The exact death date was not given. A search in the Holy Cross Cemetery’s online database yielded the exact death date.

3 newspaper articles

# 1 - - from The Pilot, July 7, 1915

(veteran)

ANOTHER PIONEER DEAD

PATRICK QUINLAN DIED SUDDENLY LAST SATURDAY OF HEART FAILURE. THE FUNERAL HELD MONDAY.

Patrick Quinlan died very suddenly at about 10:30 last Saturday of heart failure. His son, Tom, had been up from Omaha to spend the night with his father and Mr. Quinlan went up to the 8:20 train with him to see him off. After spending an hour or so up town he went home and fell dead just as he opened the door.

Mr. Quinlan was in pretty poor health the past winter but was getting better and seemed quite like himself again. His heart had bothered him some and the effort of walking home was just a little more than it could stand.

His death occurred at the very hour that the funeral of T. P. Lippincott, another old pioneer, was being held and the sad news came as a distinct shock to the entire community, for everyone knew Mr. Quinlan; he had lived here as long as there was any Blair.

The funeral was held at the Catholic church at 10 o’clock Monday morning. Solemn requiem mass was celebrated by Rev. Father Barrett, of Florence, assisted by Fathers MaCarthy and Fitzgerald, of Omaha, Father Coslow of Modale, Ia., and Father Rabock, who is taking the place of Father O’Driscoll, who was called to his old home in Ireland last week by the serious illness of his mother. Father Quinlan of Creighton University, Omaha, preached the funeral sermon.

Mr. Quinlan was born in Thurles, county Tipperary, Ireland, Dec. 10th, 1840, and when he was but 7 years of age his widowed mother, one brother, William and three sisters came to America, settling at Syracuse, N.Y. His mother and two sisters died and were buried at Syracuse.

With his only brother and sister, they went to Clinton, Ia., where he lived until the Civil war broke out. He enlisted in Co. E of the 16th Iowa Infantry and served to the close of the war, when he returned to Clinton and was married to Miss Johanna Murphy in 1865.

They went direct to Omaha, where the following year they took a homestead out in Richland township and farmed for five years. They then moved to this city and Mr. Quinlan was then in the employ of what was then the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad, now the Northwestern, from that time until about 17 years ago when he retired from railroad work.

During his long residence he served the city in many ways, being a member of the city council at one time, Chief of Police and street commissioner, member of fire department, etc.

He was the father of twelve children, seven of whom survive him as follows: William of California Junction, Ia.; Mrs. Thos. Sinnott of Fremont; Thos. F. of Omaha; John, Mrs. Louis Grimm, Mrs. Wm Mehrens and Mrs. Harry Tucker, all of this city. His wife died a good many years ago.

Mr. Quinlan was a hard worker and a shrewd business man. He owned several farms besides his city property, all of which he had earned with his own hands, besides raising a large family. He was keen intellectually and his memory was a marvel up to the very day of his death, in his 75th year.

He was a staunch friend, and couldn’t do enough for those who enjoyed his friendship. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, and by none more than the editor of the Pilot for whom he had done many favors that shall long be remembered.

# 2 - - Published in Blair Democrat, July 8, 1915

PATRICK QUINLAN DIES SUDDENLY SATURDAY AFTER VISIT FROM SON

After enjoying a visit from his son Thomas F. of Omaha last Friday night and going to the train Saturday morning to see him off, Patrick Quinlan was seized with a coughing spell just after entering his yard and expired before help could reach him. While Mr. Quinlan had not been feeling well, yet he had been up and around and his sudden end came as a great shock to the people of this community when the news was spread. Apparently he had been enjoying his usual good health and was in fine spirits, spending a few minutes chatting with friends on the depot platform after the train had pulled out.

Mr. Quinlan was born in county Tipperary, Ireland, December 10, 1840, and when seven years old, started to America with his mother and five other children. Two weeks after landing in America the mother died and Patrick and another brother were taken in charge by an elder sister who was married to Johnnie Burke and brought to Iowa where they grew to manhood. The other children were adopted out. When the war broke out, Mr. Quinlan enlisted in the Sixteenth Iowa Infantry and served several years. He was married to Miss Hannah Murphy at Fulton, Ill., who came to Nebraska with him in 1866 and homesteaded the farm south of town now occupied by John Quinlan. They took up this homestead just 49 years ago tomorrow, July 9th. After living there for about five years the family moved to Blair, where Mrs. Quinlan died a number of years ago. After coming here Mr. Quinlan took up railroading and had the distinction of laying the first railroad sidetrack in Fremont. Deceased is survived by the following children: William of Iowa; Mrs. Mollie Sinnot of Fremont; Thomas F. of Omaha; and John, Mrs. Maggie Mehrens, Mrs. Louie Grimm and Mrs. Harry Tucker, all living in and near Blair.

Funeral services were held from the Catholic church Monday morning, solemn requiem high mass being celebrated by Father Barret of Florence, a former priest of this parish, assisted by Fathers McCarthy and Fitzgerald, of Omaha, as deacon and sub-deacon. Father Quinlan of Omaha, preached the funeral sermon and Father Costello of Iowa, acted as master of ceremonies. The services were largely attended and a large cortege of relatives and friends followed the remains to their last resting place in the pretty Catholic cemetery east of town.

Patrick Quinlan will be missed in Blair as few of the old timers; he was generous to a fault, a loyal friend and a kind-hearted neighbor; he was a witty conversationalist and his fund of events of the early days seemed inexhaustible - - it was a real pleasure to have been numbered among his acquaintances and a still greater pleasure to have spent a few hours in social chatting with him. He represented his ward as councilman several terms and was chief of police and street commissioner at different times.

# 3 - - from The Enterprise, July 9, 1915

ANOTHER GOOD MAN GONE

“PAT” QUINLAN ANSWERS THE FINAL SUMMONS

Word was hurriedly passed along last Saturday afternoon that “Pat” Quinlan had just died suddenly at his home at 10:30 o’clock from an attack of heart-disease, to which it was known, by his family, that he had been subject for some time past. His son, Thomas F., had come up from Omaha the night before and remained over night, he and his father sitting up visiting, and talking over business affairs until after midnight. Deceased had not been in robust health for a year or more but has been able to be around, come uptown almost every day and meet and visit with his friends. For a year or more he had dropped into The Enterprise office once or twice, sometimes oftener, every week and his frequent calls were always enjoyed by the editor. He possessed a personality of a different order from the average run of men. He was a great reader or newspapers, keeping informed on current topics of interest; and better yet he was a thinker, didn’t take printed or oral assertions without investigation or thought, had a habit of looking under the surface of things and a happy faculty of quaint expression in the discussion of men and measures.

But “Pat” Quinlan’s chiefest attribute was his devotion to his family and loyalty to his friends; not every person could ingratiate himself into his good graces; he possessed a wonderful faculty of estimating character and seldom made a mistake in judging men.

On the morning of his death he appeared to be feeling as well as usual, ate a hearty breakfast and accompanied “Tom” to the passenger station to catch the 8:20 train for Omaha, returning to his home when the train pulled out.

Patrick Quinlan was born in Thurles, county Tipperary, Ireland, December 10, 1840.

After the death of his father in Ireland, with a widowed mother, one brother and three sisters, he immigrated to America, at the age of 7 years, landing at Syracuse, New York.

Subsequently the mother died and was buried at Syracuse. Following the mother’s death the family was broken up, were too young to maintain a home; two of the sisters found homes in families at Syracuse, grew to womanhood and were married and reared families there and have since passed to the “great beyond.”

