Wedding of William J. DeCoursey and Margaret C. Linehan, 1946
  back to news

Article on the wedding of
William J. "Bill" DeCoursey and Margaret C. Linehan
13 January 1946, Portland, Oregon


Margaret Catherine Linehan was born in Portland, Oregon, the first born of Jeremiah J. and Hannah (O'Connor) Linehan's two children. Both her parents were born in Ireland and immigrated to the US around 1904. William J. "Bill" DeCoursey was the son of Edwin J. and Mary J. (Poff) DeCoursey, the eldest of their three children to survive to adulthood. Margaret's father had died in 1935, so she was given away by her maternal uncle.

Related Items:
Accounts of family life and other items pertaining to Bill DeCoursey's parents in The DeCoursey Family.
Margaret's obituary.


The Sunday Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)
Sunday, 13 January 1946, Sect. 3, p. 1


Couple Wed On Saturday
. . .

Vows Pleged At Catholic Church
    Immaculate Heart church was the scene Saturday morning of the wedding of Miss Margaret Catherine Linehan, daughter to Mrs. Hannah Linehan, of Portland, to William James De Coursey of Los Angeles, Cal.
    The bride, given in marriage by her uncle, Hugh O'Connor 1 of Seattle, Wash., wore a white satin dress with a fingertip illusion veil and Juliet cap and carried a prayer book with a white orchid. Her honor attendant, Mrs. Joseph P. Cleary 2 of Los Angeles, sister of the bridegroom, also wore white satin and carried a cascade bouquet of mixed white flowers.
    Best man was Technical Sgt. Robert L. Fitzpatrick and ushers were John Linehan, the bride's brother, and Jack O'Connor 3 of Seattle, her cousin. Rev. Cornelius J. Linehan,4 another cousin of the bride, conducted the nuptial mass. Choralists from Marylhurst college sang.
    At the wedding breakfast held in the rose room of the Benson hotel Mrs. Hugh O'Connor 5 and Mrs. Cornelius Linehan,6 aunts of the bride, and Mrs. Thomas Dishnow 7 and Miss Dorothy O'Connor 8 assisted. Following the breakfast, the newlyweds left for a wedding trip to Palm Springs, Cal. They will be at home after February 1 in Los Angeles.
    Prior to departing, the bride made the traditional visit of Marylhurst alumnae to the college chapel to leave her bridal bouquet on the altar of the Blessed Virgin.

1 I believe that Hugh O'Connor was the younger brother of Margaret's mother Hannah, but conclusive evidence is lacking as yet. It appears that only one of her father's siblings, Cornelius, emigrated to the US.
2 Mrs. Joseph P. Cleary was Mary Ann J. DeCoursey, Bill's younger sister.
3 I believe Jack O'Connor was John, son of Margaret's uncle Hugh.
4 Rev. Cornelius J. Linehan was the son of Margaret's father's younger brother Cornelius.
5 Hugh O'Connor's wife was Mary Donlan.
6 Mrs. Cornelius Linehan was Helen Harrington, wife of Jeremiah's brother.
7 Mrs. Thomas Dishnow was Ann O'Connor, daughter of Hugh.
8 Dorothy O'Connor was the daughter of Hugh.



Transcribed by Erica DeCoursey
2011