Mrs. M'Donnell Passes Away Monday, 5 December 1921, Clinton Advertiser Mrs. Leo McDonnell passed away Saturday evening at 8:45 o'clock at the family home northwest of DeWitt. She was convalescing from a recent illness and took a relapse last Monday continuing worse until Friday when she was operated on as a last resort and rallied from the operation apparently improving until Saturday when she grew worse and died. Mrs. McDonnell will be remembered as Miss Veronica Spain, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Spain of Petersville. She was united in marriage to Leo McDonnell October 5, 1920 and leaves to mourn her loss her husband and a baby son born October 1. Also surviving are her parents, one sister Vivian and four brothers, Leo Ambrose, Paul and Ronald. Funeral services will be Tuesday morning at 9:30 o'clock in the Welton Catholic church and interment will be in the Petersville cemetery. (death record indicates died of septicemia at Wilton). --------------- Leo McDonnell Leo McDonnell of 1921 Bridge Ave., Davenport, former resident of this area, died at 11:50 am Saturday in Mercy hospital Davenport. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Sacred Heart Cathedral Davenport, with burial in Immaculate Conception cemetery at Petersville. The body reposes in the Halligan funeral home in Davenport, where the rosary will be recited at 8 o'clock Monday evening. Mr. McDonnell was born at Villanova, near DeWitt, 61 years ago, the son of the late Patrick and Margaret Burke McDonnell. He was married to Veronica Spain on Oct. 5, 1920 at Petersville and she died a year after their marriage. For a number of years he had lived in Davenport, and was employed at the Rock Island Arsenal. Surviving are one son, Giles F. McDonnell of Lansing, Ill., four grandchildren, one brother Joseph McDonnell, Davenport and two sisters, Mrs. Thomas Trimble, DeWitt, and Mrs. Vivian McDonnell, Davenport. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents and four brothers, John, Roy, William and Charles McDonnell. Clinton Herald Monday, March 17, 1958 Her Life and Death Welton, Ia., Dec. 14 --- The following obituary is our willing answer to the request of an aggrieved friend of the deceased: Veronice Spain was born on her father's farm near Petersville, Ia., 23 years ago, and died Dec. 3, 1921. She attended the local parish school, showing signs of marked ability, and later went to Our Lady of Angels Academy, Lyons, Ia.; there she won deserved popularity by her engaging personality. After graduation, yielding to her earliest desire and ambition, she qualified for teaching, and for three years was one of the most successful and efficient teachers in Clinton county. She was noted at once for amiability and kindness towards her associates and a deep sense of religious devotion towards her God. She was a bi-monthly communicant and was in every respect a model Catholic. On Dec. 3, 1920, her marriage bells announced her happy nuptials with Leo McDonnell. They lived on his mother's farm near Welton. Of their Christmas marriage a baby --- Giles Francis --- was born Oct. 1st, 1921. Mother was up and busy about the increased household duties, and then suddenly, she was taken ill with a high fever. An operation was now deemed necessary, but while apparently successful it did not stay the hand of death. The heart was weak, the vitality low, and so twenty-four hours after the operation she succumbed. Hers was a beautiful death surrounded by her dearest friends, parents, brothers, sister, and pastor reciting the while the solemn, cherished prayers of Mother Church for her departing faithful. The room that witnessed the [can't read a couple words] edifying life was ideally Christian. From the walls hung pictures of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, smiling heaven's blessing upon the young mother and model wife soon to be transplanted to her eternal home at a time when life is sweetest and fullest of promise. Her gaze was piously and immovably fixed on the crucifix and the statue of Jesus Christ, the world's Redeemer, who in a few moments would welcome her immortal spirit to the home not made with hands. A pathetic feature of the sad occasion was the serious illness of Mr. McDonnell, to whom the last Sacraments were administered in an adjoining room, while the soul of the young wife and affectionate daughter was about to be freed from her mortal body. Solemn Requiem High Mass was celebrated at St. Anne's church Dec. 6 with the Rev. J. M. Ryan, pastor, celebrant; Rev. D. J. Ryan, Petersville, Deacon; Rev. Thomas O'Dowd, Charlotte, sub-deacon. The sermon was preached by the pastor and was full of touching sympathy and deep consolation. