Perry Donahoo (1869-1901)

DONAHOO, BURENHAM, SARSFIELD, SHUEY, BRODIE

Posted By: Gail and Dennis Bell
Date: 5/29/2005 at 10:52:54

THE MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, September 26, 1901, page 4, column 4. "The report came to town this (Wednesday) morning that Perry Donahoo had suddenly died at his home, north of Collins, shortly after midnight last night. It seemed he had been quite sick for four or five days but his condition was not considered dangerous. It is currently reported that his demise was due to nicotine poisoning from excessive use of tobacco."

THE MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, October 3, 1901, page 1, column 4. "OBITUARY - Died at his home in Collins township, Story county, Iowa, September 25, 1901, of heart trouble, Perry Sylvester Donahoo, aged thirty-two years, six months and seventeen days. Perry Sylvester Donahoo was born in Collins township, Story county, Iowa, March 8, 1869, and continued a citizen of said county until his death. He was married October 3, 1893, to Myrthe Burenham**, of Collins. He was highly respected and well known through-out the county; being a member in good standing of the Modern Woodmen and Mystic Workers, in each of which organization he carried $2ooo insurance. He became a member of the United Brethren church in the early part of 1897 and continued an active and faithful member until his demise. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Purdy, at the Christian church of Collins, on the afternoon of September 27th at 2 p.m., and what was left of once an active life was laid to rest in the cemetery of that place. The floral decorations, supplied by both Orders, were simply beautiful and the funeral procession was one of the largest ever witnessed in Collins. He leaves to follow him a wife, an aged mother, four brother - William, Elmer, Floyd and Fred; also three sisters, namely, Mrs. Susan Sarsfield, Mrs. Abbie Shuey and Mrs. Sarah Brodie, all of Story county, who deeply deplore the loss of their loving brother. The family takes this opportunity of extending their most heartfelt gratitude to the citizens of Collins for services rendered during sickness and burial." **Editorial note - name is as spelled in the original newspaper article.

THE MAXWELL TRIBUNE, Maxwell, Iowa, Thursday, October 3, 1901, page 1, column 4. "Remonstrance. I, Sarah J. Brodie, do hereby declare on oath, that my brother, Perry Sylvester Donahoo, could not have met his death from the excessive use of tobacco as is claimed by his attending physician, Dr. Knepper, of Collins, being that he only used the weed very economically. I am also informed by three of Story county's leading physicians who held a post mortem examination of the body, that the immediate cause of death came from a so called plug, which was carried by circulation to one of the cavities of the heart thereby causing instant death."