Meneely, Lawrence A., 1896-1927

MENEELY, MENEELEY, MEADORS

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

From the Hawarden Independent, September 8, 1927:

THIRD MEMBER OF FAMILY DIES
Lawrence A. Meneely Passed Away Thursday Afternoon
Entire Family Succumbs to Baffling Disease Within Brief Period of Sixteen Days

For the third time in sixteen days death entered the Lawrence A. Meneely home, five miles southwest of Hawarden, about 5 o’clock Tuesday afternoon and claimed Mr. Meneely.

Mrs. Meneely died on August 21st and their only daughter, Helen, 13 years old, died August 31st. All three were taken sick about the same time some four weeks ago with a disease which had many of the symptoms of typhoid fever, but the various tests which have been made for typhoid have all been reported negative and it is now quite definitely established that the death of all three members of the family was due to hemorrhagic septicaemia, an infection of the blood, of unknown origin, which is of rather rare occurrence. Alvin Montgomery, who was employed on the farm operated by Mr. Meneely, was taken sick at about the same time as the members of the Meneely family and he is now being cared for at the home of Mrs. Mabel O’Connor in Hawarden. His condition is also very critical and but little hope is held out for his recovery.

It seems almost beyond comprehension that an entire family should be taken in such a brief space of time and their death has aroused the sympathy of the entire community for the near relatives who have been called upon to bear such an overwhelming burden of grief.

Funeral services for Mr. Meneely will be held at the Ross Funeral Home in this city at 2:30 Friday afternoon, in charge of the Rev. J. W. LaGrone, pastor of the Methodist church, and interment will be made in the cemetery at Alcester where his wife and daughter are buried.

Lawrence A. Meneely was born at Frankfort, Ind., July 31, 1896, so was only a little past 31 years of age. He grew to young manhood in Indiana and upon coming to South Dakota was united in marriage in 1913 with Oma Dell Meadors, who preceded him in death only sixteen days. Their only child, Helen Meneely, died Aug. 31st.

He is survived by his father, Herman Meneely, superintendent of schools at Frankfort, Ind., and four brothers and two sisters, Owen Meneely of Eagle Bend, Minn., Joe Meneely of Alcester, and Paul and Westa Meneely and Mrs. Ethel Coy and Miss Mabel Meneely of Frankfort, Ind.

(His wife’s obituary, posted separately, spells her surname Meneeley.)