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A single baby photo with a name, date, and a name, William Bernard O'Neill, seemed nearly impossible to reunite with his family. Found and Returned!

  • Writer: Amy
    Amy
  • Apr 10
  • 1 min read

Typically, when I acquire personal items like photos, there are several that come together. This provides clues to begin my research. In this case, William Bernard O'Neill's baby picture was the only item. Fortunately, someone had the foresight to write his name, the date, and his age on the back.


When I took a closer look at the photo, I realized it was taken in New York in 1922. So, I started researching the name William Bernard O'Neill for births around 1920 in New York and had some luck finding information that seemed a reasonable match.


He's so cute!
He's so cute!
Grateful someone wrote information on the back of the photo.
Grateful someone wrote information on the back of the photo.

I eventually hit a roadblock, so I tucked his photo away with my other projects with the intent to research more at a later date. That's when a family member reached out to me on a popular genealogy site and asked if I was related. This turned into a conversation about returning William's photo. I'm so happy it's back where it belongs -- with his family.


William Bernard O'Neill

B: 13 Nov 1920 in Bronx, NY

D: 26 Jan 1990 in Pittsburgh, PA

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