Flanagan, Martin W. 1868-1952

FLANAGAN, CUNNINGHAM, HOTCHKIN, DONOHOE, COMERFORD, DOWLING, SCHMITZ, DEVEREUX

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 6/5/2011 at 08:33:38

The Grinnell Herald-Register; Sept. 11, 1952

FLANAGAN, 84, DIES TUESDAY; RITES FRIDAY

Well-Known Retired Farmer Succumbs After Long Illness

Martin W. Flanagan, prominent and respected farmer of this community for a great many years and a devout Catholic all his life long, passed away Tuesday night in a Grinnell hospital after an illness of three months, due to the infirmities of old age. He had passed his 84th birthday on August 17.

The rosary will be said at 8 o'clock this evening in the Don Cunningham home, 929 Eighth avenue. Funeral services will be conducted in St. Mary's church at 9 a.m. Friday. Father John Schmitz of Iowa City, a nephew of Mr. Flanagan, will celebrate the solemn high mass. Interment will be in Calvary cemetery.

Mr. Flanagan was born August 17, 1868, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., the son of William and Catherine Flanagan, and came to Iowa with his parents when he was two years old. The family settled in Jasper county near Sully and from that time on Iowa was to be his home. On Oct. 13, 1897, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Hotchkin, who preceded him in death in 1937. In 1913 they moved to the farm east of Grinnell which was their home until 1930 when they moved to their home at 1028 Elm street in Grinnell.

Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan of whom one daughter, Martha, died in 1937. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Leo Donohoe, Mrs. William Comerford and Mrs. Don Cunningham, and one son, William Flanagan, all of Grinnell.

There are also one brother, John, of Sully, three sisters, Mrs. Julia Dowling and Mrs. Emory Schmitz of Grinnell and Mrs. Will Devereux of Rockford, Iowa, eleven grandchildren, four great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Flanagan's interests centered in his home and his church, of which he was a loyal and helpful member.

Known as "Pop" to young and old, he was active up to the day of his last illness in spite of failing eyesight and his family greatly appreciates the consideration shown him as he went about the streets in his last days of partial blindness.