queensland Government Railways as a staff officer, posted at Thoopara Station, near Proserpine, Queensland.  He was 33 years old at this time.

• He was still there in 1963.

• By this time, he had lost his youngest sister Marcella. She had died in mid 1961 when she was only 26 years old.

• By 1968, Maurice, aged 43, had returned to live in Bowen at his old family home on Dalrymple Street, with his mother and father.   

• He lost his only other sister Margaret (my Mum) earlier that same year.  Margaret was only 44 years old when she passed.

• The 1980 Electoral Roll shows that Maurice, aged 55, was still living at the home on Dalrymple Street in Bowen, but by now both his mother and father had passed away.

• Maurice's mother, Sarah O'Donnell nee McCane had passed in 1970, and his father, James O'Donnell had passed away in 1974.

• Maurice passed away in 2006, aged 81.  

• He was survived by two of his brothers at this time, John Joseph (known as Jack) and Terence William (known as Terry).