Cornelius "Con" Rial, Sr.

RIAL, BURKE, BYRNE, CAIN, LAWLER

Posted By: Shannon Halpin Zuzek (email)
Date: 5/15/2002 at 08:32:21

THE EVENING MESSENGER or THE ENTERPRISE
Late November, 1899

Death of Cornelius Rial, Sr.

No death in years has created more deep and profound sorrow than that of Cornelius Rial, Sr., who died Wednesday of last week and was laid to rest in peaceful slumber in the Catholic cemetery at Fort Dodge last Friday. Mr. Rial was enjoying his usual health until last Tuesday, when he was attacked by his old trouble, rheumatism, but he paid little attention to it until Tuesday night, when the pain grew more intense. A physician was summoned, and after a medical examination it was ascertained that the old gentleman was about to yield to the grim reaper, death.

Mr. Rial was born in County Limerick, Ireland, in the year 1828, and came to America at an early age and settled in Illinois. It was there he was married to Bridget (BURKE) Rial. In 1856 they came to Iowa and settled on the old homestead, three miles south of town, where they lived together through the early days of pioneer life and on down through the better days that followed until eleven years ago, when the angel of death separated them by carrying away his beloved wife.

Deceased was truly a good and true man. All through the early days of pioneer life he stood at his post as a father and husband, struggling to make a home for his family and rear his children to be good christians and dutiful citizens; and right well did he succeed in his undertaking. By hard labor and prudent economy he accumulated a good portion of this world's goods, and the good influence he exerted over his children is very apparent. They, now grown to manhood and womanhood, will reverence the memory of their departed father during their whole life, as they loved and obeyed him while he was living.

Mr. Rial was the father of eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The living children are Mrs. P.J. (CATHERINE) Byrne, Mrs. P.H.(MARY A.) Cain, Mrs. James (ELLEN) Lawler, C.J., one of our local merchants, and Miss Josie and J.F., who have always lived with their father.

(Submitter's notes - While this obituary states he was born in 1828, Cornelius Rial's cemetery headstone and most other documentation I have found lists his birth year as 1829. Date of his death was November 22, 1899.)