Hon. J. P. Conway 1861-1917

CONWAY, MCCAFFERTY, MARVIN

Posted By: Diane Krogh (email)
Date: 8/10/2008 at 06:42:36

ABLE JURIST AND FOREMOST CITIZEN CALLED

THE LATE JAMES PATRICK CONWAY

"CROSSED THE BAR"

Hon. J. P. Conway Makes Brave But Losing Fight for Life.

The expected in the case of Attorney Conway happened this morning, at 7 o'clock, just as the sun was peeping over the Wisconsin hills, and our big brained, generous hearted friend, after a brave but losing fight is no more. His last illness dated back about a month but he has been in failing health for some time, in fact from the date his iron constitution was shattered in an automobile wreck several years ago. He had been improving for two weeks, but on Saturday hemorrhages set in and then hope gave way to dispair, and it was only a question of time until the end came. He went into a state of coma about midnight Monday and never regained conciousness. But he was ready and no coward and met the grim destroyer with that fearlessness which was characteristic of his every action and typical of the true Christian.
In this crossing Lansing loses one of its foremost citizens and the bar of the county one of its oldest members and ablest counsellors.

James Patrick Conway was born Jan. 3, 1861 in Portege, N. Y., and came with his parents to this city in the early '60's. He was the youngest of eleven children and the idol of the family as he was of a host [of] friends in after life.

His youth was spent on a farm in this township and he knew what hard work and poverty meant, hence the poor always had in him a friend whose charity was as boundless and unostentatious as the ocean. For years he taught school and was reckoned among Allamakee's best teachers.

On May 20, 1885, he was united in wedlock to Ellen McCafferty and some years later, having taken up the study of law, went to Madison, Wis., and spent two years there, graduating with the class of 1893. He was a classmate there of the late Wm. F. Wolfe, U. S. District Attorney of Wisconsin, whose funeral he attended at La Crosse five weeks ago. Returning to Lansing he engaged in the practice of law and had built up a fine business, erecting a building in 1909, and having one of the best libraries in the county. It is too bad that he could not have been spared a few years longer until his only son, Wm. J., who is in his second year at college, could have taken over his practice, which was the father's cherished ambition. Mr. Conway served the city as Solicitor for several terms and was honored as Mayor for one term, 1913-14, declining re-election. He was a life-long democrat and the nominee of his party once for County Attorney, refusing repeatedly other nominations. He belonged to Dubuque Council, No. 510, Knights of Columbus, St. Patrick's Court of Foresters, Waukon, and the local Woodmen and Yeomen lodges, and was a Director of the Peoples State Bank since its organization. The widow, son, one sister, Mrs. F. G. Marvin of Zumbrota, Minn., and two brothers, John W. and Daniel M., of Norton, Kansas, survive, and will have the deep and abiding sympathy of all. The latter has been at his bedside for the past three or more weeks.

The JOURNAL has known deceased intimately and well for over thirty-five years and one of the saddest duties of our life is to pen these lines. Genial Jim is gone but will not soon be forgotten. He was truly one of nature's noblemen and possessed high and lofty ideals and a strength and nobility of character not often met with in the man of to-day. May his soul rest in peace.

Funeral Friday morning at 9:30 a. m. from the Catholic church of this city.

~Lansing Journal, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 1917

Biography:
http://iagenweb.org/boards/allamakee/biographies/index.cgi?read=200710

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