Grundy County IL Archives Obituaries.....Comerford, George December 3, 1891
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2006, 12:16 am

Unknown, Dec 1891
George Comerford Laid to Rest

Died December 3, 1891

"As one by one the leaves fall, One by one the good must die."

______ proof were needed to establish the fact that Mr. Comerford was beloved 
and respected by his neighbors and associates, that proof was conclusive on 
Saturday morning of last week, when every road leading to the village of 
Minooka was thronged with carriages wallowing through mud and mire, slowly 
conveying sad faced men and women on their way to pay their last tribute of 
respect to the memory of him whose kindly heart, blameless life, manly 
character and gentlemanly bearing had, not only won their love, but commanded 
their admiration, confidence, and esteem.  Forgotten then were creeds and 
nationalities.  Catholic and Protestant, foreign born and native, the rich and 
poor, the old and the young commingled their sorrows together around the 
beautiful casket wherein reposed the mortal remains of him who in life was a 
model citizen, husband, father and exemplary christian and upon whose 
emaciated countenance lingered a pleasant lifelike smile, which seemed to 
recognize each friend and assure them that since life's ______ drama had 
passed all was well with him.

Springing from the better class of the Irish peasantry, he was the eldest son 
of William and Nancy Comerford and born on a farm in Wexford County, Ireland, 
Aug. 3, 1826.  Blessed with a fine intellect and physique, coupled with a 
studious desire for wisdom, he improved every opportunity within his reach to 
improve his active mind.  After mastering the curriculum of the common school, 
he determined to prepare himself for holy orders in the Catholic church of 
which he became a communicant in his early boyhood, but his parents came to 
the United States and he accompanied them hither in 1847 and located at 
Rochester, N. Y., and in 1849 the entire family came to Illinois, the father 
taking a contract to build a section of the then Chicago and Galena, but now 
the N. W. Ry., and in 1851 upon the commencement of the building of the then 
Chicago, LaSalle & Rock Island, now the C. R. I. & P. Ry., his father became a 
contractor on that road and did the grading on the first section west of 
Minooka, and purchased the fine farm southeast of that village.  George aided 
and assisted him in completing these contracts and upon the establishing of a 
railroad office at Minooka he became the local agent for that place and was 
the first postmaster of Minooka.

In 1853, he met with a railroad accident which deprived him of a part of one 
of his feet, rendering him a cripple for life.  In 1854 he was united in 
marriage with Miss Catherine Smith, a very estimable lady, of Buffalo, N. Y., 
who still survives and is a sister to George T. Smith, the grocer.  He then 
resigned his position as railroad agent and entered into the grocery business 
and drifted into general merchandise and continued in that business until 
about four years ago when he turned the business over to his second son, 
Nicholas J.  Two sons and one daughter were born to them, Thomas, Nicholas J., 
and Mary.  The latter was a beautiful young lady and finely educated, but 
desiring to perfect herself in music, in which she was already adept, she went 
to St. Mary's of the Lake at South Bend, Indiana, for that purpose, but died 
of membranous croup at that place after a few days illness, in her nineteenth 
year.  This was a sad, sad blow to her parents who justly idolized her.  Both 
sons are happily married - Thomas lives upon the old homestead just west of 
Minooka and is a farmer, while "Nick" is a successful merchant and lives in 
the village.  Ever methodical, George Comerford arranged his worldly affairs 
some time before his death and divided his real estate, which was fairly 
large, between his wife and children by absolute conveyances.

It was bootless to mention the many offices of trust held by Mr. Comerford.  
Suffice is to say that he was easily the foremost citizen of Minooka in every 
public enterprise which would redound to the welfare of the village and people 
at large, either educational, charitable, church or state.  His manner of 
greeting his friends and acquaintances was cordial and peculiarly happy.  He 
had been afflicted with Bright's disease for several years, but was not 
confined to his home but a few weeks prior to his death, and died as he had 
lived, calm and collected.  Just as the clock struck two on Thursday morning, 
Dec. 3rd, his spirit took its flight back to God, who gave it.  So peaceful 
and painless was his death that his friends, who, were all by his death bed, 
scarcely knew when it occurred.  He died with a smile on his lips.  Died, did 
we say?  No, thank God.

"He is not dead, he did not die,
His soul has merely gone to rest,
In that retreat prepared on high,
For those whom love of God hath blest;
For, death is but an endless sleep,
Surcease from labor, care and pain,
Where angels bright their vigils keep,
And rest and peace forever reign.



December 3, 1891

Mr. George Comerford died at his residence in Minooka, Ill., on the 3rd inst. 
He was highly esteemed and honored as an upright citizen and a model 
Christian, and his exemplary life was fittingly crowned by a peaceful and 
happy death.  He was the father of Mr. N. J. Comerford, of the class of '83, 
to whom the sincere sympathy of all at Notre Dame is extended in this great 
affliction.



File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/obits/c/comerfor449nob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/

File size: 6.0 Kb