Thanks to Jeanne B. for sharing her experience at the Minnesota Irish Fair:

I volunteered to work a shift at the Irish Fair in St. Paul on Sunday, August 11^th.  My shift had ended and I stood up to leave when a woman came by and had a question.  I thought, “Oh darn, I just about made it out of here to meet my friends and enjoy the fair.”  But of course I would not walk away from another genealogist who had a question.

She said her mother had always told her they were related to the St. Paul Chief of Police, John J. O’Connor.  She had my interest on that one, since my aunt had always said the Police Chief was a cousin of my grandfather.  Neither one of us could ever find any proof of this relationship.

John J. O’Connor took office as police chief in 1900 and immediately devised a system of crime control to keep the streets of St. Paul safe.  The criminals had to check in as soon as they arrived, pay gratuities to the local police and behave themselves within city limits.  (Detailed in Mary Lethert Wingerd’s book "Claiming the City.")

My fellow genealogist, Kathy, started throwing out names and places in Ireland.  Most importantly the name Woulfe and the townland of Meenyline in Limerick.  Now she really had my interest because this was my grandfather’s name and place of birth in 1877.  There was no way I was going anywhere!  After a few more connections were made, she texted me an ancestor chart.

The ancestor chart had my great-grandfather Patrick on it and his father Richard.  I had this information from a trip to Ireland and a sit-down with the parish priest.  But what I didn’t have was 3X great-grandfather Michael and his wife Johanna, whose names were at the top.  Michael was born in 1760 and Johanna in 1769.

Michael and Johanna had a son Richard, and Richard and his wife Honora had 5 children—4 sons and 1 daughter.  Kathy is descended from the daughter Bridget and my ancestor from the son Patrick. 

We were both amazed at this chance meeting and have since been in touch to share what information we have.  As yet we have not found any connection to the Police Chief John J. O’Connor, but as they say two heads are better than one and we will keep searching.

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