Individual Details
William Wilder O'Hara
(7 Sep 1901 - 13 Jan 1972)
From Joan Bates's notes in the early 90s.:
His father was Ernest Robert O'Hara and his mother was Alta Strickland Lynch O'Hara Gilbert. His paternal half-brother was Ernest Robert O'Hara, 1898 - 1962. His maternal half-siblings were his older brother, Gerald Lynch (wife Helen) and Alma Gilbert Munson (Carl), Charles Gilbert (wife Florence), Byrd Gilbert (wife Ila), and Louise Gilbert Brostrom (husband Vern, they live in Mankato).
Wilder was educated at Winona Teacher's College for several years. He taught math and history, coached boys basketball when it was a new sport. He worked as a salesman, served several years in the Navy during WWII, worked for MN Health Department and then for the federal government in Pennsylvania, California and Virginia as did his fourth wife.
He died of a heart attack at age 70 while in the hospital. His son, Fiske O'Hara was the only child able to go to his funeral. Ed got out of Vietnam, but got there too late due to a strike in Tokyo and being routed through Alaska.
Wilder met Ursula Wilcox while teaching school in Elysian, MN. Their son was William Wilder O'Hara, 1929 - 1985. Wilder and Ursula divorced, both married others, but Ursula had no more children. William Wilder (1929-85) married Geraldine and they lived in Watertown, SDAK. They had 5 children, Patricia, Michael, Nancy, William Herbert, and Jack. They divorced. William was next married for a short time to Verna, no children. His third wife was Alice Costello and they had one son, William Wilder O'Hara, who is the father of William Wilder O'Hara born in 1994.
Wilder's second wife was Edna Lemma. They lived in Wausau, WI. Their son was Edward Ernest O'Hara.
Wilder's third wife was Martha Raiha Reiff O'Hara Shuster, born July 5, 1913, died March 26, 1984. Wilder and Martha had three children:
1. Joan Carol O'Hara Bates, born September 29, 1936 in Waterloo, IA
2. Elizabeth O'Hara, born in Glenwood, MN on February 4, 1942 and who died February 6, 1942. Wilder drove her body to Wabasha, MN where she is buried with our family.
3. Fiske Floyd O'Hara, born April 4, 1943, died October 28, 1996.
The fourth wife of Wilder O'Hara was Dorthea, who he met while we lived in Maryland and he served in the Navy at Patuxent Naval Air Station. We lived in Suitland, then on the base. They had no children.
Wilder's father, Ernest W. O'Hara, was a gentleman farmer educated at the U of M Agricultural school. He died from diabetes in 1902. His father saw to it that Ernest's first child, Ernest Robert O'Hara had a companion and care as he was retarded, probably due to his birth and mother's death from the trauma of the birth.
When Wilder's mother married for the 3rd time, Wilder and his half-brother Gerald Lynch often stayed with the Strickland grandparents. As teenagers, they dug a seepage pit to carry kitchen wastewater when indoor plumbing came to their grandparent's home. John Strickland had a store in Zumbro Falls and Wilder worked there a bit also. Grandfather William Wilder O'Hara had two farms, which were the showplaces of the county. One farm he bequeathed to his daughter, Aunt Fannie, and the other was left in a trust to provide income to his grandsons, E. Robert and Wilder, and eventually the money from that farm came to Wilder's four children by his first three wives!
The O'Hara farm was in Guilford Township, near Zumbro Falls, my husband's cousin Virginia wed Elmer Tomfohr (probate judge in Red Wing) who was also born in Guilford Township. His father told me, in 1958 that the O'Hara farms were well kept showplaces, with white picket fences and others, and that my great-grandmother Louisa Lamont O'Hara was a beauty and the belle of the county. I only have pictures of Ernest (one with Alta) and of Wilder.
John Strickland came to the USA with his father who was Edward Strickland. Buried in Zumbro Falls are Ernest O'Hara, wife Geraldine, and their son Ernest Robert, John Strickland and his wife Anna M Stevens Strickland. I suspect William Wilder and Louisa are in Lake City, while Alta and Charles Gilbert and many others are with Elizabeth, my sister, at Wabasha.
We lived in Zumbro Falls in 1948 where I ended the 6th grade and Ed ended the 8th. We began the 7th grade there for me while Ed went to the 9th grade in Lake City (Zumbro Falls had only a two-room school) and then we finished that year at Wabasha High School. That is where we were the closest to my father's family and where we were living when my parents broke up.
His father was Ernest Robert O'Hara and his mother was Alta Strickland Lynch O'Hara Gilbert. His paternal half-brother was Ernest Robert O'Hara, 1898 - 1962. His maternal half-siblings were his older brother, Gerald Lynch (wife Helen) and Alma Gilbert Munson (Carl), Charles Gilbert (wife Florence), Byrd Gilbert (wife Ila), and Louise Gilbert Brostrom (husband Vern, they live in Mankato).
