Patrick and Ellen Connolly

My latest obsession while researching my family roots is trying to figure out how I am related to this guy:

This Patrick fellow was married to a woman my Great Grandma Katie called “Grandma Ellen”, even though Ellen was not really her grandmother.

They came to the Bay Area from Ireland in the late 1800s and lived on a farm in Oakland. I found where the farm used to be (it’s near the 580 on/off ramp by West Street and 35th), but I still can’t figure out who these people are in relation to me. They are also buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery, which is 10 minutes from my apartment. I went over there one day to see if they had any records I could look at, but all I was told was that he was buried in Section F. This was 1889, mind you, so if one didn’t have a fancy headstone back then, odds are we won’t find it today. And while I couldn’t find a specific grave for him, I did find this headstone in the general area, so I wonder if this is them, because “Grandma Ellen” and some of their children are also buried here:

I just stood there staring at this headstone wishing it could speak to me. There is very little on Patrick because he didn’t arrive to the U.S. until 1887-1888ish and then died a year later.

My Great Grandma Katie wrote that “Grandma Ellen” was her father’s cousin, but when I did the math, it didn’t add up, as she was old enough to be his aunt, so I have a feeling that’s what she was. I suspect that Patrick Connolly may have been a half-brother of my Great Grandma Katie’s grandfather (I know it’s confusing), but I can’t seem to prove it. But I really think we are related because Grandma Ellen’s descendants are in our old family photos. Speaking of old family photos…

These are screenshots of old home movies of my family in Berkeley in the 1940s. On the left is my Great Grandma Katie and on the right- I am not sure but I think it’s a cousin of hers who is possibly a descendant of “Grandma Ellen.”

Once I solve the mystery of who Patrick and Ellen Connolly are, I will finally be able to add them to my family tree. Perhaps I need to take a trip to Ireland….just saying. In the meantime, enjoy the below picture I took today in the Oakland Hills. Bay Area roots remain strong.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026: