Mrs. McMenemy, 89, First Blair Graduate, Dies

Former Mary Fawcett Died In West Sunday; Cremation Planned

Mrs. Mary Fawcett McMenemy, 89, of Santa Monica, California, who as a young girl was the first graduate of Blair high school in the spring of 1871, died Sunday morning at Santa Monica. She had been in failing health since she broke her hip in a fall several years ago.

Her only son, Logan McMenemy of Chicago, left by plane for the west coast at once. It is understood the body is to be cremated and the ashes returned to Blair for burial in the spring. All her surviving children plan to be here at that time.

Born in Kokomo, Indiana, she came to Blair with her parents as a young girl. Following graduation she became a school teacher for a time. She was later married to Charles McMenemy, prominent Blair real estate man. The McMenemy family left Blair more than 30 years ago, residing in Omaha a number of years.

Surviving the aged ex-Blairite are the son, Logan of Chicago; and three daughters, Mrs. J. E. Farrar (May) of Denver, Mrs. G. H. Keith and Miss Margaret McMenemy, both of Santa Monica. One son preceded the mother in death many years ago.

#2 Enterprise 27 Feb 1941 (picture)

First Graduate Of Blair High School Is Dead

Graduated From Blair High School In 1872. Died at 89

Mrs. Mary E. McMenemy died Sunday, February 27th, at 7:00 a.m. at her home at Santa Monica, California, at the age of 89 years.

Deceased was born in Kokoma, Indiana, and came here with her parents, Dr. and Mrs. S. H. Fawcett, soon after the townsite was laid out in 1869; her father is listed as one of Blair’s early postmasters and took an important part in the early activities of the town.

In 1872 she was graduated from the Blair High School, being the first graduate of that institution. At that time the school house, a low, long, rambling building, was located where the office of the late Dr. Murdoch is located.

After her graduation she entered the teaching profession and taught in the city schools; F. W. Arndt, our veteran hardware dealer was one of her pupils and graduated under her in 1877.

She was married to Charles McMenemy, a real estate dealer of Blair, and here their family was born and here two children and the husband are buried.

The family left Blair and moved to Omaha about 1920 and it was while living in Omaha that the husband died. Later the family moved to California where Mrs. McMenemy established a home.

In 1938 Mrs. McMenemy fell, resulting in a broken leg from which she never fully recovered and which no doubt hastened her death. Her body will be cremated in California and later in the spring the ashes will be brought to Blair for interment beside the husband and two sons.

The remaining children are Mrs. G. H. Keith and Miss Margaret McMenemy of Santa Monica, who were with her at the time of her passing; Mrs. J. F. Farrar of Denver and Logan McMenemy of Chicago.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

FindaGrave # 9921795