O'Meara, Leonard 1904-1957

OMEARA DOWNS

Posted By: Janet Brown - volunteer (email)
Date: 8/3/2013 at 18:05:50

From the February 21, 1957 Hawarden Independent:

Leonard O'Meara Rites Held Here

Funeral services for Leonard O'Meara, 52, who died at Sioux City Wednesday, were held at St. Mary's church in Hawarden at 9:30 Saturday morning, Fr. Leander Friedman officiating. Burial was in St. Mary's cemetery here under the direction of the Heaton-Westcott Funeral home.

Mr. 0'Meara was born June 29, 1904 on a farm near Ireton. He never married. For the past 11 years he made his home in Sioux City.

Survivors include five brothers, Francis of Sioux City, John of Evanston, Ill., Mike of Orange City, Paul of Hawarden and Bob of Las Vegas, Nev. and nine sisters, Mrs. Durette Ney of Hawarden, Mrs. Eva Conway of Fairbanks, Alaska, Mrs. Bess Leonberger of Dickinson, N. D., Mrs. Irene Graff and Mrs. Celia Goergen of Granville, Mrs. Catherine La Valle of St. James, Josephine O'Meara of Dallas, Tex., Mrs. Helen Dunkeson of Farmington, New Mex., and Mrs. Pauline Petterson of Wichita, Kan.

Poster's note: Leonard O'Meara was the son of Joanna (Downs) and Michael O'Meara and was raised on a farm southwest of Ireton (about a 1 1/4 miles east of McNally). He served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1945 including service in Australia and in the Phillipines. He was the third of five O'Meara brothers to enter the service during World War 2 (the others were John, Michael, Paul and Robert). A newspaper clipping in the February 11, 1957 Sioux City Journal states that his death was caused by an alcohol content of 620 milligrams per 100 centimeters (anything above 500 mg was believed to be fatal).