The eighth member of the O'Connor family was Anstacia, or Stec [or 'Stech'],as called by her family. She married Denis Galvin's nephew, Frank Twiss,in 1886. Since we know the background of this wife and mother, it would be interesting to know something of Frank's background. Denis Galvin sent money to his sister (Frank's mother) and passage money for Frank to come to Dakota so he could take a claim in the new territory. Frank arrived in Boston with only 50 cents in his pocket, so he got a job working on the railroad in Taunton, Mass., and earned money to pay passage to America for his sister, Susan, and also to pay his fare to Dakota territory. Before he was naturalized, he worked for the new railroad which was being built. Later, while proving up on the claim, he remained with the railroad. He was retired from the railroad only in 1926. He purchased from the railroad company a large house in Athol and hired a Mrs. McNulty* to run the place and to care for some of the railroad men on the section. Later, his sister kept house for him and his group of railroad men, but in 1884 Susan married John O'Connor and shortly, after that. Frank was in need of a housekeeper.

Stecia O'Connor was a very popular and beautiful girl who had begun keeping company with a Frank Murphy. Her parents, Bridget and Mike O'Connor, objected to this and attempted to break them up by having Frank Twiss make a visit to the O'Connor home in Minnesota. His stay was brief and Stecia was not much impressed - at least not in appearance. She probably saw through the plan and resented it for awhile. Meanwhile, there was a standing invitation for her to go to Dakota to help her sister, Cecily O'Connor Galvin. After an aunt, Mrs. Dooling, paid a visit to Minnesota we find Stec admiring the aunt's expensive luggage and saying, "This would be nice for me to use if I go to Dakota to help Cecily." The aunt, who was in on the problem, readily told her that if she were going out to Dakota, she might have the luggage. That April she went to Dakota and became better acquainted with Frank Twiss. Observing his steady and sensible manner of handling work and responsibilities, she decided that she cared more for him than she cared to admit. The two kept company and then planned a wedding for June, 1886.

The story goes that when Stech came out to Dakota, she brought the material for her wedding trousseau with her and had Sarah make it up with the idea of returning to Minnesota to marry Frank Murphy. However, when she began keeping company with Frank Twiss, she wore the silk dress that was to be the wedding dress. She and Frank attended dances and had quite a time for awhile. Then when she became engaged to Frank and broke off the engagement with Frank Murphy, she wanted a new wedding dress. She wrote to her Dad asking for $20, which he sent to her. Of course material in those days was much cheaper than it is today. Stech bought one of the finest pieces of silk and some other things, and she had 50 cents left, Of course she knew that her sisters who were in Dakota would help her as well as her brother and brothers-in-law.

Stech did not return to Minnesota for the wedding as it took too much time from Frank's work which was not only the railroad job, but also making sure that his claim was being built up as required and as he wished it to be. At this time Father Haire was stationed in Ashton, but occasionally to say Mass for the Catholics of Redfield and Athol. No church was available in Athol yet, so the Wedding Mass was said in the Denis Galvin home. Mrs. McNulty, who had been taking care of the Twiss home and the railroad men, soon decided that she needed a vacation and proceeded to go to visit some of her married children. She never returned, so Stech had to face this responsibility all on her own. Frank tried to keep some help for her, but it was pretty irregular. Stech being one of the younger of the O'Connor girls, had never taken the housework seriously because she worked out in the field taking the place of a hired man, and her older sisters wondered what she would do when it came her turn. She found it hard for some time, but Frank was a very kind man, handsome, and considerate. Whenever he was home, he helped her. Soon the men who boarded helped too, especially when it came to carrying water, building fires, bringing in fuel, etc. It did not take long until she became a very good cook and homemaker.

The Twiss family reared seven children, five boys and two girls. Mike, the first, married Ella Groft. They had three children, two boys and a girl.. They lost the first boy, Woodrow, when he contracted pneumonia. [Additional information private].

Robert, the second child, had a hard time from babyhood with asthma. When he finished high school, his parents sent him to college in Boulder, Colorado, in hopes that he could live more comfortably. In his senior year at college two men from General-Electric of Schenectady, N,Y., came to the college to select likely good engineers. Robert was one of those selected. He married Marguerite Gustin of Schenectady, and they went to East Orange where they make their home. September 17, 1952, Robert died of a heart attack in East Orange. They had two children [information private].

Norbert, the third boy was given a two year college education and later married Doris Morrill, who also had a degree and taught school for some time. Norbert was manager of a grocery store and cared for the Post Office in Athol. She entered the Catholic Church before the marriage and they have reared two boys. [Information private]

Earl, or E.J. as he is known is the fourth son and he did not care to attend college. He was far too anxious to get out on his own to earn money. He was not accepted for service during the First World War because of a hernia condition, so he went to work for the FWB .in Clintonville, Wisconsin. He saved his money and bought land near his home in Dakota, but when some promotion men came north from the Texas Valley trying to interest people in citrus farming, he traded what land he had for 60 acres of citrus land in Harlingen, Texas. Here he was instrumental in converting Neva Daniels to the Church, and he married her in Harlingen, Texas. They have only one son --- [information private].

Mary Twiss, the fifth child and first girl, received a good education and married Jake Herman. They have five children, four boys and a girl. They have made their home most of the time in Aberdeen, S.D., and after Mary's father's death, her mother, Stech, lived with them.

Nellie, the second girl, received a good education and married John Dutch. They have two boys and a girl. Nellie is a savings bank teller at the First National Bank of Aberdeen, S.D. (Retired June 20, 1965).

Lloyd, the youngest of this family, married and lives in Miami, Florida and works for a real estate company.

The father of this family was indeed a good provider, husband, and father to his family. He and Stecia were very congenial and frequently took long trips together. One that they made in the fall of 1929 was a trip they and their children must have enjoyed very much. They came from Athol to San Antonio where they visited their niece and cousin, Sister M. Redempta Galvin. From there they went to Harlingen, Texas, to visit their son Earl. They then went on to California where Nellie was living and they spent a couple of months there. After Frank's retirement in 1926 he did not live long. He had a stroke in 1931 and was somewhat disabled and in August 1933 he passed away. Stech survived him 22 years and lived quite a colorful life. She loved people and liked to visit relatives. Of course, having lifetime passes on the railroad helped, so she visited Robert in New York, Earl in Texas, relatives in Minnesota and in Madison, Wisconsin, as well as those in California. When possible, and especially after moving to Aberdeen, she attended Mass daily and did a good deal of Church work. (As long as she lived in Athol, she took care of the church linen , then altar, and made the meals for the priest when he came for Sunday Mass. As yet [1964] Athol has no resident pastor. Of course before the church was built there, Mass was said in Denis Galvin's home, then in the Frank Twiss home.) Her death was rather a surprise to most of the family although she had been complaining of pain for some time. It had been diagnosed as arthritis and death did not seem imminent because she had been quite active.

Additional research information

• MCNULTY MARGARET

• MCNULTY JOHN R

• DUTCH NELLIE