O'HAIR, James, Sr. 1835-1894

OHAIR

Posted By: Kathy Gerkins (email)
Date: 9/11/2013 at 15:33:33

O'Hair, James

O'Hair - In Charles City, in the store of E. I. Angell, at 9 o'clock, a. m., Thursday, May 18, 1894, James O'Hair, Sr., aged 59 years, 2 months, and 29 days.

James O'Hair was born in Dumphries, Scotland, February 11, 1835. The family emigrated from Scotland to the city of Utica, New York, in 1849. From the latter place they removed to Rockford, Illinois, in 1854. In 1856 they became residents of this place, settling on what is now know as the A. W. Cook farm. James O'Hair was married to Elizabeth Hill, at Rockford, Illinois, in 1857.

His wife and seven children survive him - Isabella, James Jr., Marietta, Charles, Elizabeth, Anna and George. The funeral occurs tomorrow at 10 o'clock a. m. from his residence in the First Ward, Rev. Mulholland officiating.
Mr. O'Hair was one of the old residents of the county, and few men were more widely known by the old settlers. He left his home yesterday morning apparently in his usual sound health, and almost in the twinkling of an eye he was a corpse.

Entering Mr. Angell's store to make an exchange of some articles for a house he was putting in repair, on Main Street, he placed his hand to his left temple, as if in distress. Eli Brownell, who was present said 'James sit down on this chair,' and when he was seated Mr. Brownell asked him if he felt pain in his head. He replied, 'Yes, all over,' and instantly threw up his arms, with rigor and spasmodic action, and instantly expired. The extreme suddenness of his death induced the family to have a post mortem examination. It was found that there was heart failure owing to adhesion of heart and lung valves, the professional terms of which we are unfamiliar with.

We have known Mr. O'Hair for thirty five years. Two powerful motives governed his life - one, to make a financial success, the other to quiet the natural nobility of his nature and hold it in subjection to the vocation he had adopted for its procurement. He hated the liquor traffic on its merits, as intensely as does the writer. He followed it as a means of wealth. His occupation separated him from himself.

He never disguised his contempt for his occupation, but justified it because society ordered it. There were two things he despised, a saloonist who claimed that his business was not a bad one, and the man who set up pretensions of being a prohibitionist and give the lie to it by his life. Ah, well: the debate for him is closed all of life's injunctions are dissolved. In life we had a kindly feeling for our boyhood friend, and at his grave we say a sad goodbye. Peace to his ashes.

[Newspaper clipping from the Floyd County Museum]