John O'Connell 1861-1923

OCONNELL, SCHARFENBERG, BARRETT

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 7/18/2011 at 23:36:50

John O’Connell Dies Suddenly
Found in M. & St. L. Tool House Where He Had Passed Away Quickly
John O’Connell, section foreman on the M. & St. L. Ry., died suddenly Sunday afternoon of heart failure. He was found about 2 o’clock in the afternoon by J. W. Cunningham, in the tool-house south of the depot, where he had been doing some work on his speeder. He was sitting hunched over on a nail keg, death having come instantaneously, and the body had not even fallen to the floor. Mr. Cunningham immediately called a doctor, and notified Mrs. O’Connell, who had commenced to wonder what had become of him.

The deceased was sixty-five years of age and had lived in Estherville for the past thirty-four years. He had worked for the M. & St. L. from the time the branch of the road was extended through here. He had been in his usual good health and had not complained of feeling bad in any way and had eaten his breakfast that morning the same as usual. Mr. O’Connell was a good citizen, husband and father and a steady, dependable man as evidenced by his long term of years with the M. & St. L. company, and his sudden deth is a great shock to his family, relatives and friends. He leaves four children to mourn his loss, Mrs. Henry Scharfenberg of this city; Mrs. L. L. Barrett, Richard O’Connell and Tom O’Connell, of Fort Dodge. The funeral is being held today from the Catholic church. (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, May 16, 1923)

John O’Connell, who has for the past thirty-four years been a resident of this city died very suddenly on last Sunday. Just at what hour is not known. Mr. O’Connell, who has been for years a section foreman of the Minneapolis and St. Louis railroad, has had the habit of doing some little odd jobs about the tool house south of the water tank on Sunday morning. He with others were in the house in the morning. The rest left, and in the afternoon a Mr. Cunningham came in the house and found Mr. O’Connell sitting on a keg with his head down. Investigation found him to be dead. It looked as if he had sat down and went to sleep from which sleep he never awoke. Mr. O’Connell was sixty-five years of age at the time of his death. The remains were taken at once to Mahlum and Anderson undertaking rooms. The family was summoned. The funeral service was held this morning from the St. Patrick’s Catholic church, the Rev. Conway officiating. Interment was made in the Catholic cemetery south of this city. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, May 16, 1923)