Thomas O'Brien : Short Biography

DEATH OF A VENERABLE

IRISH-AMERICAN

________

By P.T. O’Sullivan

________

  One of that find old type of the Irish pioneer who did so much for the progress and civilization of his adopted country and the spread therein of the Catholic faith passed to his eternal reward on the 16th inst. at his home in Camp Grove, Marshall County, Illinois, only a few days after passing his 96th year.  He was Thomas O’Brien, a beautiful character who was loved and honored by all who knew him, irrespective of nationality or creed as was amply proven by the great numbers of people who came to his home while the body lay there and more especially who attend his funeral.

  Tom O’Brien was born near Clonakilty, Count Cork, October 4, 1830.  As Father Culleton, who preached the funeral sermon, said, he came of a stock that gave bishops, priests and religious to the church, and in his own family this beautiful characteristic was continued as he, too, gave one of his sons to minister at God’s altar.  His family in Ireland were of that wholesome, clean type of the Irish middle class, sincere Catholics and patriotic, ardent lovers of their country.  The writer, then but a boy, well remembers his brother, Father John O’Brien, a handsome and manly specimen of the Soggart Aroon.  There may be some who read these lines who may remember the Fenian activites of the middle 60’s and the position taken by many of the church men towards Fenianism.  In Clonakilty, the then parish priest banned all Fenians from receiving absolution as long as they remained members of the order.  Father O’Brien was then located at Kilmeen, about five miles north of Clonakilty, and all Fenians who approached him in the confessional, having the proper dispositions, received absolution.  Father John lived to the venerable age of 92.  Father John and Tom were [great-]uncles of the late lamented General Michael Collins and of Captain P.J. Collins of the Chicago police force.  Many persons, not only in this country but also in Ireland and England, could not well understand how Michael Collins, raised on a farm in a plain Irish home and without a university education, could have developed such executive ability, military genius and solid statesmanship, as were his.  Well, by nature, he inherited from father and mother his manly physical and wonderful mental traits.  Intellect belonged in his family from both sides.  His aunt, Ellen Collins, a school teacher, was said by Prof. McKenna, head inspector of national schools, to be the ablest national school teacher in all Ireland.  When she retired from teaching, her place was taken by one of Michael Collins’ sister[s] who I believe, is now a member of the Dail.  In his home surroundings, Michael Collins received a solid primary and intermediate education and when he went to England he took advantage of every opportunity afforded to store his mind with useful knowledge.  Hence, when he was called upon to assume leadership in the Irish crisis, he was undoubtedly the best fitted man in all Ireland for the position.

  When in the prime of manhood and after the famine years, Tom O’Brien, like thousands of his countrymen, came to the United States.  He spent a few years in New York State and then turned his face Westward, settling in Marshall county, where he spent the remainder of his life.  He soon took to farming at which he was eminently successful.  While he dearly loved the land of his adoption, he never forgot the land of his birth and was always ready with purse and voice to aid any movement to benefit Ireland.  He made two visits to Ireland, the last on after he had passed his 75th year.  In 1865 he married Ellen Dillon who came from his native place in Ireland.  To this union were born twelve children, eight boys and four girls.  Six of those children still survive him.  He was himself one of a family of 12 children.  Mrs. O’Brien died in 1922.  Nearly all through his life he was in robust health and retained his faculties unimpaired to the last.  He could even read the newspaper without the aid of glasses.  When death came it was not from any special sickness.  He simply passed off as in a sleep with his son and daughter by his side on the sofa where he had been resting.  He was one of the pioneer Catholics of Marshall county, always interested in the welfare of his Church and religion.  Up to the beginning of the present year he invariably took up the Sunday collection in St. Patrick’s Church.  He and his good wife never failed to continue that beautiful Irish custom of assembling the family nightly to recite the Rosary.

  The funeral, which took place on the 19th, was the largest ever seen in that part of the state.  St. Patrick’s Church could not hold even half of those in attendance.  A solemn Requiem Mass was said, his son Thomas being the celebrant, Father Murray, a cousin, Deacon, Father Walsh of St. Patrick’s sub-Deacon, and Father Walsh of Toluca, Master of Ceremonies.  The Mass, the Gregorian chant, was sung by a choir of priests, some beautiful solos during the service being sung by Miss Norine [sic] Murray of Clinton, Iowa, and late of Dundalk, Ireland.  The funeral sermon, a most eloquent, touching and eminently appropriate, was preached by Father Culleton of St. Patrick’s Church, Peoria.  After the Church services, the entire body of the clergy accompanied the remains to the cemetery and there sang the burial service as the body awaited lowering to the grave.  It was one of the most solemn and impressive burial services that the writer ever witnessed but it was a fitting and well deserved ending to this good man.  Thus, far away from the scenes of his boyhood, this fine old Patriarch who dearly loved the land of his birth as, also, that of his adoption, who never forgot the lessons of Faith and morality heard at his mother’s knee, who was a loving husband and kind father and who was ever ready to extend a helping hand to a neighbor in need, was honorably and peacefully laid in his final resting place in St. Patrick’s cemetery, Camp Grove.  May he rest in peace.

  Following are the priests who were in attendance at the Church and cemetery :

    Rev. J.A. Murray, Clinton, Iowa.

    Rev. J. Peters, Clinton, Iowa.

    Rev. M. Fitz, Lyons, Iowa.

    Rev. P.O. Culleton, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. Vincent Griffin, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. Gerald Bergan, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. P.M. Sammon, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. Justin Cosgrove, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. J. McCarthy, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. D.J. Sullivan, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. J. Williams, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. J. Leven, Peoria, Ill.

    Rev. Dennis Walsh, Camp Grove, Ill.

    Rev. P. Burke, Kewanee, Ill.

    Rev. Thomas Kelly, Kewanee, Ill.

    Rev. Andrew Schauer, Henry, Ill.

    Rev. Martin Brennan, Henry, Ill.

    Rev. E.H. Barnes, Geneso [sic], Ill.

    Rev. James Fitzgerald, Wyoming, Ill.

    Rev. F.B. dickman, Carthage, Ill.

    Rev. Francis Walsh, Toluca, Ill.

    Rev. Wm. Graham, Delevan, Ill.

    Rev. Martin Spaulding, Chillicothe, Ill.

    Rev. Michael Humphreys, Princeville, Ill.

    Rev. Andrew Stapleton, Bradford, Ill.

    Rev. Ed. Walsh, Tiskilwa, Ill.

    Rev. Clarence Higgins, Aledo, Ill.

    Rev. Walter McGinn, Lincoln, Ill.

    Rev. J. Ring, Princeton, Ill.

    Rev. Wm. Murtaugh, Sheffield, Ill.

    Rev. L. Tholen, Navoo [sic], Ill.

    Rev. Thos. B. O’Brien, Havanna [sic], Ill.