Another Musician in the O'Brien Family

 

Roy O'Brien, 1918.

I've previously shared this photo of Roy O'Brien, youngest brother of my great-grandfather Harry O'Brien. Like Harry, Roy was also a musician, and played clarinet and cornet in various bands. In October 1914, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee as a cornet player in a music store. A few months later, Roy returned to Illinois in January 1915, and considered opening a music store of his hometown of Shelbyville.

By 1917, Roy had tried out for Bohumir Kryl's band in Chicago. He must have been successful as he lists his employer as Kryl's band in June 1917 on his World War I Draft Card.

Decatur Herald & Review. 10 Apr 1917.

WWI Draft Card for Roy O'Brien.

With the start of World War I, Roy was called up into service and joined the 327th Field Artillery Band. The article below mentions another musician who was later associated with Harry O'Brien, Birney Hite.

Decatur Herald & Review. 5 Feb 1919.

Roy deployed to France. He returned from the war via Bordeaux in 1919.

After the war, Roy moved to Texas, where he married Mary Delilah Aiken. He worked as a piano tuner in Mount Pleasant, Texas (according to the 1920 US Census). By 1930, Roy was working as a music teacher in Clarksville, Red River, Texas. I have not yet found them in the 1940 Census, but in 1942 per Roy's WWII draft card, he and Mary were living in Avery, Red River, Texas.

Mary died in 1954 in Clarksville, Texas. Upon Roy's death in 1962, his sister Rose applied for a veteran's headstone to commemorate his military service.