Submitted by: Dan Rich

John Michael O'Connor

April 24, 1911 - April 10, 1999

South Bend Tribune 4/12/1999

John Michael O'Connor, 87, of Woodside Street, South Bend, Ind., died at 6:05 a.m. on Saturday, April 10, in his residence. He was born on April 24, 1911, in Valparaiso, Ind., to Bertha (Kuehl) and Charles O'Connor, both of whom preceded him in death.

On June 1, 1940, in Wanatah, Ind., he married Mabel Drazer, who preceded him in death on Nov. 8, 1997. Mr. O'Connor is survived by a sister, Anna Gast; four nephews, Bob White, Jim Gast, Mike O'Connor, and Ralph Sundin; and by five nieces, Betty (Gast) Forbes, Sharon (Gast) Shively, Carolyn (Sundin) Parker, Marge (O'Connor) Grass, and Maxine (O'Connor) Clennon.

Mr. O'Connor retired in 1969 as the owner-operator of O'Connor Distributing. He was a member of First Christian Church, South Bend, Elks Lodge #235, South Bend and the Pioneer Auto Club. Mr. O'Connor did volunteer work at Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center.

Services for Mr. O'Connor will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday in First Christian Church, 1101 E. Jefferson Street, South Bend. Dr. William J. Wassner, pastor of the church, will conduct the services. Friends may call from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday in the church. Burial will be in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger, Ind., where the Elks Lodge #235 will conduct a memorial service. Memorial contributions for Mr. O'Connor may be made to BPOE Elks Lodge #235, 3535 E. McKinley Avenue, South Bend, IN 46615, or to First Christian Church, 1101 E. Jefferson, South Bend, IN 46617.