Category: Family Tree

John Lynch “Cowboy Jack” O’Hearn

Born: 24 July 1880 in Hardin County, Iowa

Died: 3 February 1963 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas

Buried: Grovehill Cemetery, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas

Married: Anna Foley on 18 February 1906 at Saint Patrick’s Church in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri

Married: Sadie (or Sarah) Lovell (died during the flu pandemic in 1918)

Married: Gene Hill (Gene and their son died in childbirth)

Married: Lois Josephine Reichenstein on 11 October 1926 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Dallas, Texas

Parents:

  • Daniel William O’Hearn
  • Elizabeth Lynch

Siblings:

  1. William O’Hearn (1881 – 1882)
  2. Mary Katherine O’Hearn (1885 – 1953)
  3. Elizabeth O’Hearn (1889 – 1892)
  4. Peter Henry O’Hearn (1893 – 1893)

Children:

  1. Louis Daniel O’Hearn
  2. Elizabeth Ann O’Hearn

From a retyped family document (date & author unknown):

Mr. O’Hearn graduated from Iowa State University in 1904, with a degree in Civil Engineering and accepted a job with the American Bridge Co. in Pittsburgh, Pa.

In 1905, Mr. O’Hearn left the American Bridge Co. to take the position of Bridge Engineer with the Kansas City Mexico & Orient Railway Co. The K.C.M.&O. Railway Co. was a new company, in the process of construction from Kansas City to Tuplabampo, Mexico. Several months later Mr. O’Hearn left the Bridge department to take a Resident Engineer’s postion with the company in Oklahoma. Mr. O’Hearn was with the K.C.M.O. for a year or two until the Railroad went out of business.

Between 1907 and 1913, Mr. O’Hearn lived in Clinton, Oklahoma where he practiced as a Consulting Civil Engineer. While living at Clinton, Mr. O’Hearn also served as City Enigneer and County Surveyor for Custer County and was for a time Chief Engineer for the Clinton, Oklahoma Street Railway Co.

Sometime between 1913 and 1916 Mr. O’Hearn left Clinton and moved to Dallas, Texas, by way of Oklahoma City. Since 1916 Mr. O’Hearn has made his home in Dallas. Mr. O’Hearn went with the Truscon Steel Co., about 1916 when he opened their Dallas office. While Mr. O’Hearn was with Truscon he was actively engaged in the design of reinforced concrete construction.

In 1924, Mr. O’Hearn formed his own company, representing several building products manufactures, and was actively engaged in his business until a year or two before his death when he was forced to retire because of poor health.

Among Mr. O’Hearn’s engineering accomplishments are water supply and sanitary sewage system for Clinton and Weatherford, Oklahoma, which were among their first. Mr. O’Hearn redesigned the McFarlin Auditorium on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Reinforced Concrete and Structural Steel.

Mr. O’Hearn has been a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers since his graduation from college. Mr. O’Hearn has been active in the Dallas branch of the Society since its formation, serving as president of the Dallas branch in 1929 and again in 1948. From 1940 through 1947 Mr. O’Hearn served as Secretary for the Dallas Branch and for several years he served as contact member between the Society and the Southern Methodist University Student Chapter. Mr. O’Hearn has been a life member of the Society since 1944.

In 1960, Mr. O’Hearn was made Honorary Member of the Southern Methodist University Chapter of Chi Epsilon, National Honorary Civil Engineering Fraternity.

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Lawrence Earl Melby

Born: 31 January 1930 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas

Died: 11 January 1979 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas from a heart attack

Buried: 13 January 1979 at Grovehill Cemetery, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas

Married: Elizabeth Ann O’Hearn on 10 July 1956 at Christ the King Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas

Parents:

  • Arne Theodore Melby
  • Mabel Claire Eggen

Siblings:

  1. Claire Arlene Melby

Children:

  1. Lawrence Earl Melby, II
  2. Elizabeth Marie Melby
  3. Margaret Claire Melby
  4. John Theodore Melby

Military Service: Lawrence was drafted into the Army on 26 February 1951.  During the Korean War, he served as a demolitions expert, but was never deployed overseas.

