Dunlevy, Jeannette Elizabeth (McGarrity) 1855-1933

DUNLEVY, MCGARRITY, OCONNOR JARVIS, MCGOVERN

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 5/16/2017 at 21:01:55

Lansing- This community was shocked and saddened Tuesday morning when word spread throughout the city and surrounding county of the passing at 9:40 o'clock of our esteemed and beloved resident Mrs. John J. Dunlevy, at her home on River street.

Mrs. Dunlevy, wife of the veteran Lansing editor, had been in failing health for several months but was able to be around her home most of the time and to attend Mass quite regularly. She had intended to be present at the opening of the Forty Hours Devotion at Immaculate Conception church Sunday morning, which beautiful service it has been her wont to attend year after year for more than half a century - but God willed otherwise.

Jeannette Elizabeth Dunlevy was born December 8, 1855, at Woodstock, Illinois, the daughter of those sturdy pioneers Thomas and Katherine McGarrity, and came with her parents to Lansing in the year 1857, being only two years of age at the time. All of those remaining seventy-six years, with the exception of fifteen months at Grand Meadow, Minn., have been spent in Lansing.

Graduated from Lansing public school at the age of sixteen years, she immediately accepted a position in one of the lower grades of our city schools, which position she filled with credit for a number of years. Many older citizens whose good fortune it was to be one of her pupils, and many others who have gone forth to seek their fortunes in other localities will breathe a silent prayer and shed a tear in memory of this most estimable woman.

She was married July 3, 1877, to Mr. John J. Dunlevy, editor of the Allamakee Journal of this city, in Immaculate Conception church by Rev. J. Urbany, and to this union eleven children were born. Three sons, Thomas, John and Robert died in infancy.

Besides her sorrowing husband, the surviving are, Richard A., Mark F. and Mary A. of Lansing, John W. of Dubuque, M.J. of Omaha, Dr. G.R. of General Hospital, Los Angeles, Calif., Mrs. Wallace O'Connor (Jeannette) of Sacred Heart, Minn., and Mrs. Leo L. Jarvis (Katherine) of Minneapolis, Monn. One sister, Mrs. Mary McGovern of Des Moines also survives.

Mrs. Dunlevy was a charter member of the local lodge Royal Neighbors and the moving figure in that organization for many years. She was also a member of St. Rita's Court, W.C.O.F., the Catholic Woman's league, the Rosary society and of several mission societies to which she gave freely of her means and effort. Despite her advanced years she was a most active member of the Loras Study club of the N.C.C.W. since its inception and that club will greatly miss her kindly guidance.

Mrs. Dunlevy has always been identified with the social, civic and religious life of the city and in her early years was the dominant spirit of all charitable and philanthropic movements. She was a good friend, a kind and thoughtful neighbor and a most loving and devoted wife and mother. A woman of high ideals and strong character she had inculcated these qualities into the hearts and minds of her children, who with her devoted husband, are left to mourn her great loss.

The funeral was held Thursday morning, September 7, at 9:30 o'clock from Immaculate Conception church, Rt. Rev. Msgr. George L. Haxmeier celebrating the Requiem High Mass. The regular choir was assisted by Mrs. Jos. W. Dempsey, who sang most beautifully "Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest" after Mass.

Burial in family lot at Gethsemene cemetery.

~The Witness; Dubuque, IA; Thursday, September 14, 1933