Born: 18 June 1888 — Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota Died: 5 August 1968 — Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota Burial: St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Minneapolis (Section 22, Block 13, Lot 13, Grave 4)
William Leo Nolan was a Minneapolis‑ and St. Paul–based businessman whose life spanned the industrial rise of the Twin Cities. Born into a large Irish‑American family, he experienced early loss, remarriage, and decades of civic and professional stability. His residences track a consistent pattern: Minneapolis in youth, St. Paul in adulthood, with long‑term ties to Ramsey County.
James S. Nolan (1856–1934) Died 5 May 1934 in Minneapolis.
Ellen Sexton (1861–1936) Died 5 May 1936 in Minnesota.
William was one of several sons:
Mathew J. Nolan (1889–1929) — b. Minneapolis; d. Anoka County
Aloysius Thomas Nolan (1894–1948) — b. Minneapolis
Francis Nolan (1896–1938) — b. Minneapolis
1900: Minneapolis Ward 8 — age 11, living with parents
1902–1905: Minneapolis residences documented
1910: Minneapolis Ward 4 — age 21, single, living with parents
These records show William remained in the parental household until at least age 21, consistent with urban working‑class patterns of the era.
Married 1 September 1915 in St. Paul. Josephine died 1 October 1916 in Minneapolis, reportedly in childbirth, and is buried near William and the infant.
Married 1922. They remained married for 46 years, buried side‑by‑side at St. Mary’s Cemetery.
William Joseph Nolan (1925–2009) — b. St. Paul
Charles Dowling Nolan (1926–1990) — b. St. Paul
Kathleen Nolan (1929–2021) — b. Minnesota
1920: Minneapolis Ward 4 — widowed, living with parents
1930–1940: St. Paul, Ramsey County — head of household
1943: 24 Otis Avenue, St. Paul
1950: St. Paul — occupation listed as President (likely of a business or organization; census does not specify)
His movement from Minneapolis to St. Paul aligns with marriage, career advancement, and the birth of his children.
William died 5 August 1968 in Minneapolis at age 80. He is buried at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Section 22, Block 13, Lot 13, Grave 4. Nearby burials include:
Katherine McMahon Nolan (wife, Grave 5)
Josephine Devine (first wife, Grave 8) and the infant who died with her
Census records (1900–1950), Minnesota vital records, WWI & WWII draft cards, city directories, and Find A Grave entries are all cited in the Ancestry profile you have open.
William’s life is unusually well‑documented across federal and state censuses, making him a strong anchor point for the Nolan line.
His burial arrangement—first wife, infant, and second wife all in proximity—provides a rare, physically verifiable family narrative.
His occupation as “President” in 1950 may warrant deeper research in St. Paul business directories (likely 1940s–1950s).
His parents’ death dates (both on May 5, two years apart) are notable and may reflect shared burial or obituary patterns worth checking in Minneapolis newspapers.