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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
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Franklin
County,
Ohio
BIOGRAPHIES |
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HENRY O'KANE,
president of The O'Kane Insurance Agency Company in this
connection bends his efforts to constructive work and administrative
direction that have resulted in the development of an enterprise of large
proportion and important interest. He was born in Reynoldsburg, Franklin
county, Ohio, August l, 1843. The family is of Scotch-Irish lineage, coming
to America from the north of Ireland. Leaving that section of the Emerald
isle in 1789 the grandfather of our subject established his home in North
Carolina and afterward removed to Rockingham county, Virginia. He was a. man
of considerable prominence in his native country, nor was he unknown to
local fame in the land of his adoption.
The father of our subject, James O'Kane, was a native
of Rockingham county, Virginia, and
the year 1820 witnessed his arrival
in Pickerington. Fairfield county, Ohio, whence he removed to Reynoldsburg in 1836, coming to
Columbus in 1849.
He engaged in merchandising and met with gratifying prosperity until the
Civil war brought reverses. He was an ardent advocate of the Union cause, an
honest, upright man of the. old school of merchants, and in every relation
of life he commanded the confidence and good will of those with whom he was
associated. His death occurred March 10, 1875. His wife bore the maiden name
of Julia Ann Williams. Her parents were natives of Wales and as children
became residents of Cayuga county, New York. Later they settled at
Pickerington, Ohio, and while there residing their daughter, Julia Ann,
formed the acquaintance of James O'Kane, who sought her hand in marriage,
the wedding ceremony being performed in June, 1829, in the old First
Presbyterian church in Columbus, by the late Dr. Hoge. In September, 1849,
Mr. and Mrs. James O'Kane removed to the capital city, where their remaining
days were passed, the death of the wife occurring January 4, 1861.
Coming to Columbus when but six years of age, Henry O'Kane pursued his
education in the public schools, passing from grade to grade to his
graduation from the high school in the days of 1859 when but sixteen year of
age. He afterward attended the. Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware,
graduating in 1863. The following year he served for one hundred days as a
soldier in the Union army of the Civil war, acting as corporal of Company H
of the One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He
was on active duty in the siege of Petersburg and participated in several
engagements. The company which he joined was largely made up of clerks from
the banks and leading mercantile houses of the city and included E. K.
Stewart, Robert Sheldon, George Bright, and Phillip Brook. Mr. O'Kane was
honorably discharged August 20, 1864, and returned to his service as cashier
in the banking house of Rickly & Brother. He had previously been appointed
to that position but put aside his business cares and duties to aid his
country. He returned, however, to the institution which is now the Capital
City Bank, and there remained until July 1, 1872. when he resigned and
entered the fire insurance business, succeeding to a local agency that had
been in existence for eight years. The business has shown a steady and
healthy growth since Mr. O'Kane assumed management more than thirty-seven
year ago. He has a. profitable clientage among the most substantial citizens
of Columbus and his business has now assumed extensive proportions, being
the oldest and one of the largest agencies of the city. Mr. O'Kane was also
secretary and manager of the Franklin Insurance Company during the thirty
years of its existence.
In early manhood Mr. O'Kane was married to Miss Cassie Van de Water, of
Columbus, who died February 15, 1878, leaving a daughter and a son, Mrs.
Frank Raymond of this city, and Walter C., who is now with the Dispatch. On
the 25th of November; 1880, Mr. O'Kane was again married, his second union
being with Miss Mary L. Cooke, of Sunbury, Ohio. Their children are James,
who is with his father in business, Louise, Elizabeth, and Russell. born in
1894.
Mr. O'Kane holds membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church and
his loyalty to its teachings and his generosity in its support have made him one of its most helpful members. He has also filled the various,
offices in the church, has been Sunday school superintendent. secretary,
steward, librarian and trustee. He belongs to the Arlington Country Club and
is well known in fraternal circles. He is a trustee of the Odd Fellows
temple and is a past grand of Capital lodge and past chief patriarch of
Junia encampment. He has also held offices in the Grand Encampment and is a
prominent representative of Odd Fellowship. He has also been prominent in
Masonic circles and is a life member of the different Masonic bodies,. He is
a past master of the lodge and a. past eminent commander of the commandery
and a charter member of the Scottish Rite. He likewise belongs to the
Aladdin temple of the Mystic Shrine and is in hearty sympathy with the
beneficent spirit of the craft. His political belief has been in accord with
the principles of the republican party since he cast his first presidential
ballot for Abraham Lincoln. He has always declined to hold office but he is
interested in good government and casts his ballot for the men whom he
thinks will prove competent and trustworthy officials. Such, in brief, is
the life history of Henry O'Kane, a man respected by all who know him. |
C. T. OKEY, M.D., who for eleven years has been a representative of the
medical fraternity in Columbus, was born in Caldwell, Ohio, March 5, 1870.
