Timothy J. Donohue

DONOHUE

Posted By: Terri Ryan (email)
Date: 12/22/2009 at 22:41:45

Alton Democrat
May 27, 1922

TRAGIC DEATH TOOK LIFE OF TIM DONOHUE: Mr.and Mrs. Donohue of Sheldon Lost Eldest Son When Ditch Caved In.

ONLY 22 YEARS OF AGE: Whole Community Shocked to Learn of Terrible Tragedy Which Took Life of Splendid Youth.

Sympathy for Mr. and Mrs. John Donohue and children of Sheldon in the loss of their eldest son and brother, Timothy, is not confined to one community. All Northwest Iowa was shocked to learn of the terrible tragedy which took the young man’s life even those not knowing him feeling a tug at the heart strings when they read of this accident. The funeral Monday was the largest ever held at Sheldon in St. Patrick’s church, the great edifice being crowded on the lower floor and balcony with those anxious to pay a last tribute to the boy just grown to manhood who left his home community and was making good at a job that took energy and courage to make good at.

His funeral procession was over a mile long, the aisles of the church were even filled with neighbors and friends of all classes and creeds, even one of the priests who assisted with the solemn requiem mass and preached the sermon, Father Sweeney of Manson being a friend of Timothy’s boyhood days. There is something about the taking of a clean and honest young man just starting to make his way in life’s struggle that saddens and shocks a whole community where he had grown to manhood, inexpressibly, and the sympathy of the entire population goes out to the family and close relatives in their irreparable loss.

Timothy was killed Thursday, May 18, at Lost Nation, Iowa, where he was working for W.B. Carter, the contractor, in completing a big sewer job. The ditch in which he was working at the time caved in and he and two of his fellow workmen were buried beneath fifteen feet of earth which could not be removed in time to save them from smothering to death.

When notified Mr. Donohue and daughter Hazel at once left for the scene of the tragedy and accompanied the young man’s body to Sheldon Saturday morning. Solemn high mass was performed Monday morning at 10 o’clock. Rev. Fathers Sweeney of Manson, Dellief of Sanborn, and McCormack of Sheldon being the celebrants. Father Sweeney delivering a thoughtful sermon on “Judgment”. Members of the local militia and the local council of K.C. to both of which the young man had been a member, were present enmasse. He was laid to rest in St. Patrick’s cemetery after a bugler had sounded “taps”.

Timothy is survived by his parents, four sisters, Mesdames Charlotte Meyers, Katherine Christiany, and Miss Hazel Donohue and Margaret, one brother, Joseph all of Sheldon and to them the heartfelt sympathy of all is extended.

The deceased was born August 7, 1900, in Sheldon where he spent his childhood and boyhood days attending the public schools. He then engaged in various work, spending some time with a paying crew in South Dakota. His services because of his steadiness and reliability being much in demand and his experience in his line of work of which values until this untimely tragedy brought an end to what promised to be a prosperous future for him. He was a grandson of former senator Donohue who served Northwest Iowa so many years in the legislature.