California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller 1852-1895

What I've learned about the short life of my great-great aunt, Helena O'Sullivan, continued.

Fact 9: Helena was a married mother of two living in San Francisco in the 1880 census

In the 1880 Helena (indexed as Helma) was living with her husband George, a glassblower, age 40.  They had two children, George, age six and Eva, age 3.

1880 Census

Fact 10: Helena divorced George Councilman, February 1886

Daily Alta California February 11, 1886

In the February 11 edition of the Daily Alta California Mrs. H. Councilman was given a divorce from George Councilman on the ground of desertion.

Fact 11: Helena gave birth to a child, April 1886

Daily Alta California September 1, 1886

In the September 1, 1886, Helena, as Helena Miller, was examined by Judge Levy and the Commissioners and sent to Napa.  This short article gives a short but complete summary of Helena's life.  She was

• born in Ireland,
• her maiden name was Sullivan,
• she was married,
• the mother of 3 children,
• she came to California from Massachusetts 18 years earlier.

The article states that her youngest child was four months old.  This child would have been born in April 1886, after her divorce from George Councilman.  The two older children would have been George, age 12, and Eva, age 9.

Fact 12: Helena married Louis Mueller 1886

Helena divorced George Councilman in February of 1886.  By the time she was sent to the state hospital in September her name was Miller.    It would appear she married Louis Mueller sometime between February and September and he was the father of her youngest child.

Fact 13: Helena was sent to Napa State Hospital, July 1886

Napa State Hospital

After the examination by Judge Levy and the Commissioners determined that Helena was delusional, she was sent to the Napa State hospital.  This hospital was opened in 1875 to relieve overcrowding at the Stockton State Hospital,

Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller (1852-1895)

What I've learned about the short life of my great-great aunt, Helena O'Sullivan, continued.

Fact 5: Helena gave birth to a son, George Sullivan Councilman, 1874

Helena's son George, age 6, is listed in the 1880 census.  According to his World War I draft registration, he was born on January 18, 1874.

Fact 6: Helena gave birth to a daughter, Essie Helena Councilman, 1875

Fact 7: Helena's daughter Essie Helena died, 1877

Helena's daughter, Essie Helena, died on June 28, 1877 in San Francisco.  She was age 2 years and 3 months.  She would have been born in April, 1875.  Her death notice, below, appeared in the Daily Alta California on July 1, 1877.

Fact 8: Helena gave birth to a daughter, Eva Councilman, 1877

Helena's daughter Eva, age 3, is listed in the 1880 census.  In the 1900 census, as Eva Staugh, her birth date is given as February 1877.

I'll have more on Helena next week. I found out just yesterday that her granddaughter Elfrieda (Mann) Campello died in 2002 and her wake was held at a funeral home right around the corner from me.  I hope to locate some of her descendants.


Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller (1852-1895)

What I've learned about the short life of my great-great aunt, Helena O'Sullivan.

Fact 1: Helena was baptized in October 1852 at Bantry, County Cork

Helena was baptized at Bantry, County Cork, Ireland in October 1852.  The clipping below is from a church register page, Bantry, Diocese of Cork & Ross at the website Irish Genealogy, which has many baptisms and marriages from County Cork and County Kerry.   These counties were not included in the pay-per-view site RootsIreland and since most of my Irish ancestry is from these two counties I had pretty much given up on finding records on line.  Thanks to a collaboration between the Diocese of Kerry, the Diocese of Cork & Ross and the Irish government, there are nearly 3 million records now available at this website.

I found Helena's baptism listed as Ellen, of Jeremiah Sullen and Honora Daly, (sponsors) John McCarthy and Ellen Harrington.  The names Helena, Helen, Ellen and Nellie are often used interchangeably by the Irish.  Helena used Helen and Ellen, but I haven't found any record of her using Nellie.

Bantry Parish Register

The church in Bantry is St Finbarr's, shown on a postcard from 1905 at left.  This church was built in 1825 and looks much the same today, shown below.



St Finbarr's, Bantry, County Cork












Fact 2: Helena moved from Massachusetts to California around 1868 



Daily Alta California, September 1, 1886

This was determined from an article in the Daily Alta California dated September1, 1886 (left).  The article states that she "came to this State (California) from Massachusetts eighteen years ago."  which would have been approximately 1868.  Her aunt and uncle (William and Mary Anne (Dealy) Haggerty) also moved to California some time between October 1866, when their son William Richard was born in Boston, and August 17, 1870, when they were counted in the census in San Francisco.  Helena may have made the journey with them.

Fact 3: Helena was a servant living in California on the 1870 census

1870 Census

In the 1870 Census Ellen O'Sullivan was living as a domestic servant with H and Rosa Newbaur, and their six month old son Julian.  H. Newbaur was born in Bohemia and was a manufacturer of matches.  His wife Rosa was born in Hamburg.  Both of the men Helena eventually married were German.

Fact 4: Helena married George Councilman in San Francisco in 1873

Helena married her first husband, George Councilman, on February 2, 1873 in San Francisco, California.  I found this out from the marriage notice below in the Sacramento Daily Union.

Sacramento Daily Union, February 8, 1873

I'll have more on Helena next week.  I haven't found any her living descendants yet although I believe there may be some descendants of her son George living in California.


Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved

California Connections

Helena (O'Sullivan) (Councilman) Mueller (1852- 1895)

This past weekend I was catching up on Marian Pierre-Louis blog Roots and Rambles and reading about US GenWeb.  I knew it covered all of the US and thought I might find some ideas for my California brickwalls.  My great-great grandmother, Hannah (Dealy/Daly) O'Sullivan had a sister and a daughter who migrated to the San Francisco area.  They each had at least two children who ended up being raised by Hannah back in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

Through the California section of US GenWeb I connected to the California Digital Newspaper Collection.   I found a death notice (below) for a daughter of Helena, Essie Helena Councilman.  This was in the Daily Alta California, dated July 1, 1877.   Because she was born in 1875 and died in 1877, this child was not listed on any census. As I continued searching, I found so many possible references under different variations of her name, that I think the best way is to start with a timeline of what I know of Helena's life.

1. Helena was baptized in October 1852 at Bantry, County Cork
2. Helena moved from Massachusetts to California around 1868
3. Helena was a servant living in California on the 1870 census
4. Helena married George Councilman in San Francisco in 1873
5. Helena gave birth to a son, George, 1874
6. Helena gave birth to a daughter, Essie, 1875
7. Helena's daughter Essie died, 1877
8. Helena gave birth to a daughter, Eva, 1877
9. Helena was a married mother of two living in San Francisco in the 1880 census
10. Helena divorced George Councilman, February 1886
11. Helena gave birth to a child, February/March 1886
12. Helena married Louis Mueller 1886
13. Helena was sent to Napa State Hospital, July 1886
14. Helena has trouble with her daughter, Eva,m 1890
15. Helena gave birth to a daughter, Caroline Louise, 1891
16. Helena gave birth to a daughter, Hella Richie, 1893
17. Helena died in Sacramento, 1895

I'll look at these events one at a time, and try to get a picture of Helena's life.
Copyright 2012 Kathleen Sullivan. All Rights Reserved