Regan, Michael 1852 - 1919

REGAN, URIELL

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 8/5/2021 at 20:31:24

Elkader Register & Argus, Thur., 6 Mar. 1919.

Michael Regan passed away at his home in Elkader about noon on Friday, February 28. The news came as a shock to his many friends who were not aware of his serious condition.

The deceased was born March 14, 1852, in Clermont county, Ohio, and came to Clayton county, Iowa, with his parents in 1854, living on a farm in Boardman township. On October 17, 1894, he was united in marriage to Miss Kathryn Uriell, in Algona, Iowa. There are three daughters and one son to assuage the mother's bereavement. One daughter Margaret, preceded the father to the great beyond, December 6, 1907. The surviving children are: Ruey R., Catherine E., John F. and Dolores D. Regan, all of whom are at home.

Michael Regan was one of the oldest of the active business men of Elkader, having started the furniture and undertaking business here as a member of the firm Kruse & Regan in 1888. The following year Wm. E. Witt purchased Mr. Kruse's interest and the firm of Regan & Witt was formed, continuing until about 1900 when the business was sold to L. F. Gossmann. After a brief retirement Mr. Regan again entered the furniture business and in a few months formed a partnership with Mr. Gossmann. In a few years Mr. Gossmann sold his interest to Mr. Witt and the firm of Regan & Witt came into existence again to be continued to the present time.

Mr. Regan will be sorely missed by his associates in business as his dry kindly humor was greatly enjoyed by all and he was always ready to bear his part of the burden in all movements for the benefit of the community.

It is difficult for one who has known Mr. Regan to express in words an appreciation of his character. It is the more arduous because the dominant characteristic of his life was utter simplicity and modesty. It is easy to be ostentatious for those who so desire and the passing of such men always impresses their community; but the simple childlike faith and confidence in his fellow men and his friendliness and warm sympathy make him more deeply and more universally mourned than those who have more worldly honors to show for their time on earth. He was a man without guile; any thought that he might have or any wish or desire he might express was never centered on anything that might rebound to his own personal gratification, but had its inspiration in the hope that it might please someone else. Men who have known him from childhood say that he was a man who had no enemies. He had his own opinions and frankly expressed his views regardless of whether or not they may have pleased his hearers, yet they were always tempered with kindness and sympathy.

He was a devout Catholic and rigorously followed the tenets of the church, his faith too, was simple and unostentatious. He was an ardent supporter of all thing religious, and was one of the charter members of the local Court of the Catholic Order of Foresters. Mr. Regan achieved perhaps one of the highest honors that anyone in this community has attained, that is to have called such universal attention to his life through living a life of simplicity and self effacement. The attributes of a perfect life upon this earth have been defined by the Apostle Paul and the many friends of Michael Regan will give testimony that his life too responded to the test, he lived "soberly, piously and justly."

The funeral service was conducted at 10 o'clock Tuesday morning from the St. Joseph's Catholic church. Solemn Requiem High Mass was celebrated, Rev. J. P. Taken being assisted by Rev. D. T. Minogue of Elkport, and Rev. A. H. Hetherington of Volga. Rev. J. P. Taken pronounced the funeral oration. At the conclusion of the service Mrs. G. C. White sang "At Rest" by Horatius Bonar.

The pall bearers were all brother Foresters: F. A. Niemeyer, J. K. Molumby, Peter Dunn, Frank Liddy, E. C. Fitzpatrick and Raymond Sten_e. Interment was made in St. Joseph's cemetery.

There were present a large number of friends from neighboring towns and many from distant points, among whom were: Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Regan, Seattle, Wash.; Mrs. J. D. Brownson, Monona; Dr. J. W. Cain, Waukon; J. _. Schulte, Caspar, Wyo.; Mrs. Geo. Wiegand, Dubuque; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schulte, Garnavillo; Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Quinn, Mr. and Mrs. Will Henry and Mrs. Jas. O'Brien, of Strawberry Point; and S. P. Murphy, of Monona.