Isaac Leon MCGONIGLE

MCGONIGLE, RIFEN, JENSEN, PALMER, CLABAUGH, SETTER, WENTZEL

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/27/2011 at 10:54:01

May 10, 1898 -- November 19, 1932

Isaac Leon McGonigle, 34, of Eagle Grove, son of Isaac and Luella McGonigle, World war veteran and former resident of the Jewell vicinity, died in the Veterans' Administration hospital near Minneapolis, Saturday, Nov. 19, 1932, and was buried here Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 23, with military funeral honors conferred by members of Hawkeye post of The American Legion.

McGonigle was born near Jewell May 10, 1898, and lived his younger life in the Jewell vicinity. He enlisted for service in the United States army during the World war, entering service from Illinois, where he then resided, May 7, 1917, and was honorably discharged from that service on May 10, 1919, serving eight months overseas. He served in the 42nd, or "Rainbow" division. On March 24th of this year, while felling a tree near Eagle Grove, he was fatally injured by the tree falling upon him, resulting in a fracture of the vertebrae. He was cared for in Mercy Hospital in Fort Dodge and later he was removed to the Veterans' Administration Hospital in Minnesota, where he died after undergoing nearly six months of suffering. During the long months of intense pain, he was patient through it all, and death to him was a relief from suffering. On October 14th he was baptized in the christian faith by one of the Ministers at the hospital, and through this confessed his faith in God.

Following death, the remains were brought to Eagle Grove, under regulation military guard, and after a service there, the body was brought to Jewell, where services were conducted at the Federated church by the Rev. Breaw, of Eagle Grove, assisted by the local pastor, the Rev. Stover. Vocal numbers were offered by a local quartet, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Fenton and Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Fleenor, with Miss LaVeta Foster as accompanist.

The World war veterans attended the services at the Federated church and acted as a military escort to the grave where the military salute of three volleys was given by the post's firing squad and "Taps" were sounded by the post bugler, following the regular committal service of the church. In the military escort, Merlin E. Williams and H. G. Dueland acted as color sergeants and John C. Anderson and A. L. Kallem served as color guards. G. H. Maxon, David Glaman, Gus Wentzel, Byron Holt, Harvey Holt and Clarence E. Iverson served as pall bearers. Martin A. Glaman was in charge of the firing squad, as sergeant-at-arms, and other members of the squad were Albert S. Jacobson, Henry S. Hoon, Verne O. Templer, Henry M. Larson, Jens C. Christensen, O. R. Larson and H. E. Hermanson. John Bonner was bugler.

McGonigle is survived by his mother and his step-father, Mr. and Mrs. Will Rifen, of Eagle Grove, and three brothers and three sisters, Ray McGonigle of Eagle Grove, Mrs. Jens Jensen of Crystal Lake, Iowa, Mrs. Paul Palmer of Fargo, N. D., William, of Eagle Grove, Lloyd of Oelwein, and Mrs. Frank Clabaugh of Webster City. There are also four half sisters and one half brother, Mrs. Renne Setter of Correctionville, Iowa, Howard, LaVeda, Leota, and Valetta Rifen of Eagle Grove, and Maxine Wentzel of Eagle Grove, a niece who has made her home with her grand....[missing]