 |
New York in the 1910s was filled with immigrants and family-run businesses. Edwin, whose family history can be traced to County Mayo in Ireland, was prosperous in the dry goods business and later became the city’s Commissioner of Public Markets, an important appointed post.
Edwin J. O’Malley was one of 14 children, the second of eight sons of Georgiana Reynolds and Thomas Francis O’Malley. Edwin was born on August 23, 1882 and lived to be 70 years old. Alma Feltner, Walter’s mother, was born on March 6, 1883 in New York City, the fourth daughter of German-born Dorothea Schmaus and F. George Feltner of Bavaria. Alma, who had four sisters and three brothers, passed away on June 1, 1940 in Amityville, NY.
Thomas’s parents were John O’Malley and Margaret Collins, who were married in County Mayo, Ireland before immigrating to the United States. Walter wrote a letter about his paternal grandfather Thomas, who was born on April 15, 1854, “In the late 1880s, he worked in the Brooklyn Post Office at a time when Brooklyn was a separate city and not part of the greater city of New York. His associate there was Albert Furman, who later became Postmaster of Brooklyn. Postmaster Furman was a respected and colorful figure in Brooklyn in those days. My late Grandfather...had been active in organizing an association of postal employees and that this effort was not appreciated at the time in Washington and that he was transferred from Brooklyn to San Francisco where he was assigned to the International Exposition in charge of the Post Office.
“He was never Postmaster of San Francisco but perhaps had that title at the International Exposition in San Francisco. One of my uncles was born in San Francisco during this period and my father (Edwin) attended grade school there as did his brothers and sisters. As I get the story, and after perhaps 4 years, he was reassigned to Brooklyn under Postmaster Furman, who had requested his transfer. He spent his entire adult life in the Postal Service and was devoted to it.”9
Walter was 14 years old when Thomas passed away on January 15, 1918 in Brooklyn. Georgiana, however, lived to be 86, a vivacious great-grandmother who enjoyed retelling Irish stories learned from her parents.
O’Malley was a popular student with his peers. His parents wanted him to receive the best education available. After he had attended Long Island, New York’s Jamaica High School for two years (1918-20), O’Malley was sent to the strict Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana for two years in the Fall of 1920 to get the proper upbringing for a young man. He had earned the responsibility of assistant scout master in the Boy Scouts for five years. In the Culver Military School regulations handbook of 1917, it states, “Any cadet who shall conduct himself in a trivial manner, or present an unsoldierly appearance while on post or who shall be grossly ignorant of his duties after having sufficient opportunity for acquainting himself therewith, shall be relieved from duty and reported at once to the Commandant of Cadets.”10
“I went to Culver and graduated there in 1922,” said O’Malley. “It was there that I thought I might become a ballplayer — I tried out at first base. I never did make the varsity team, however.”11
|
|
|
|
The sign above the office of Walter O’Malley’s father. Edwin J. O’Malley served as Commissioner for the Department of Public Markets. |
 |
|
|
Edwin O’Malley initially began his career in the dry goods business. |
|
|
|
Walter O’Malley with his mother, Alma. |
|
|
|
Walter O’Malley dons his Culver Military Academy school uniform.
|
|
|
