Joe McManigal Dropped Dead

His Heart Failed Him When He Started To Put Chains On His Car Yesterday

Funeral 2 O'clock Thursday

Life came to a very sudden close for Joe McManigal at about 7:30 yesterday morning. He had been working on the state and federal road since this spring, handling the grader most of the time. He went up to the machine shed on State Street adjoining Miller Munk's blacksmith shop to go to work, and as it had rained hard, he got the tire chains and was about to put them on and he fell over and died, almost without a struggle.

R. N. Riddle and Void Ireland were there and they tried to restore him while the doctor was coming and nothing could be done, his heart had seized its work, Joe McManigal was no longer in the land of the living. His brother, Frank, who works for the city was there in a few minutes and his wife was notified of the sad occurrence. She could not believe it at first and was almost prostrated whenever she found it was all too true.

Joe had quite a severe illness while in South Dakota with pneumonia, had developed a weak condition of the heart but he seems so much improved that he felt no danger from it. He was as well as usual that morning with his wife and had been up at the carnival grounds the evening before and had no warning of the fate, which would soon befall him.

The funeral will be held at the John Dulaney home, where they were living, at 2 o'clock tomorrow, Thursday afternoon, Rev. Carl G. Badter officiating. Interment will be in the Blair Cemetery.

Joe was born on the Carter place just west of Frank Cunningham place in this city, August 18, 1876. He was almost 51 years of age. He grew to manhood and was married to Miss Bertha Dulaney nineteen years ago, the 21st of September. Six children born to them, one son Gordon, was drowned at Hamill, S.D. at the age of 12, Nellie now almost 18 was graduated from high school in Hamill and will teach school up there this fall, Dorothy 16, Keith 12, Jane 10, and Joseph Milton 4 live at home.

Besides his wife and the five children, he is survived by four brothers and three sisters; Albert, the oldest brother, died in Sioux City two years ago. The surviving Addie, Mrs. Wm. Cooper, of Crawford, Nebraska, C. W. McManigal of Glenwood, Iowa; Frank of this city; Dan and J. G. of Hamill, S.D.; Nellie, Mrs. Noah Taylor and Grace, Mrs. E. A. Bowerman, both of Hamill, S.D.

Joe was the youngest son of Arch and Virginia McManigal who came to this county and state in our very early day from Scioto County, Ohio. All the children but Joe and Grace were born before the family came here.

Joe had a quiet nature loving his home, kindly and friendly to all. Mrs. McManigal paid him one of the highest tributes any wife could pay a husband, and she said he had never spoken a cross word to her in nineteen years of married life. He will be greatly missed in the home in which he was greatly needed, their youngest child but four years of age. The sorrowing wife and family have the sincere sympathy of their many friends.

#2-Published in the Enterprise August 18, 1927

Joseph McManigal, aged fifty-one years, dropped dead of heart failure on last Tuesday morning at 7:30 o'clock. He was employed as laborer on the State Highway and was putting chains on the automobile used to convey the workmen to and from work when he was stricken.

He was a native of Blair, and a son of pioneer settlers who came to Blair in 1873. He grew to manhood here and on Sept. 21, 1908 he was married to Miss Bertha Dulaney. Six children were born to this union, three boys and three girls. Of this number one boy met his death by drowning two years ago in Dakota.

The funeral services will be held at the home on this (Thursday) afternoon at 2 P.M. and interment will be made in the Blair Cemetery.

Besides the wife and five children he leaves three sisters, Mrs. Addie Cooper of Crawford, Mrs. Noah Taylor and Mrs. Ernest Bowerman of Hamill, S. D. and five brothers, Chas. of Glenwood, Iowa; Frank of Blair, Dan and James of Hamill, S. D. and Jesse of Walthill to mourn his death.

#3 Published in the Tribune August 18, 1927

CITIZEN DROPS DEAD

Joseph McManigal Expires At Work on Friday

Joseph McManigal dropped dead early Tuesday morning as he was putting a pair of chains on a tractor at the State Highway Department store building just west of the North Side store. McManigal had gone about his work on Tuesday morning in a customary way and had just spoken to one of his fellow workmen about some work before he collapsed. Medical assistance was summoned at once, but when the physician arrived, he had expired from heart insufficiency.

The deceased was born in this city on the 18th of August, 1876 and had made his home in Blair the greater part of his life. He was married to Bertha Delaney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Delaney of this city, and to this union six children were born, five of whom are living.

The deceased wAs engaged in various industry in this city, and for the past few years he had been in the employ of the State Highway Department. He was of an industrious nature and was well thought of by all with whom he came in contact.

He leaves to mourn his loss his bereaved wife, two sons, Keith and Joseph Milton, three daughters, Nellie, Dorothy and Jane, all of whom are at home; five brothers, Dan and James of HAmil, South Dakota, Frank of Blair, C. W. of Glenwood, Iowa, and Jesse of Rosalie, and two sisters, Mrs. Noah Taylor and Mrs. E. A. Bowman, both of Hamil, South Dakota.

Funeral services will be held from the John Dulaney home on east Nebraska street this Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock, the Rev. W. H. Underwood officiating, after which the body will be laid to rest in Blair cemetery.

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