Patrick Devitt

DEVITT, AHEARN

Posted By: Dan Zoll (email)
Date: 5/28/2003 at 17:29:21

Obit Waukon paper 18 May 1949

PAT F. DEVITT DIES AT HOME ON WEDNESDAY
Deloved Oldster Is To Be Buried Here In Saturday Rites

The death of Patrick F. Devitt, 74, Cattle buyer, rancher, adventurer and one of Waukon's best known and most highly esteemed residents, occured Wednesday afternoon at his house in the city. His last illness extended over a period of six months.

He was born to Mr. and Mrs. Martin Devitt of French Creek township on March 17, 1875, where he was reared. When a young man, he evidenced a desire to travel and worked for several years on a sugar plantation in the Hawaiian islands, then went to the Phillipines, where he was employed as a muleskinner. From there he toured Japan. He spent several years on a fram in Canada and on a sheep ranch in North Dakota.

His reminiscences of these globe-trotting experiences were always listened to by Waukon young and old with sincere enthusium. His particular knack of relating these stories with a disarming simplicity won for him a circle of friends and listeners.

Though aware of his incurable condition, Pat's enthusium for daily market reports and current events and his bouyant personallity remained with him until his last moments.

Six years ago Mr. Devitt returned to Allamakee county and engaged in buying feeder cattle, purchasing the Iron mine property north of Waukon for that purpose.

He never married. Surviving from a family of nine children are three brothers and a sister, namely Michael Devitt, Hanover township, Martin and Mrs. Agnes Ahearn, Waukon and Francis of French Creek township.

Deceased was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic church, for over fifty years a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and also a member of the Knight of Columbus order.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Devitt, a former member of St. Mary's parish, Lycurgus, presented the congregation there with a new Hammond electric organ.

The body rests at the Bakke-Hanson funeral home until Saturday morning when services will be held at St. Patrick's church at 9:00 o'clock. Burial will be in St. Mary's cenetery in Lycurgus.