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." (Apocalypse, 2:10). The presence of death makes us realize the true meaning of life, and in due time brings all to the level of a lowly grave. God and eternity alone are permanent. The speaker paid a worthy tribute to the deserving dead and brought much comfort to her sorrowing relatives and friends. A large concourse of mourners from Petersville, Center Grove and Hughes Settlement followed the remains to the Petersville cemetery, and there all that is mortal of the daughter, the wife and the mother was religiously interred to await the trumpet of the Angel. May she rest in peace. Publication unknown. ------------------------------------------------------------ LANSING, ILL., MRS. GILES (JOSEPHINE) MCDONNELL Mrs. Giles (Josephine) McDonnell, 56, Lansing, Ill., formerly of DeWitt, died Saturday night at Lansing after a long illness. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Lansing Catholic Church. Burial will be in the Lansing cemetery. Mrs. McDonnell was born Sept. 13, 1921, at Grand Mound to Mr. and Mrs. James Martin. She moved to DeWitt and graduated from St. Joseph's School, DeWitt. She married Giles McDonnell, June 29, 1942, at DeWitt. The coupie have lived in Lansing for the last 15 years. Survivors include her husband; three daughters, Carol and Jan, at home, and Mrs. Mary Kay Row, Davenport; two sons, Dennis, at home, and Vincent, Griffith, Ind.; four grandchildren; three brothers, Harry and Francis, both of DeWitt, and, Melvin Martin, Grand Mound, and three sisters, Mrs. John Feldpausch and Mrs. Jack Hill, both of DeWitt, and Mrs. Ray McAllister, Davenport. She was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister. Publication not known. She died in Dec 1977 according to the SSDI. Copied from rootsweb worldconnect database :2867951. ------------------------------------------------------------ Obituary Shawn Purcell DAVENPORT - Services for Shawn T. "Frog" Purcell, 37, of Davenport, will be 1 p.m. Monday at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Davenport. Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery, Davenport. Visitation is 3-8 p.m. today at HalliganMcCabe Funeral Home, Davenport, with a vigil service conducted at 7:15 p.m. Mr. Purcell died Thursday at Genesis Medical Center-East Campus, Davenport, after a sudden illness. He was employed by machining parts for high-performance engines at The Car Shop, Moline, for eight years. He married Janice McDonnell in 1993 in Davenport. He graduated from Davenport West High School in 1975. He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and fishing. He also had been active in drag racing and enjoyed attending NASCAR races. Memorials may be made to the family. Survivors include his wife; a son, Joshua, at home; his mother, Billy Jean Purcell, Davenport; a sister, Connie (Mrs. Rick) Harris, Davenport, Tammy (Mrs. Charles) Ridenour, Des Moines, Billie Jo (Mrs. Randy) Law, Springfield, Mo.; a brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Linda Purcell, Bettendoff; several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Michael Purcell, in 1983. Quad City Times Copied from rootsweb worldconnect database :2867951. Giles "Mac" McDonnell GRIFFITH, Ind. -- Giles "Mac" McDonnell, of Griffith, Ind., passed away Friday, June 2, 2006. Funeral services will be held at 12:30 p.m. Monday, June 5, 2006, at the Fagen-Miller Funeral Home, Griffith, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 1 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace Church, Highland, Ind., with Rev. Edward Maspen officiating. Burial is in Holy Cross Cemetery, Calumet City, Ill. Visitation is 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with a prayer service at 2:30 p.m. Donations to Parkinson's Research in Mac's name would be appreciated. Mac Giles was born in Welton, Iowa. He married Josephine Martin on June 29, 1942. She passed away on December 31, 1977. He later married Sophia Suchan on January 19, 1980. She survives him. He was a World War II Army Air Corps veteran, fighting in the European theatre. He retired from Holsum Bread, Highland, Ind., after 15 years of service. He was a member of Our Lady of Grace Church. He is survived by his wife, Sophia (Suchan) McDonnell; four children, Vincent (Susan) McDonnell, Mary K. (Richard) Lamb, Dennis McDonnell, and Janice (Ken Wristen) Purcell; five grandchildren, Michele (David) Laughren, Amy (Kevin) McDonnell-McCoy, Jennifer (Tory) Sage, Michael (Kelly) Row, and Katherine Lamb; five great-grandchildren, Caroline Loughren, Devon Lobdell, Kharryn Lobdell, Veronica Sage, and Sophia Row. He was preceded in death by his wife, Josephine (Martin) McDonnell, his daughter, Carol McDonnell, parents, Leo and Veronica (Spain) McDonnell, and aunt, Vivian McDonnell. 06/04/2006 Publication not noted. I copied it from David Tague's worldconnect data.