Excerpt from ‘The Eggen Family History’ (pgs 75 -76):

Lawrence Earl Melby is the first child and son of Mabel Claire Eggen and Arne Theodore Melby.  He was born on January 31, 1930, in Dallas, Texas.  He attended William Lipscomb Elementary School, J. L. Long Junior High School, and Woodrow Wilson High School which was only a block from his home.  He graduated from high school in May 1947.  Lawrence attended Arlington State College and Southern Methodist University, belonging to the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Lawrence served in the United States Army from January 1951 to January 1953 at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina.  He was a corporal and a qualified demolition expert.  He worked two jobs most of his life.  He worked as a draftsman at Austin Brothers Steel and General Portland Cement.  He was baptized and confirmed in the Central Lutheran Church.

Lawrence loved big band music, bowling, hot rods, drag racing, and any fast sporty cars.  During his childhood he enjoyed building and flying model airplanes until young assisting hands arrived.  He also loved to tinker on cars.  He was a loving son, brother, and father.  Following the deaths of his father and father-in-law, he faithfully checked on his mother and mother-in-law and helped them whenever necessary.  After the four children were in school, it became a ritual for Lawrence to take them to his mother’s to visit on Sunday evenings.  On Saturday mornings his favorite pastime was in his bed with the four children gathered around him to watch Educational TV cartoons.  He also was very proud of his creamy yellow 1952 Studebaker convertible.  He related to his family that one day he saw his dad driving his precious car and was proud to see him “opening it up.”

On July 10, 1953, Lawrence met his future wife Elizabeth Ann O’Hearn (Betty) on a blind date.  They became formally engaged on July 10, 1955, and were married on Tuesday, July 10, 1956, by Msgr. William J. Bender at Christ the King Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas.  He never forgot his anniversary according to Betty.

Elizabeth Ann O’Hearn is the daughter of John Lynch and Lois O’Hearn.  She was born on August 5, 1936, in Dallas, Texas.  Betty attended Holy Trinity Elementary School, Highland Park Junior High School, and graduated from Highland Park High School in 1954.  While in high school she was on the swimming team.  She also attended Texas State College for Women and Rutherford Business School.  Betty was baptized in Sacred Heart Cathedral and confirmed in Holy Trinity Catholic Church both in Dallas.  She enjoys art, swimming, and reading.  Betty has never “met a stranger” according to her oldest daughter.  Betty worked for Texas Instruments retiring in 1992.  In 1987 Betty moved in with her mother in order to care for her until her death in 1997.

For most of his life Lawrence worked two jobs.  Prior to his death Lawrence was able to fulfill his life long dream of owning farm land which he purchased in Cooper County.  In September 1971-72 and March 1978, Lawrence suffered heart attacks.  On January 13, 1979, immediately following the worst ice storm in Dallas, Lawrence passed away at his home in Dallas.  Services were held at Crane Funeral Home in Dallas.  Lawrence was buried in Grove Hill Cemetery in Dallas on January 13, 1979.

Lawrence was 5 feet 11 inches tall, had blond hair and blue eyes.  Betty was 5 feet 8 inches tall with dark hair and brown eyes, now 5 feet 4 with gray hair (her words).  They have four children.

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Robert Hollon Lee

Born: 17 September 1928 in Mirando City, Webb County, Texas

Died: 1 June 1976 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas from Lung Cancer

Buried: Alice, Jim Wells County, Texas

Married: Wanda LaJean Stewart on 21 October 1951 in Freer, Texas

Parents:

  • Joseph Lee
  • Susan Elizabeth Wilkins

Siblings:

  1. Louvina Ann Lee
  2. Joseph Lee, Jr.
  3. Clifton Calvin Lee
  4. Charles Ray Lee

Children:

  1. Robert Stewart Lee
  2. Michael Scott Lee

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