Christopher Pelan 1814-1877

PELAN, SIMPLOT, ANDERSON, FOREST, RANDALL

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 8/9/2017 at 09:15:16

Dubuque Daily Times on April, 13 1877.

The Death of Christopher Pelan

Last evening another of Dubuque’s old and honored citizens – Christopher Pelan - died. He was born in Belfast, Ireland, on Oct. 14, 1814, and came to Dubuque in 1834, since which time he has made his home here. On March 14th, 1844, he married Miss Elizabeth Simplot, sister of John and Frank Simplot, and to them, were born nine children, five sons and four daughters, of whom three daughters and four sons are living. His oldest daughter, Mrs. Forest, resides in Milwaukee, and his oldest son, Charles is engaged in the lumber business in Guttenberg. The deceased was a carpenter by trade and followed that business for some years, and afterwards he engaged in the lumber trade with Alexander Anderson and subsequently with J. S. Randall, with whom he has been associated with for the past fifteen years. For forty years he has been actively identified with the business interests of our city and has been intimately connected with many enterprises designed to advance her prosperity, and during these forty years no man among all her prominent business have left a more enviable record for industry, integrity and irreproachable character than he. In his business relations he knew but one rule, that of right; in his daily intercourse with his fellow man, the Golden Rule was his. In his manners he was plain, unassuming, affable to all, and possessed a heart at all times open to the appeal of those in distress. Although success crowned his business efforts and affluence rewarded his industry, he felt for the poor – as friend he was to many of whom he was a benefactor. To his family he was a kind father – to all a good man, the best encomium that can be pronounced upon him as he lies at rest, surrounded by a heart broken wife and children, and sorrowing friends. He was a member of the Episcopal Church of which he was confirmed in this State. He has been in feeble health since last fall and for the last ten weeks has been nearly all the time confined to bed with heart disease.

The notice of the funeral will be published when his daughter, who resides in Milwaukee, and the family of Frank Simplot, who resides at Iowa Falls – who has been telegraphed to arrive

Such a man will be missed from the business circle of our city. How such a father will be missed from the family circle only those can know whose hearts are bleeding now.