Bridget McDonnell & Michael F.
LEE
Bridget McDONNELL was born 25 December 1885, in Roscommon County,
Ireland to Michael McDONNELL and Bridget KELLY. Bridget also had the
following siblings: John McDonnell, Mrs. Mary McDONNELL KILLIAN, and
Catherine RUSSELL
Michael Frank LEE was baptised on 28 May 1876 in Ballylanders, County Limerick, Ireland. His parents were William LEE and Ellen ENGLISH View Baptism record here
Michael LEE and Bridget McDONNELL had two children:
From this 1904 San Francisco Directory we find Miss Bridget McDonnell living at 223h 12th Street, San Francisco.
Dorothy E. LEE, born 13 March 1910 in California. Dorothy married William J. SHINNICK in 1940 and had 2 children. 1940 census for William and Dorothy SHINNICK. William SHINNICK 1940 draft card, front and back.William
passed away on 5 January 1995 in Contra Costa County, California at age
80. Dorothy passed away on 15 January 2005 in San Pablo, California at
age 94.
From the 1910
census we find Michael LEE and family living at 3460 Eighteenth Street,
San Francisco, age 28, married for 3 years, immigrated to USA in 1895,
and a Telephone Lineman, born in Ireland. His wife Bridget is 27,
married for 3 years, immigrated in 1900 and has given birtth to 1
child, and that child is living. Also in the residence are James and
Sarah Ferguson, both age 48, narried for 8 years, and both born in
California. Both of James' parents were born ijn Ireland and he is a
Bartender at a saloon. Sarah has never had any children and both her
parents were born in Ireland. View the 1910 census.
Gladys Josephine LEE, born 10 January 1917 in San
Francisco, California. Gladys married George MURPHY and they had two children.
Gladys later married Eugene Albert MORIEN on 8 June 1956 in Larkspur,
California. Gladys passed away on 19 November 1996 at age 79.
On 12 September 1918 Michael Frank LEE
registered for the World War I Draft. We find Michael living at
3460 18th Street, San Francisco. He gives his birth as 1 November
1880 and his age as 38. Why? This is not close. He states
he is not a US Citizen. He states he is a citizen of England. His
occupation is a Lineman for Pacific Telephone & Telegraph, 40 West
Mission Street, San Francisco. His nearest relative is Mrs. Bridget
LEE, 3460 18th Street, San Francisco. His height is "tall", his build
is "medium", his eyes are "blue" and his hair is "brown". He has no
"disqualifying" physical conditions. View the cards here: Front Back
From the 1920 census we find Michael Lee and family renting at 3460
Eighteenth Street, San Francisco, Michael is 38, married, immigrated to
the US in 1910 and is a naturalized citizen, born in Ireland, speaks
English, both his parents were born in Ireland. Bridget is 36, married,
immigrated to USA in 1910 and is a naturalized citizen. Bridget and her
parents were all born in Ireland. They have a daughter Ellen 9 2/12
years old, and a daughter Josephime 2 6/12 years old. Both girls were
born in California and their paents were born in Ireland. Also in the
residence are two lodgers, Arthur Mason, age 50, born in England and a
cook in a restaurant, and Arthur White age 52. born in Ireland and a
real estate salesman. View 1920 census record.
Michael LEE passed away on 16 November
1927 while working for Pacific Telephone at 38 Price Row, San
Francisco, when a handrail broke and Michael fell hitting his head and
fracturing his skull. View the coroner's report.
38 Price Row is located about a block away from Washington Square Park
in San Francisco. Our thanks go to Shelley Jarvis for supplying this
image of the coroner's report.
In the 1927 Obituary, his wife, two daughters and his siblings Mary and
Thomas LEE are mentioned. So brother Maurice Lee has already returned
to Ireland by 1927. As of the date of death, we learn the family was
living at 154 Shanchez Street, San Francisco.
On 5 November 1929 Bridget, age 42, a native of Ireland and resident of
San Francisco, married Arthur Daniel Matthews, age 49, a native of
Maryland and resident of Yolanda, Marin County, California. They were
married in Yolanda, Marin County, California. Yolanda appears to have
been a small neighborhood now located in the town of San Anselmo. There
was a small post office substation in Yolanda from 1924 to 1954. View marriage license.
There seems to have been a lot of people named Arthur in Bridget's life....two boarders in 1920 and a new husband in 1929.
From a posting by MyrnaFinley45 on Ancestry.com we have the
following obituary information about Bridget: "In this city, November
25, 1938, Bridget MATTHEWS, loving mother of Dorothy LEE and Gladys
MURPHY, grandmother of Roberta and Phillip MURPHY, loving sister of
John McDONNELL, Mrs. Mary KILLIAN and Catherine RUSSELL; a native of
County Roscommon, Ireland. Notice of funeral later. Friends may call at
McAvoy-Ohara Co., Geary Blvd. at 9th Ave." This
obituary gives us information about Bridget's McDonnell family and that
her daughter Gladys has obviously already married George Murphy, and
the Murphy's have two children.
Thanks to Shelley Jarvis for supplying some old family photos, click on the links below:
Michael LEE when he was younger.
Michael LEE, probably taken from near his time of death.
This page last updated on 4 May 2021
