Gazlay Family History
 

Family HistoryFamily History - Ethel Luella Olson


Key:1.“+” before a child’s name indicates the child has their own entry in the next generation.
 2.“born xxxx” indicates the child is under 18 years of age so the birth date is not shown.
This family history features Ethel Luella Olson and three of her descendants down to the second generation.


First Generation
1. Ethel Luella Olson,1 born 30 November 1910 in Dassel, Meeker County, Minnesota, the daughter of Joseph Olson and Ida Sangren;1, 2 died 22 December 1944 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan.1 Ethel married Bernard Joseph ‘Red’ Donovan (born 26 December 1912 in Lawrence, Van Buren County, Michigan, the son of William Patrick Donovan and Rachael Margaret Payne;2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Red died 2 April 1992 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan3). Ethel and Red are buried in Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Van Buren County, Michigan.1, 3

Children of Ethel Luella Olson and Bernard Joseph ‘Red’ Donovan:

+2i. Rodean Ann ‘Deanie’ Donovan, born 7 March 1936 in Michigan. Married (1) Gordon Moerdyk Married (2) Kenneth Wayne Strate.
 3ii. John Thomas Donovan, born 30 January 1939 in Michigan;2, 6, 7 died 31 December 1969.7 John is buried in Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Van Buren County, Michigan.7
 4iii. Ethel Lowella Donovan, born 18 December 1944;8, 9 died 14 December 1985.8

  1. Find a Grave (website). Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Van Buren County, Michigan, Ethel Luella Olson Donovan, born: 30 November 1910 in Dassel, Meeker County, Minnesota; died: 22 December 1944 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan (from record, which includes information from two census records and death record; and provides the name and link for her husband).
  2. U.S. Federal Census, 1940, Michigan, Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo, E.D. 39-16, Sheet No. 13B, Bernard Donovan, 27, Michigan, street work, city; wife Ethel Donovan, 29, Minnesota; daughter Rodean Donovan, 4, Michigan; son Thomas Donovan, 1, Michigan.
  3. Find a Grave (website). Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Van Buren County, Michigan, Bernard J. Donovan, born: 26 December 1912 in Lawrence, Van Buren County, Michigan; died: 3 April 1992 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan (from record, which includes information from his second marriage record, social security claims index, and death index; and provides the names and links for his parents, one sibling, and one wife).
  4. U.S. Federal Census, 1920, Michigan, Van Buren County, Lawrence, E.D. 196, Sheet No. 7B, William Donovan, 31, Michigan, laborer, machine shop; wife Rachael Donovan, 28, Michigan; son Charles Donovan, 8, Michigan; son Bernard Donovan, 7, Michigan; daughter Christine Donovan, 5, Michigan; daughter Helen Louise Donovan 3 3/12, Michigan; son William T. Donovan 1 4/12, Michigan.
  5. U.S. Federal Census, 1930, Michigan, Berrien County, Watervliet, E.D. 11-59, Sheet No. 5A-5B, Bernard Donovan, 17, Michigan [he is a border in the household of Frank Barden].
  6. U.S. Federal Census, 1950, Michigan, Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo, E.D. 89-42, Sheet No. 3, Bernard J. Donovan, 37, Michigan, welder, making checker taxi co.; wife Kathryn J. Donovan, 26, Michigan, nurse, state hospital; son John T. Donovan, 11, Michigan.
  7. Find a Grave (website). Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Van Buren County, Michigan, Capt. John Thomas Donovan, born: 30 January 1939; died: 31 December 1969 (from record).
  8. Find a Grave (website). Saint Marys Cemetery, Paw Paw, Van Buren County, Michigan, Ethel L. Donovan, born: 18 December 1944; died: 14 December 1985 (from record).
  9. U.S. Federal Census, 1950, Michigan, Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo, E.D. 89-4, Sheet No. 3, William T. Donovan, 31, Michigan, mail man, U.S. government; wife Francis H. Donovan, 30, Massachusetts; son Gerald, F. Donovan, 4, Massachusetts; niece Ethel L. Donovan, 5, Michigan.
Second Generation
2. Rodean Ann ‘Deanie’ Donovan2 (Ethel1), born 7 March 1936 in Michigan.1, 2, 3 Deanie married, first, 2 June 1956 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Gordon Moerdyk5 (born 17 November 1934 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, parents not determined;4 Gordon died 5 October 20134). Deanie married, second, 1983 in Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana, Kenneth Wayne Strate7 (born 21 June 1926 in Sandborn, Knox County, Indiana, the son of John Henry Strate and Marie Angeline Anderson;6 Kenneth died 13 January 2009 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana6). Gordon is buried in Christ Church Memorial Gardens, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.4 Kenneth is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana.6

  1. U.S. Federal Census, 1940, Michigan, Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo, E.D. 39-16, Sheet No. 13B, Bernard Donovan, 27, Michigan, street work, city; wife Ethel Donovan, 29, Minnesota; daughter Rodean Donovan, 4, Michigan; son Thomas Donovan, 1, Michigan.
  2. U.S. Federal Census, 1950, Illinois, DuPage County, Elmhurst, E.D. 22-2, Sheet No. 16, Arne Fredricksen, 58, South Dakota, electrical engineer, Commonwealth Edison Co.; wife Viola M. Fredericksen, 46, Minnesota; niece Rodean A. Donovan, 14, Michigan.
  3. This is publicly viewable information found in various public information repositories, people finding websites, and/or social media.
  4. Find a Grave (website). Christ Church Memorial Gardens, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, Gordon Moerdyk, born: 17 November 1934; died: 5 October 2013 (from record).
  5. Marriage Announcement, The Courier Northern, Paw Paw, Michigan (available at digmichnews.cmich.edu), 2 June 1961, Five Years Ago. Miss Rodean Donovan and Gordon Moerdyk were married in Kalamazoo. [So their marriage was 2 June 1956.]
  6. Find a Grave (website). Memorial Park Cemetery, Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana, Kenneth Wayne Strate, born: 21 June 1926 in Sandborn, Knox County, Indiana; died: 13 January 2009 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana (from record, which includes a copy of his death certificate; and provides the names and links for his parents, one sibling, and one wife).
  7. Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012 (available at ancestry.com), Kenneth Wayne Strate and Rodean Ann Moerdyk, married in 1983 in Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana.