John Donovan
Contributed by Penny
Dononvan
THE HARVARD HERALD
JANUARY 28, 1904
DEATH OF A PIONEER
JOHN DONOVAN OF DUNHAM CALLED
TO HIS REWARD
LIVED TO THE RIPE OLD AGE OF
88 YEARS
60 OF WHICH WERE PASSED ON
HIS FARM IN DUNHAM TOWNSHIP
JOHN DONOVAN ONE OF DUNHAM’S OLDEST PIONEERS, DIED AT HIS HOME IN THE TOWNSHIP MONDAY AGE 88 YEARS. DEATH CAME AS A RESULT OF EXTREME AGE. THE DEMISE OF THIS VENERABLE OLD MAN CLOSES THE EARTHLY CAREER OF ONE OF THE COUNTY’S FIST SETTLERS AS MR. DONOVAN WAS A RESIDENT OF DUNHAM FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS.
HE WAS BORN IN IRELAND AND WHEN
A YOUNG MAN CAME TO THE UNITED STATES LOCATING AT BUFFALO WHERE HE WAS
MARRIED. A FEW YEARS AFTER HIS MARRIAGE HE AND HIS WIFE LEFT FOR THE FAR
WEST LOCATING ON A FARM ON THE TOWNSHIP LINE OF DUNHAM AND MARENGO, HIS
HOME UNTIL HIS DEATH, HIS WIFE HANARAH “HANNAH” (SWEENEY), HAVING PASSED
TO THE WORLD BEYOND 13 YEARS AGO. HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL FARMER AND SOON BECAME
THE OWNER OF 200 ACRES OF VALUABLE LAND. HE WAS THE FATHER OF NINE CHILDREN,
TWO OF WHOM ARE DEAD. THE LIVING CHILDREN ARE: MICHAEL FRANCIS DONOVAN
(WIFE CATHERINE GLEASON DONOVAN) OF ALDEN, MRS. CATHERINE O’BRIEN (WIFE
OF JOHN G. O’BRIEN) OF DUNHAM,
JOHN DONOVAN (WIFE JANE CAREY
DONOVAN) OF MOTLEY, MINNESOTA,
MRS. EDITH DWYER (WIFE OF MICHAEL
DWYER) OF CHICAGO,
HANNAH DONOVAN, FANNIE DONOVAN
AND PATRICK DONOVAN RESIDING AT HOME. THE DECEASED MEMBERS WERE:
MRS. MARGARET O’BRIEN (WIFE OF MICHAEL O’BRIEN) OF DUNHAM, AND MRS. MARY
ANN CALLAHAN (WIFE OF JOHN CALLAHAN) WHO DIED SEVERAL YEARS AGO AT WAUSECA,
MINNESOTA.
MR. DONOVAN WAS HIGHLY ESTEEMED
BY ALL THAT KNEW HIM. HE WAS AN HONEST CITIZEN, A GENEROUS NEIGHBOR AND
A KIND FATHER. THE FACT THAT HE BEGAN HIS HUMBLE CIRCUMSTANCES AND MANAGED
THRU HONEST TOIL TO BECOME THE OWNER OF A WELL IMPROVED FARM SHOWS
THAT HE WAS INDUSTRIOUS AND AMBITIOUS. THE ARMY OF PIONEERS OF MCHENRY
COUNTY ARE BEING RAPIDLY THINNED AND BUT FEW OF THEM REMAIN WHO SAW THE
VIRGIN SOIL BEFORE IT WAS CONVERTED TO A STATE OF USEFULNESS.
MR. DONOVAN BELONGED TO THAT
BAND OF HARDY MEN WHO ENDURED THE FATIGUE AND PRIVATIONS OF PIONEER DAYS
IN MCHENRY COUNTY. HIS LIFE’S WORK IS DONE AND HE HAS LEFT BEHIND A GOOD
NAME AND UNBLEMISHED CHARACTER.
BESIDES THE CHILDREN HE LEAVES BEHIND MANY GRANDCHILDREN, AMONG THE LIST:
"Al" Alfonse Michael Donovan,
John Frances Donovan, Timothy V Donovan,
"Frank" Francis Daniel Donovan,
Benedict "Benjamin" Donovan, Mary Elizabeth Donovan, "Willie" William H
Donovan, Raymond Donovan, Margaret "Ruth" Donovan, Herbert "James" Donovan,
Gilbert "Joseph" Donovan, Matthew Sylvester Donovan (CHILDREN OF SON MICHAEL
& CATHERINE DONOVAN OF ALDEN),
Everett O'Brien, Margaret O'Brien,
John O'Brien, Henry O'Brien, Martha O'Brien, Cornelus O'Brien (CHILDREN
OF DAUGHTER CATHERINE AND JOHN G. O’BRIEN OF DUNHAM), John Dwyer, James
Dwyer (CHILDREN OF DAUGHTER EDITH & MICHAEL F. DWYER OF CHICAGO),
Edith Donovan, Harold "Harry"
Donovan, Jennie May Donovan, John Francis Donovan (CHILDREN OF SON JOHN
& JANE DONOVAN OF MOTLEY, MINNESOTA),
John J O'Brien, Albert W. O'Brien,
William Alphouse O'Brien, Margaret J. O'Brien, Honora Isabelle O'Brien,
Catherine Dorothy O'Brien, Francis Cornelius O'Brien,
Henry Michael O'Brien (CHILDREN
OF DAUGHTER MARGARET & MICHAEL O’BRIEN OF DUNHAM),
John Henry Callahan, Arthur
D. Callahan, William J. Callahan, Joseph Callahan, Mabel Mary Callahan,
Ann Callahan (CHILDREN OF DAUGHTER MARY ANN & JOHN F. CALLAHAN OF WAUSECA,
MINNESOTA)
AS WELL AS MANY DAUGHTER &
SON IN LAWS.