The Diary of Mary Jane O'Connell was written by a young woman who lived in Whiteside, Illinois in 1944. She wrote about her life at a Catholic college called Webster, men who were enlisted in service, writing letters, her father's drinking issues, and the effects of the war on her and people around her. The diary is an authorized reproduction and the original has been returned to the author's immediate family.

Mary Jane O’Connell O’Gara was born in on December 6, 1925 in Sterling, Illinois. She was the daughter of Edward O’Connell (1893 – 1965) and Elizabeth Eloise Clapham O’Connell (1903 – 2000).  Her father was a World War l veteran and worked as a postal worker, and her mother taught at a Catholic school.  Mary had three siblings; two brothers, Daniel (1928 -2017) and Edward, and a sister, Patricia (1930 – 2002).

As a young woman, Mary worked on a dairy farm to help support her family but she was passionate about receiving an education. The woman who owned the dairy farm where Mary worked sponsored her and she attended Webster College in Missouri, eventually transferring to the University of Missouri at Columbia. Mary earned her degree in journalism.

It was at the University of Missouri that Mary met Hugh O’Gara (1923 – 1999). Hugh had returned to finish school after serving in World War ll. The couple were married in Mary’s hometown in a double wedding. Mary’s younger sister had met, and fallen in love with, Hugh’s best friend, Jack O’Donnell.  

Mary and Hugh moved to Omaha, Nebraska for Hugh’s career operating an advertising agency. Mary got a job writing for the society page of the Omaha World Herald. She wrote for the Omaha Public School District’s Title ix Program and co-authored a book entitled The Child in the Middle with special education expert Dr. Doreen Kronick about children with special needs. Special education became a cause that Mary cared deeply about, writing several articles about the topic such as “The Classroom Where Nobody Fails” and “The Twins with Their Own Language.”

Mary and Hugh had four children together; three sons named Hugh, Terry, and John, and a daughter, Bridget.

After her retirement, Mary became an active participant in the Nebraska AARP where she garnered enough attention to join the national AARP Board of Directors. She also dedicated much of her time and energy to the League of Women Voters. On July 19, 2000, Mary testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs about the importance of affordable housing for the elderly.

Mary Jane O’Gara died on June 14, 2016 at the age of 90. She was buried in Resurrection Cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska.

Mary was remembered by her family as a gardener, an animal lover, and a cook who prepared elaborate meals every holiday.

The Diary of Mary Jane O'Connell was written by a young woman who lived in Whiteside, Illinois in 1944. She wrote about her life at a Catholic college called Webster, men who were enlisted in service, writing letters, her father's drinking issues, and the effects of the war on her and people around her. O'Connell, a journalism major, was a talented writer who wrote about the events of her life with wit and humor. The diary is an authorized reproduction and the original has been returned to the author's immediate family.