Hand Me Down

Gerald O'Connor

Hand Me Down is my podcast of history and family stories. The goal of this series is to tell some of the stories of my family in the context of the history in which those stories occurred. It’s part genealogy and part history that I hope you’ll enjoy. Visit the website at http://oconnor.home.blog

  1. S5E28 - Reinvention

    May 25

    S5E28 - Reinvention

    Everett Ward Gardiner's life began in scandal, wandered through shame and reinvention, and ended in dignity. http://oconnor.home.blog

    24 min
  2. S5E27 - Stockton State

    Feb 21

    S5E27 - Stockton State

    A finish to the story of my great‑grandfather, Thomas O’Connor — a man whose life began hopefully in Ireland, endured immigration, hard work, three marriages, and ended during the Great Depression in a place few families ever talk about openly: Stockton State Hospital, one of California’s largest mental institutions. His story is not an easy one. But it is deeply human. And like so many family stories, it sits at the intersection of love, hardship, silence, and survival. http://oconnor.home.blog

    25 min
  3. S5E26 - A Baseball Life

    12/07/2025

    S5E26 - A Baseball Life

    This episode centers on the baseball life of my grandfather Gerald Desmond and the baseball scrapbook he kept as a child from 1906 to about 1914. http://oconnor.home.blog

    15 min
  4. S4E25 - Marble and Stained Glass

    02/20/2024

    S4E25 - Marble and Stained Glass

    A statue and windows in our parish church in Sacramento make a connection to ancestors on both sides of my family. Episode link

    7 min
  5. S4E24 - Ghosted

    12/15/2023

    S4E24 - Ghosted

    My great-grandfather migrates from Nebraska to Colorado and on to California during the 1920s, leaving a great deal behind in his wake. Episode Link

    26 min

  6. 12/25/2021

    S3E23 - On This Christmas Day

    I thought it would be worth remembering my great-grandfather on this 100th anniversary of his passing. Episode Link

    15 min
  7. S3E22 - The Victim

    07/17/2021

    S3E22 - The Victim

    In 1898, my 2X great-grandfather Baldwin Gardiner was shot and killed after a botched robbery and a daring chase over San Francisco rooftops. Episode Link

    21 min
  8. S2E21 - Working on the Railroad

    07/07/2020

    S2E21 - Working on the Railroad

    In this episode, I take a look at my family’s relationship to one of the major industries that employed several of my ancestors – the railroads. Episode link

    21 min
See All (28)

About

Hand Me Down is my podcast of history and family stories. The goal of this series is to tell some of the stories of my family in the context of the history in which those stories occurred. It’s part genealogy and part history that I hope you’ll enjoy. Visit the website at http://oconnor.home.blog

Information

  • Creator
    Gerald O'Connor
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Gerald O'Connor
  • Show Website
    Hand Me Down