Scanlan, Susan (Mrs. Richard), 1852-1939

SCANLAN, FITZPATRICK

Posted By: Lydia Lucas -- Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/20/2023 at 20:34:06

Born: January 28, 1852
Died: October 26, 1939

From the Sioux County Capital, November 2, 1939:

Mrs. Susan Scanlan, nee Fitzpatrick, was born on January 28, 1852 on a farm in Grundy county near the present town of Verona, Illinois. She was the last surviving member of a family of thirteen children and was the twelfth child. She died at the advanced age of eighty-seven on October 26, 1939.

She was married on December 4, 1881 to Richard Scanlan, and came west shortly afterward and settled on a farm northwest of Rock Valley. After living on a farm a few years they moved to town where she lived for many years following the death of her husband on January 5, 1892. To this union three children were born: Thomas Walter who died on August 15, 1929 in a Mitchell hospital, and twins, Wm. John and Francis James the latter of whom died at the age of two. She is survived by her son Wm. John and other distant relatives.

Funeral services were conducted in St. Mary’s church, Rock Valley, Saturday morning, Oct. 28 with Rev. A. J. Foerster officiating. Burial was made in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Relatives and friends from out of town who attended the funeral services were Mr. and Mrs. Al Frinkman and Mr. and Mrs. Nick Berns of Sioux Falls, and Dr. and Mrs. F. C. Scanlan of Algona and Dr. and Mrs. H. D. Scanlan of Sheldon.

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RESEARCH NOTES

A similar, slightly longer obituary was published in the Alton Democrat, November 3, 1939, and in the Sioux Center News, November 2, 2939: Rock Valley news. It adds that her son Tom learned telegraphy in the depot at Rock Valley and held many important positions, but died of cancer in a hospital in Mitchell, S.Dak., August 14, 1929. Mrs. Scanlan “was a woman of great energy and vigorous both in mind and body and possessed a humorous disposition that was pleasing to all her friends.”

Her death certificate gives her father’s name as William Fitzpatrick, born in Ireland; mother’s name unknown to the informant, E. R. Scanlan of Rock Valley; died in the Sioux County Home, Orange City, where she had been a resident four years; died at 4:10 p.m. October 26, 1939; cause, arterio sclerosis and heart disease; contributory cause, senility.

The Sioux County Cemetery Index spells the surname of her and her husband Richard as Scanlon, as does her 1915 Iowa state census card; but the photo of her headstone on FindaGrave.com confirms it to be Scanlan.

She was not readily located in the 1925 Iowa state census.