Finnegan, Helen Marie (Fitzpatrick) -- 1903 - 1983

MAHER, FITZPATRICK, FINNEGAN, SCHULTZ, IRONSIDE

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 12/31/2009 at 19:56:15

Funeral services for Helen Finnegan were held Friday, March 4, 1983 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Clermont. The Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated by the Rev. Karl Klein and concelebrated by the Rev. Norman White, who also gave the homily. The organist was Kathy Fassbinder, the soloist was Lynn Devaney and the Lector and song leader was Lloyd Meier. The Schutte Funeral Service of Postville was in charge of arrangements. Burial was in St. Peter's Church Cemetery.

Helen Marie Finnegan, daughter of Michael J. and Mary (Maher) Fitzpatrick, was born April 8, 1903 in Winneshiek County, Iowa. She died March 1, 1983 at her home in rural Fayette County.

She attended the rural schools of Winneshiek County, St. Francis DeSales at Ossian and Postville High School. On January 11, 1926 she was married to John W. Finnegan at St. Francis DeSales Church in Ossian. They farmed in the Castalia area all of their lives. Three children were born to this union: Jean, Michael J. and Marianne.

For ten years Helen had been employed at the Ossian Senior Hospice. She was active in the life of the community, serving as a member of the Good Samaritan Center Auxiliary at West Union, where she received an award for her many hours of volunteer service.

She was a member of the St. Peter's Catholic Church Rosary Society, St. Anne Circle, the A.C.C.W. and the K.E.W. Senior Citizens at Castalia.

In 1978 Helen made a trip to Ireland where she visited the homes of her parents and met, for the first time, many of her cousins.

A quilt that had been created for Helen by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and was to have been presented to her on her 80th birthday in April, draped the casket. Each family member had made a block and they had been carefully sewn together to make this quilt.

Preceding her in death are her husband, who died September 20, 1966, a grandson, Larry Schultz, who died in 1982, and a brother, Raymond Fitzpatrick, who died December 5, 1936.

She is survived by a son, Michael J. Finnegan of Castalia, two daughters, Mrs. Wesley (Jean) Schultz of Farmington Hills, MI, and Mrs. Gerald (Marianne) Ironside of Kenosha, WI, eighteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren and a brother, Edward Fitzpatrick, who is residing at the Good Samaritan Center in West Union.

Postville Herald newspaper clipping from my mother's obituary collection.
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