Peter P. White 1868-1941

WHITE, ENNIS

Posted By: Joe Conroy (email)
Date: 11/13/2010 at 20:45:55

The Williamsburg Shopper
Williamsburg, Iowa
22 May 1941
Page 1

Atty. P. P. White, 73, Died Wed. May 14

Attorney P. P. White passed away in Mercy Hospital, Cedar Rapids, on Wednesday, May 14, 1941, at the age of 73 years, 1 month and 24 days. Funeral services were conducted at 8:30 o'clock Saturday morning from St. Mary's church with Rev. Thos. O'Dowd singing the Requiem High Mass and the senior choir singing the responses. Mrs. Marcus O'Donnell rendered a solo God of Mercy and Compassion.

In his sermon Father O'Dowd revealed a lasting tribute to the life and character of the departed citizen.

The services were attended by large delegations from Conroy, Marengo and Williamsburg. The Iowa county bar and its two judges were present in a body.

The active pallbearers were: D. J. Lewis, R. E. Jones, A. H. Evans, R. A. Elwood, W. F. Harris all of Williamsburg and D. L. Callan of Albia.

The honorary pallbearers were: H. Kelting, J. H. Ollinger, and J. M. Hogan of Marengo, C. Lonergan of Cedar Rapids, F. G. Boland, J. R. Collum, J. H. Reynolds and J. V. Driscoll of Williamsburg.

Immediately following the services the funeral cortege left for Ida Grove where burial was made. The services at the grave were in charge of Rev. M. P. Mattes, pastor of the Catholic church at Ida Grove.

A partial list of the relatives and friends present at the funeral services were: Attorney and Mrs. Tiedebohl of Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Callan, Albia; Mrs. McDermott, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schrader of Sioux City; Miss Theresa Ennis, Le Mars; Mrs. Matthew White; Mr. and Mrs. John White and daughter of Ida Grove; Mrs. G. F. Gallagher and daughter, Mary; Mrs. Marvin S. McClaran; the Misses Katherine and Josephine Lonergan and Con Lonergan of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Mr. White is survived by his wife, the former Philomena Ennis of Holstein and three sisters, the Misses Mollie, Sarah and Nellie White of the old White homestead in Hilton township. One sister passed away in infancy, three brothers preceded him in death, James, one time senator of Iowa and Johnson counties, Attorney Matthew White and John White.

The subject of this sketch was born on the old farm in Hilton and attended the country school known as the Webster School, and upon graduating from Marengo high school, he entered the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, and after completing an excellent course in English, he became a student in the Notre Dame course in law, and finished this with high honors, and he at once met with distinction in the practice of law in Holstein and Schaller, before going to Wahoo, Nebraska, and here he served two terms as judge. When Williamsburg was displaying its promising future, the old home community prevailed upon him to shift his location to this point. Here he met with most excellent success in his calling and his legal acumen at once won the pride and confidence of his enlarging clientele.

Peter White was possessed of a character that bespoke at once the highest type of manhood. His proficiency in the English language was a constant bar against his employment of rude vulgar expressions, while his legal knowledge at once won for him the admiration of the bar and bench of Iowa. he was a member of the Catholic church, and his attachment to his spiritual home exercised an ever present goodness of the character of which he was so abundantly possessed.

The death of Attorney P. P. White came as a sudden shock to the community in which he was so well and so highly esteemed; he was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter White, who was of the distinguished White family of sons and daughters and the home was widely known in Eastern Iowa.

Williamsburg Journal-Tribune
Williamsburg, Iowa
22 May 1941
Page 1

Peter P. White Funeral Held At St. Mary's Sat.

Death Came At Mercy Hospital Last Wednesday

A requiem high mass was sung by the Rev. Father Thomas O'Dowd at St. Mary's church Saturday morning at 8:30 for Peter P. White, who died late Wednesday nigh at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids after an illness of three weeks. At his side was his faithful wife. During those days of anxiety she was assisted by her sister, Mrs. M. M. White of Omaha and Kathryn, Josephine and Con Lonergan, Mrs. Garry Gallagher and daughter, Mary and Helen McGinnis of Cedar Rapids.

The male choir sang the responses for the mass. After the blessing of the remains, Father O'Dowd preached a most impressive sermon on the resurrection and the part we play in life. God created us for Himself, so that we would be happy with him in heaven, Father O'Dowd said. Concerning Mr. White, he said that he felt a personal sadness in his death. He was a kind and genial companion, honest above reproach, a most attentive husband and brother. He was ready to die, said Father O'Dowd, but would have liked to be spared to look after his wife and three sisters.

Members of the Iowa county bar with the two district judges, Judge James P. Gaffney of Marengo and Judge Harold D. Evans of Iowa City, were present in a body as was also courthouse officials at Marengo.

Among those attending the funeral were Mrs. M. M. White and daughter Sally of Omaha; Mrs. David J. Murphy and daughter Elizabeth of Dubuque; Mrs. M. McDermott, Teresa Ennis, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schrader of Sioux City; Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Callan of Albia; Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Tiedebohl and Belle White of Chicago; J. L. Krall of Fairfax; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fitzpatrick of Danbury; John White and daughter Shelia of Omaha. Others present at the funeral and called at the home from Conroy, Parnell, Marengo, Wellman, Brooklyn, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.

Honorary pall bearers were Henry Kelting, Joe Hogan and John Ollinger of Marengo, Con Lonergan of Cedar Rapids, J. V. Driscoll, John Reynolds, Fred Boland and J. A. Collum. Active bearers were R. E. Jones, D. J. Lewis, A. H. Evans, W. F. Harris, Robert Elwood and D. L. Callan of Albia.

Burial was made in the Ida Grove cemetery beside the body of a brother, M. M. White. Going to Ida Grove from here beside the immediate family were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schrader of Sioux City, Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Callan of Albia, Mac Williams of Des Moines, Mary Gallagher of Cedar Rapids, Marie Behrens and Mr.a nd Mrs. A. H. Evans of Williamsburg.

Peter P. White, youngest son of Peter and Sarah Conroy White, was born on a farm near South Amana. He was graduated from the Marengo high school and received his law degree from Notre Dame in 1895.

From 1897 to 1902 he practiced law at Schaller and then went to Holstein, where he practiced from 1902 to 1906. There he married Philomena Ennis. From 1906 to 1918 he had an office at Wahoo, Nebraska. For two terms during that time from 1911 to 1915 he was a Saunders county, Nebraska judge. In 1918 he came to Williamsburg, where he established a flourishing practice. The home has been made here since and Mr. and Mrs. White have taken a large part of the social and business activity here during that time.

Mr. White was a member of the Iowa county and Iowa State bar associations. He has always been a faithful member of the Catholic church.

He is survived by his wife and three sisters, Mollie, Sarah and Nellie White, all of whom reside on the White homestead near South Amana.