Kathryn Cecelia "Kate" Counihan (1869-1914)

COUNIHAN, HERDER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 9/8/2016 at 20:53:01

From Nevada Representative November 17, 1914 (front page)

KATE COUNIHAN KILLED

Hit by Fast Train at Crossing of Lincoln Highway

Miss Kate Counihan, long-time resident and well-known nurse of this city, was struck and killed Saturday morning at the crossing of the Northwestern railroad and the Lincoln highway three miles east of Nevada. She had been at the Howard Dawson home, just north of the crossing for several days, nursing Mrs. Dawson, who was critically ill; and Mrs. Dawson being sensitive to the sound of the telephone Miss Counihan was on her way over the crossing to the Riddlesbarger farmstead on the south side to use the phone there. This was at the time of No. 14, the San Francisco limited, which passed Nevada that morning right on time at 7:32. Sometime later some passers-by in a buggy discovered her body on the tracks and reported the discovery at the Dawson and Riddlesbarger places. She had been struck but not run over. The main blow had been against her right hip, which was crushed, and her right leg was broken and split and face and head gashed and bruised. She was lying just east of the cattleguard, between the two tracks but with her head on the north rail of the south track. No one saw the accident and the train crew did not know they had hit her. She was killed by the one train and was picked up before the next train came along.

This particular crossing has been regarded as an especially dangerous one, and it is also one over which there is an exceptionally heavy traffic. It has been predicted time and again that he Northwestern railroad would have at that crossing an accident that would cost the railroad a good deal more than the price of a non-grade crossing; but it is impossible now to say that the accident which has actually happened there is at all with the accordance of the predictions. It does not appear that there was but the one train along there at that time That train was upon the tack which was nearest to Miss Counihan coming up to the crossing. There was no apparent occasion for confusion, and the circumstances suggest that she was struck by the steam-chest on the further side of the engine after she had safely crossed in front of the oncoming train. Why she should have gotten in the way of the train at all, and way, having gone so far, she should not have gotten well out of the way, are questions that probably will never be satisfactorily answered. She was an exceedingly capable woman in numerous ways, and it would appear that she ought to have been able to cross a railroad track in broad day light with only one train to look out for, and not got in the way of that train. The only explanation that suggest itself is that she had been under severe strain in taking care of her very sick patient and that being worn out with her vigil she went out in the morning not mentally alert. So much might account in a measure for her getting in the way of the train but not for her getting hit on the off side of the train. As to that, it would seem as if, having crossed in front of the train without noticing it, she was surprised by its roar and then shrank back instead of going ahead.

Miss Counihan was a little past fifty years of age and had lived in Nevada or its vicinity for the most or all of her life. She was here generally known and very much esteemed. Her father, John Counihan, who was an old settler in Richland township, died at the family home in this city at very advanced age about two years ago, and her mother, also aged, died during the past summer. Since that time the family at the homestead had consisted of herself and brothers Patrick and Ed. Another brother Michael from Kansas City and a sister, Mrs. Fred Herder of Covington, Kentucky, have arrived for the funeral. The three remaining brothers, Tim, John and James, are int he far west somewhere but the correspondence with these was all conducted by Miss Kate and others of the family are not able now to find their addresses. The funeral was conducted from St. Patrick's church this forenoon by Father Nichols.

In the same issue of the paper on the page captioned:

COLO REPRESENTATIVE

The community was shocked to hear of the fatal accident to Miss Kate Counihan near Nevada, Saturday. Miss Counihan has been employed as nurse at different times in the past few years at the Donnelly, Orr, Trinkle and Fitzgerald homes and has many warm friends who were saddened by her tragic death.

From Nevada Representative November 20, 1914

OBITUARY

Kate Counihan Funeral

The funeral of the late Miss Kate Counihan, who was killed last Saturday morning at the Northwestern crossing three miles east of Nevada, was very largely attended Tuesday at the Catholic church, evidencing the especially high esteem in which she was held by both Catholics and Protestants and especially by the many for whom she had cared in times of sickness. Her age has been variously given. Kathryn Cecelia Counihan was born in Richland township of this county June 29, 1869, and died on the Northwestern tack only four or five miles from the place of her birth November 14, 1914, aged 45 years, 4 months and 16 days. As a girl she attended the Nevada high school and a little later took a nurse's training at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her mature years were spent in ministry as a nurse, and her death was undoubtedly due to inattention to her surroundings as the result of excessive weariness following days and nights of attendance upon a critically sick patient. The mission on which she was bent when overtaken at the crossing was to telephone to physician concerning that patient's condition. Through life and even unto death she was faithful to her duty.