Langan, Patrick, 1839-1925

LANGAN, HEVERN

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:35

From the Rock Valley Bee, October 9, 1925:

DEATH OF PATRICK LANGAN

After a brief illness of twelve days, and just as the day was being ushered in on Sept. 30, the life of Patrick Lanagan quietly and peacefully ebbed away, and his soul passed over the Great Divide and on to its eternal reward. From the beginning his illness was considered serious and all his family were called home. After a week he rallied and it was thought for a time the crisis had passed, but on Monday he took a sudden change for the worse, from which he did not rally. Everything that loving hearts and kind hands could do was done, but when the Angel of Death came with the summons, he bowed his head in humble submission to “Thy will be done,” bidding his family a loving and last farewell and conscious to the end.

The subject of this sketch was born in County Mayo, Ireland, Oct. 22, 1839, and immigrated to America in June, 1861, settling near Streator, Illinois, where, on Jan. 20, 1872, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Margaret Hevern. They moved to Sioux county, Iowa, in 1883, to a farm they had purchased there. After living there a number of years and deciding to enjoy the fruits of their labor, they rented their farm and moved to Rock Valley in 1905, where he resided until his death.

There are left to mourn his loss his aged widow, four daughters, one son and three step-children, namely: Mrs. T. J. Genter, Clara City, Minn.; J. A. Langan, Aurora, S. Dak.; Della Langen, Deadwood, S. Dak.; Mrs. Laurence Murphy, Gertrude Langan, Mrs. J. Barry, Frank Hevern and Ed. Hevern, all of Rock Valley. The children were all with their father to comfort him in his last hours.

Mr. Langan was a kind and loving father, an honest and upright citizen.

With six of the grandsons as pallbearers the remains were laid to rest in the Rock Valley cemetery, Friday, after a Requiem High Mass in St. Mary’s church, and funeral services conducted by Rev. J. O’Rielley, who paid a glowing tribute to the life and living of the man he had known for forty years.

Among those from a distance who attended the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Doherty, Chas. Dougherty, John Murphy and son Dan, James McCarthy, Herbert Niewenhuis, P. H. Donahoe, Jas. Donahoe, Mary Donahoe, all of Sheldon; Mr. and Mrs. VanderBoss, Mr. and Mrs. John Sass, of Boyden; Mrs. Sadie Phelen, Mrs. Nell Berry and daughter Constance, May Berry, Ethyl Berry of Sioux Falls; Mr. and Mrs. Earl Murphy of Sioux City; Jay Hevern, Bridget Fitzpatrick, Loretta Hevern, of Madison, S.D.; T. J. Gunter and son Thomas, of Clara City, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Langen and daughter Mildred of Aurora, S.D.

[Followed by a sentimental poem.]

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A shorter obit in the Alton Democrat, October 9, 1925, Rock Valley news, notes that his farm was near Boyden and says that “death came after an illness of about ten days, said to be the first and last illness of his life." It includes a photograph. The Boyden Reporter (October 15) contains a similar obit, without the photo.

The Sioux County Cemetery Index has Langan, Patrick, b. 22 Oct 1839, d. 30 Sep 1925, w: Margaret Hevern, St. Marys, Rock Valley IA.

His death certificate adds his father’s name, also Patrick Langan (mother’s name not known); cause of death, diarrhea and enteritis, duration 15 days.