Flaherty, Mary A. (Mohr) 1852-1932

FLAHERTY, KENNEDY, GRAF, MCGUIRE, MOHR, BORRETT, COSTIGAN, MEYER, KRIEBS, PHELAN, OCONNOR, STENCE, MCCARTY

Posted By: Ken Johnson (email)
Date: 5/22/2010 at 17:27:35

Thursday, 6 October 1932, Guttenberg Press, p1, c6; p5, c2-3:

GARBER LOSES ONE OF ITS OLDEST CITIZENS

Garber—Again this community was called upon to part with one of its pioneer citizens when Mrs. Mary A. Flaherty passed away at her home here in Garber on Thursday, Sept. 22, at the age of 80 years, following an illness of two weeks. Although Mrs. Flaherty was advancing in years, her family and hosts of friends were reluctant to feel that the day was approaching when she must leave, and death came as a shock to the community.

Mrs. Flaherty was one of the oldest, if not the oldest, resident of this vicinity coming to Garber in 1870 from Pennsylvania when the site was just a wilderness. Being of old pioneer stock and possessing the characteristic excellent physique of the generation she was well equipped to brave the trials and hardships of pioneer life and to exert a great influence in the building of the community. Mrs. Flaherty was an able story teller and the writer has experienced many pleasant hours, when during the course of a conversation, Mrs. Flaherty related the account of her early life, first in Boston, where she lived before going to Pennsylvania and from whence she came to Iowa. The story of the Dutch oven where the people of the town prepared their brown bread and baked beans, and the community pit from where the coals were taken to starts the fires in their homes was only a part of the story of the early days in Boston. It was highly entertaining, and always held the listener spellbound. (Continued to page 5)

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GARBER LOSES ONE OF ITS OLDEST CITIZENS

(Continued from page 1)

But none the less interesting was the account of her trip down the Mississippi to Guttenberg where she arrived in September, 1870, then her journey across the country in a cart drawn by a team of oxen to the home of a relative who lived on what is now known as the George Borrett farm eat of town. Then the part that always provoked a smile and was perhaps the most entertaining because Mrs. Flaherty possessed a faculty of relating this very slyly and cleverly was the story of her courtship with Mr. Flaherty. It began on the afternoon of her arrival, when Mr. Flaherty, who was working on the farm cutting wood came to the door for a drink of water, and she was the only one present in the house at the time to hand him the dipper.

An evening spent with Mrs. Flaherty listening to these tales was equally as entertaining and as interesting as an evening spent reading any of the books written by Hamlin

[p5, c3]

Garland, or Willa Cather, great present day writers of pioneer days. Her stories never grew old, and her listeners were always unwilling to have them end.

About two generations of people in this community have grown up with Mrs. Flaherty, and she numbered as her friends all of them. Her magnetic personality shed its rays throughout the vicinity, and she was loved by all. Somehow a homecoming was not quite complete without Mrs. Flaherty’s hearty words of welcome and her friendly handshake, and a leave-taking was just as void without her well-wishes and sincere “God bless you” to speed the traveler on his way. She was an exemplary Christian. A faithful member of the Catholic church, no storm was too rough or weather too severe for Mrs. Flaherty to brave in order to attend the daily Mass. Her many good deeds in time of sickness and sorrow, and her rejoicing with in time of happiness and good fortune in the lives of this wide circle will be a cherished memory.

Mary Ann Kennedy* was born July 15, 1852, in Portland, Maine. Her girlhood days were spent in Boston and western Pennsylvania. She came to Iowa in 1870 and on January 7, 1871, was married at Guttenberg to Peter Flaherty. They located at what is now Garber, but what was then a wilderness with only a clearing for the erection of a hotel. They were engaged in the management of this hotel, which expanded in proportion as the settlers came for almost thirty years. It was through the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Flaherty that the town of East Elkport was founded, which was later named Garber. Mr. Flaherty died September 5, 1902, at which time Mrs. Flaherty retired from the hotel.

Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Flaherty, four of them, Frank, Peter, William and Mayme, dying several years ago. Those surviving are Leo and Agnes, of Garber, Mrs. Fred Graf of Forman, North Dakota, and Thomas of Waterloo. She also leaves ten grand-children, and six great grand-children. One grand-child, Leon McGuire, of Guttenberg, was raised by Mrs. Flaherty after the death of his mother which occurred when he was a small child.

Funeral services were held Monday morning, September 26, at St. Michael’s Catholic church in this city. The church was filled to its capacity, which gave evidence of the high esteem with which the deceased was held in this community.

The pall bearers were Wm. Costigan, Joseph Meyer, Dr. F. J. Kriebs, T. T. Phelan, M. J. O’Connor and Mike Stence. A delegation of ladies who are members of the Court of Foresters of Elkader, and of which Mrs. Flaherty has been a member since its organization, acted as honorary pall bearers. The remains were laid to rest beside those of her husband, and her children at St. Michael’s cemetery at Elkport.

[TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: In the 1925 Iowa state census, her maiden name is given as Mohr, with her father’s name John Mohr and her mother Elizabeth McCarty. Mohr is also given as her maiden name in the baptism record of her first child William.]