His father, F. G. Okey, was a native of Noble county, Ohio, where he resided
until his death, which occurred in 1906, when he was seventy-eight years of
age. For many years he conducted business as a druggist, thus providing for
the support of his family, while in the community where he lived he gained
recognition as one of the reliable and enterprising merchants. He married
Miss Minerva Myers, a native of Ohio, who died in 1906, at the age of
sixty-nine years.
Dr. Okey was a pupil in the public schools of Caldwell prior to entering
Marietta College, where he pursued his literary education, being graduated
in 1892. He received his professional training in the Starling Medical
College, being numbered among its alumni of 1896. Twelve years later he
opened an office in Columbus for the general practice of medicine, having
devoted the intervening two years after his graduation to service as interne
in Mt. Carmel Hospital. He now gives his time and energy to the duties of a
general practice and is assistant surgeon in the Starling-Ohio Medical
College. He also lectures before the Nurses School of Mt. Carmel Hospital
and he gains knowledge and inspiration through his attendance at the
meetings of the Academy of Medicine, the State Medical Society and the
American Medical Association.
Dr. Okey is well known in Masonic circles and is a
worthy exemplar of the craft, having
many opportunities to use its basic
principles of brotherly kindness and
helpfulness in his practice. He now
belongs to the lodge of Columbus,
has taken the thirty-third degree of
the Scottish Rite and is also a
member of the Mystic Shrine. The
substantial qualities of his
manhood, his citizenship and his
professional skill have gained him
the warm regard of those with whom
he has been brought in contact. |
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REV.
THOMAS J. O'REILLY, pastor of
St. Dominic's Catholic church in
Columbus, was born in Stanhope, New
Jersey, Dec. 23, 1855, of the
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. William
O'Reilly, both of whom were
natives of Ireland, but were married
in the United States. The son
attended the common schools to the
age of twelve years, when he went to
Providence, Rhode Island, and
continued his studies in the high
school. He next entered
Christian Brothers High School for
Boys at that place, and after
graduation from the institution
pursued born advanced study at
Manhattan College in New York city,
where he received his degree of
Bachelor of Arts. He prepared
for the ministry in Seton Hall
College, at South Orange, New
Jersey, where he pursued a course in
teh classics and in theology, the
present Archbishop Messner of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then being
professor of this college.
Rev. O'Reilly completed his
theological course in St. Mary's
Seminary at Baltimore, Maryland, and
was ordained to the priesthood April
22, 1885, by Bishop Brondel,
of Helena, Montana. Rev.
O'Reilly was the third clergyman
ordained by this distinguished
gentleman, and his ordination forms
a coincident feature from the fact
that the other two ordained bore the
name of O'Reilly, one having
come from Louvain, Belgium, while
the other claimed Paris, France, as
his place of residence.
In the discharge of his priestly office, Rev.
O'Reilly came to Columbus during
the administration of Bishop
Watterson, and by him was
appointed assistant pastor of the
Cathedral, while in 1885 he was made
chancellor and secretary of the
Columbus diocese, being retained in
the important position for four
yeas, or until September, 1889,
when, extending the field of his
labors and influence, he founded the
parish of St. Dominic, which, under
his guidance has developed into one
of the largest and most important
parishes in this city. The
parish consists of one of the finest
church structures, besides a school,
parochial residence and the Sisters
of St. Joseph Convent. Under
his excellent management the parish
has enjoyed a rapid growth and is in
fine financial condition.
Father O'Reilly is a man of
earnest purpose and of scholarly
attainments, and is extremely
popular among his parishioners. The
church work is being carried
steadily forward along all its
varied lines, and is proving a
potent force in the moral
development of the Catholic
population of the section of the
city in which the church is located.
* Page 537 |
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