Patrick, a younger brother, William, and a sister, were brought to Clinton, Iowa, by a child-saving organization, where homes were found for them. The sister married and reared a highly respected family and was called to her final reward about five years ago. William, who has visited his brother here in Blair on several occasions and was here at the funeral, is one of the wealthy, substantial citizens, large land owners, and extensive farmers of Clinton county.

Deceased remained in Clinton county until the outbreak of the civil war, when he enlisted in Company E, 16th Iowa Infantry, and saw active service during three years, being with Sherman on his “March to the Sea.”

He was married at Fulton, Ill., across the river from Clinton, to Johanna Murphy, in 1865, coming immediately to Omaha, Nebr., where the year following they homesteaded in Richland township in this county. After living there five years, he moved to Blair, where he entered the employment of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley R.R. Co., laying the first side track in Fremont. He was in the employment of this company until 17 years ago when he retired, and has lived in Blair ever since. Deceased was the father of 12 children, 7 of whom are left to mourn his death. They are: William, of Missouri Valley, Iowa; Mary Sinnott of Fremont, Neb.; Thomas F., of Omaha; John, Maggie Mehrens, Lizzie Grimm and Edna Tucker, all of Blair.

Mrs. Quinlan died several years ago, since which time his daughters have kept house for him and their youngest brother, John, who remains unmarried.

The funeral was held from St. Francis church at 10 o’clock Monday morning, Solemn Requiem Mass being celebrated by Rev. M. J. Barrett, of Florence, Nebr., assisted by Rev. McCarthy, and Rev. Fitzgerald, both of Omaha, Rev. Raboch of Blair, Nebr., Rev. Costow of Modale, Iowa; Rev. Quinlan of Creighton University, Omaha, delivering the funeral sermon.

The pallbearers were deceased’s friends of almost a lifetime: A. C. Jones, James E. Maher, F. H. Claridge, J. K. Powers, all of this city; James Maney of Benson, and Mike McCarty of Omaha, the last named two being reared in this county, sons of his neighbors in the early days.

His brother William and wife, and son William Jr., and their married daughter, Mrs. Spain, and William and Thomas Burke, sons of his deceased sister, all from Clinton county, Iowa, were in attendance at the funeral. A number of oldtime Douglas county friends were also in attendance at the funeral.

Quinlan, Patrick

Published in Tribune on 7 July 1915

Patrick Quinlan was born in County Tipperary, Ireland on Dec. 10, 1840.

With a widowed mother and one brother and three sisters he came to America at the age of seven years, landing at Syracuse, New York.

Later he came to Clinton, Iowa, where he lived until the time of the war when he enlisted in Company E of the 16th Infantry, Iowa.

He was married at Fulton, Illinois in 1865 to Johanna Murphy, coming immediately to Omaha, Nebr. where the year following they homesteaded in Richland township, Washington county. After living there five years he moved to Blair, Nebr. where he enter the employ of the Fremont, Elkhorn, Missouri Valley railroad, laying the first track in Fremont.

He remained in the railroad work until seventeen years ago when he retired and has made his home in Blair since.

Deceased was the father of twelve children, seven of whom are left to mourn his loss. They are Eilliam of Missouri Valley, Iowa; Mary Sinnett of Fremont, Nebr.; Thos. F. of Omaha; John, Maggie Mehrens, Lizzie Grimm and Edna Tucker, all of Blair.

The funeral was held from the St. Francis church at 10 o'clock Monday morning. Solemn Requiem Mass being celebrated by Rev. M.J. Barrett of Florence, Nebr.,assisted by Rev. McCarthy and Rev. Fitzgerald, both of Omaha, Rev. Haboch of Blair; Rev. Coslo of Modale, Iowa. Rev. Quinlan of Creighton University, Omaha delivered the funeral sermon.

Mr. Quinlan was one of the best-known men of the county and had a large number of friends. He was a man of integrity and strong feeling, always true to his friends regardless of public sentiment. In his death, Blair has lost a pioneer settler and a good citizen.

Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspapers clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.