McNeil, Sr., Dan 1845 - 1939

MCNEIL, MCNEILL, OCONNER, HURLEY, MOLONY, SCULLY

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 12/23/2012 at 22:00:25

Postville Herald, Thur., 12 Oct. 1939.

The oldest resident of this community, Dan McNeil, Sr., passed away Tuesday afternoon at four o'clock, aged 94 years and 5 months. He had been ill only a few days. Funeral services will be held Friday morning at St. Bridget's Catholic church in this city and interment will be made in St. Peter's cemetery at Clermont.

Mr. McNeil was born in Bally Castle, Ireland, May 12, 1845, and came to the United States in the spring of 1869, landing at Jackson, Miss., where he was located for several years while he was an itinerant salesman through the southern states. Many and varied were the stories Mr. McNeil told of his experiences in this work in the southland and he always had intent listeners who enjoyed hearing him tell of his life among the southern people.

In 1871 Mr. McNeil came to Elkader to spend the winter and while here he purchased the farm south of Postville on which his son, Ed McNeil, now lives and which has been the McNeil homestead since. At this time he also met Miss Mary O'Connor whom he married. He returned to the south a brief period before establishing himself on the farm where he lived until 1903. To this union seven children were born of whom are living May, Ed. and Dan of this community, and Mrs. Elizabeth (M.R.) Hurley of Elkader. John, Minnetta and James passed away previously and his first wife passed away March 10, 1884.

On February 24, 1889, he was married to Miss Emma Molony at Cedar Rapids and two children survive this union, Rose McNeil of this city, and Dr. James G. McNeil of Chicago. A son, George, died when he was four months old and Mrs. McNeil passed away July 22, 1938.

He is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Catharine Scully, of Volga City.

Mr. McNeil had been active and about his garden up to the time of his last illness. Only this summer at threshing time he went down to the old home farm and pitched bundles of grain to the threshing machine with the ruggedness displayed by so many of our pioneers. He was the last survivor of the Irish settlers who came to the sector south of Posrville in the early days of Iowa statehood.

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Submitter is not related.

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