Wilder was educated at Winona Teacher's College for several years. He taught math and history, coached boys basketball when it was a new sport. He worked as a salesman, served several years in the Navy during WWII, worked for MN Health Department and then for the federal government in Pennsylvania, California and Virginia as did his fourth wife.
He died of a heart attack at age 70 while in the hospital. His son, Fiske O'Hara was the only child able to go to his funeral. Ed got out of Vietnam, but got there too late due to a strike in Tokyo and being routed through Alaska.
Wilder met Ursula Wilcox while teaching school in Elysian, MN. Their son was William Wilder O'Hara, 1929 - 1985. Wilder and Ursula divorced, both married others, but Ursula had no more children. William Wilder (1929-85) married Geraldine and they lived in Watertown, SDAK. They had 5 children, Patricia, Michael, Nancy, William Herbert, and Jack. They divorced. William was next married for a short time to Verna, no children. His third wife was Alice Costello and they had one son, William Wilder O'Hara, who is the father of William Wilder O'Hara born in 1994.
Wilder's second wife was Edna Lemma. They lived in Wausau, WI. Their son was Edward Ernest O'Hara.
Wilder's third wife was Martha Raiha Reiff O'Hara Shuster, born July 5, 1913, died March 26, 1984. Wilder and Martha had three children:
1. Joan Carol O'Hara Bates, born September 29, 1936 in Waterloo, IA
2. Elizabeth O'Hara, born in Glenwood, MN on February 4, 1942 and who died February 6, 1942. Wilder drove her body to Wabasha, MN where she is buried with our family.
3. Fiske Floyd O'Hara, born April 4, 1943, died October 28, 1996.
The fourth wife of Wilder O'Hara was Dorthea, who he met while we lived in Maryland and he served in the Navy at Patuxent Naval Air Station. We lived in Suitland, then on the base. They had no children.
Wilder's father, Ernest W. O'Hara, was a gentleman farmer educated at the U of M Agricultural school. He died from diabetes in 1902. His father saw to it that Ernest's first child, Ernest Robert O'Hara had a companion and care as he was retarded, probably due to his birth and mother's death from the trauma of the birth.
When Wilder's mother married for the 3rd time, Wilder and his half-brother Gerald Lynch often stayed with the Strickland grandparents. As teenagers, they dug a seepage pit to carry kitchen wastewater when indoor plumbing came to their grandparent's home. John Strickland had a store in Zumbro Falls and Wilder worked there a bit also. Grandfather William Wilder O'Hara had two farms, which were the showplaces of the county. One farm he bequeathed to his daughter, Aunt Fannie, and the other was left in a trust to provide income to his grandsons, E. Robert and Wilder, and eventually the money from that farm came to Wilder's four children by his first three wives!
The O'Hara farm was in Guilford Township, near Zumbro Falls, my husband's cousin Virginia wed Elmer Tomfohr (probate judge in Red Wing) who was also born in Guilford Township. His father told me, in 1958 that the O'Hara farms were well kept showplaces, with white picket fences and others, and that my great-grandmother Louisa Lamont O'Hara was a beauty and the belle of the county. I only have pictures of Ernest (one with Alta) and of Wilder.
John Strickland came to the USA with his father who was Edward Strickland. Buried in Zumbro Falls are Ernest O'Hara, wife Geraldine, and their son Ernest Robert, John Strickland and his wife Anna M Stevens Strickland. I suspect William Wilder and Louisa are in Lake City, while Alta and Charles Gilbert and many others are with Elizabeth, my sister, at Wabasha.
We lived in Zumbro Falls in 1948 where I ended the 6th grade and Ed ended the 8th. We began the 7th grade there for me while Ed went to the 9th grade in Lake City (Zumbro Falls had only a two-room school) and then we finished that year at Wabasha High School. That is where we were the closest to my father's family and where we were living when my parents broke up.
Events
| Birth | 7 Sep 1901 | Zumbro Falls, Wabasha, Minnesota, United States | |||
| Marriage | 2 Jun 1934 | Menominee, Michigan, United States - Edna Lemma | |||
| Marriage | 1935 | Martha Elizabeth "Phinney" Raiha | |||
| Death | 13 Jan 1972 | Danville. Va |
Families
| Spouse | Martha Elizabeth "Phinney" Raiha (1913 - 1984) |
| Child | Joan Carol O'Hara (1936 - 2020) |
| Child | Elizabeth O'Hara (1941 - 1941) |
| Child | Fiske Floyd "Bear" O'Hara (1943 - 1996) |
| Spouse | Edna Lemma (1901 - 1935) |
| Child | Edward O'Hara (1935 - 1996) |
| Father | Ernest Wilder O'Hara (1874 - 1902) |
| Mother | Alta Luoella Strickland (1877 - 1940) |