Iowa
Old Press
Correctionville News
Correctionville, Woodbury, Iowa
September 25, 1913
ROMANTIC NOTE IN OBITUARY OF MRS. SULLIVAN
An interesting tinge of romance is noted in the obituary of Mrs.
Mary Sullivan, who was buried here last Thursday. Her death took
place in an Omaha hospital, following an operation for
appendicitis and complicated troubles.
The home of the deceased was on a farm southeast of Anthon, and
curiously enough it was in this same house that she was twice
married, first to Capt. Peter Teneriff, a seafaring man, of
Boston. When Mary Patterson came from her birthplace in County
Cork, Ireland, at the age of 18 years, in 1884, she stopped in
Boston to visit her sister and there met and became engaged to
Captain Teneriff, of the ship Tecumseh. She then came on west to
visit her parents, Mr .and Mrs. Henry Patterson, who lived on the
John Sullivan farm, southeast of Anthon. When she was 20 years of
age, Captain Teneriff came out here and was married to Mrs.
Patterson in the Sullivan farm house, and she accompanied him
back to Boston. Four years after their marriage, Captain
Teneriff, together with his crew, lost his life in a collision
with another ship. He left besides his widow, one son, known to
Correctionville people as Bert Patterson. Mrs. Teneriff and child
came to live with her parents and two years later married at the
age of 26 years, John Sullivan, owner of the farm where her
parents lived. He was at that time 52 years of age. To them were
born three sons, all living, John, aged 19; Peter, aged 17, and
William, aged 12 years. She was a woman of admirable qualities,
and in her home life and church work she was always unselfish,
loving and helpful. Her husband, now 72 years of age, feels the
loss keenly, for he had depended upon her almost wholly for many
years. His sorrow at her bier was almost overwhelming.
Mrs. Sullivan leaves, also, her father, Henry Patterson, of
Correctionville; brother, Henry Patterson, jr. of southeast of
Athon; two sisters, Mrs. O.F. Crowl, of Correctionville, and Mrs.
Edward Ryan of Clarion, Ia.
The funeral was held here last Thursday, conducted by Rev. Mr.
Cathcart of Danbury. Interment was in the local cemetery. The
services were largely attended both by people from here and from
Anthon. For the many kindnesses shown them, the Sullivan family
and other relatives wish to express their gratitude through The
News.
[transcribed by C.J.L., March 2006]