The middle name Rickard is a recurring family name. It may come from his mother's father, Rick Bohan.

When John was young (at least in his teens), he was a champion at performing a folk-toy called a "Diablo." It was two sticks with a connecting string. The sticks are held in each hand and a grooved ball or barrel would rest on the string and be spun into the air and caught. He once fell off a stage while performing.

The following article is in the May 22, 1908, Baltimore Sun
[Begin transcription]
"Juvenile Contest at Bernheimer's"
The fourth juvenile Thursday was held at Bernheimer's Theatre yesterday. These contests are intended to give youthful talent in Baltimore an opportunity to be heard. The prize yesterday was awarded to John O'Connor for dexterity in using the diablo. Flora Orton, Julia Roller and Waltheda Dorsh recited, and Pete Kammer, 10 years old, danced. The contest will be continued every Thursday after school.
[End transcription]

John was in an elevator accident when he was young and one of his legs was severely hurt. It may have been at the Baltimore department store Bernheimers (In the 1906 Baltimore City Directory there is a Bernheimer Bros. Dept. Store at 311-317 W. Lexington Street). He walked with a limp.

He may or may not have attended high school. Early in his career he worked at a department store. He was also a steam-fitter. In the 1920's he earned almost $100 per week. During World War 1, he worked at Edgewood and commuted by rail. (Steam fitter was probably considered a war-necessary job and the person was exempt from the draft)

John was a plumber. He had a partnership with another plumber called "Zurawski (or Zurowski) and Conner." Around 1927 he was driving the Model -- T Ford that Catherine's son, Bernard, purchased just before his death in 1925. He had just dropped someone off at Nunnery Lane, when he was struck by a Mack truck. The crash threw him out of the car giving him severe injuries and 168 stitches. They tried to sue the driver but he was politically too powerful and they lost. His worst injuries were in his left leg. He could no longer work as a plumber.

He worked for a year for his brother, Andrew, who managed United Auto Sales (Oakland Pontiac). While he worked there, he would bring home a different "demonstrator" car every week. He also worked as a lieutenant in the Fire department directly across the street from the Bloomsbury avenue home. He worked there for several years while he studied for his master plumber's license. Around 1933 he worked at the courthouse in Towson, MD, for less than a year. He then took a job as a building code inspector for Baltimore City, after he completed his master plumber's license.

The last car he owned was a two door with a rumble seat in the back. His daughter, Mary, remembers how they enjoyed riding in the rumble seat while on their way to visit her brother, Charles, as he recuperated from Polio in the autumn of 1935 til the spring of 1936.

He died on Tuesday before Easter Sunday Weekend from Pneumonia. This was due to the fact that the driver's side card door was removed for repairs. Yet, he still drove around in his car, when the weather was poor. He was in the hospital for 4 days.

Biography: Stephen A Conner

The middle name Rickard is a recurring family name. It may come from his mother's father, Rick Bohan.

When John was young (at least in his teens), he was a champion at performing a folk-toy called a "Diablo." It was two sticks with a connecting string. The sticks are held in each hand and a grooved ball or barrel would rest on the string and be spun into the air and caught. He once fell off a stage while performing.

The following article is in the May 22, 1908, Baltimore Sun
[Begin transcription]
"Juvenile Contest at Bernheimer's"
The fourth juvenile Thursday was held at Bernheimer's Theatre yesterday. These contests are intended to give youthful talent in Baltimore an opportunity to be heard. The prize yesterday was awarded to John O'Connor for dexterity in using the diablo. Flora Orton, Julia Roller and Waltheda Dorsh recited, and Pete Kammer, 10 years old, danced. The contest will be continued every Thursday after school.
[End transcription]

John was in an elevator accident when he was young and one of his legs was severely hurt. It may have been at the Baltimore department store Bernheimers (In the 1906 Baltimore City Directory there is a Bernheimer Bros. Dept. Store at 311-317 W. Lexington Street). He walked with a limp.

He may or may not have attended high school. Early in his career he worked at a department store. He was also a steam-fitter. In the 1920's he earned almost $100 per week. During World War 1, he worked at Edgewood and commuted by rail. (Steam fitter was probably considered a war-necessary job and the person was exempt from the draft)

John was a plumber. He had a partnership with another plumber called "Zurawski (or Zurowski) and Conner." Around 1927 he was driving the Model -- T Ford that Catherine's son, Bernard, purchased just before his death in 1925. He had just dropped someone off at Nunnery Lane, when he was struck by a Mack truck. The crash threw him out of the car giving him severe injuries and 168 stitches. They tried to sue the driver but he was politically too powerful and they lost. His worst injuries were in his left leg. He could no longer work as a plumber.

He worked for a year for his brother, Andrew, who managed United Auto Sales (Oakland Pontiac). While he worked there, he would bring home a different "demonstrator" car every week. He also worked as a lieutenant in the Fire department directly across the street from the Bloomsbury avenue home. He worked there for several years while he studied for his master plumber's license. Around 1933 he worked at the courthouse in Towson, MD, for less than a year. He then took a job as a building code inspector for Baltimore City, after he completed his master plumber's license.

The last car he owned was a two door with a rumble seat in the back. His daughter, Mary, remembers how they enjoyed riding in the rumble seat while on their way to visit her brother, Charles, as he recuperated from Polio in the autumn of 1935 til the spring of 1936.

He died on Tuesday before Easter Sunday Weekend from Pneumonia. This was due to the fact that the driver's side card door was removed for repairs. Yet, he still drove around in his car, when the weather was poor. He was in the hospital for 4 days.

Biography: Stephen A Conner