MATTHEW FAGAN OBITUARY

[home] [TREE] [Immigrants] [Caffrey townland] Narratives: [Eugene] [Edward] [Lawrence] [Matthew 1] [Matthew 2] [Obit] [Baps/Births] [Children 1][& 2] All three notices below were found on the same page of the Daily Star (Long Island , Queens) - Tuesday June 11, 1918 (on microfilm at the Queens Borough Public Library, Long Island Division According to Matthew Fagan's death certificate, he was born in Ireland on July 17, 1853* to Edward Fagan and Anna Caffery**. He died on June 10, 1918, at the age of 64, in an apartment building at 537 W 150th Street in Manhattan. This was Anna and Mike's home. Death was due to cerebral apoplexy, secondary causes being chronic endarteritis and arterio sclerosis. The doctor in attendance throughout the year and four months of his final illness was a John J McGowan of 472 W 143 st. The death notice and obituary are below. Burial was at New Calvary, in the plot he had purchased for Margaret 18 years before. * Note:per general usage, 1851 or 1852 was more likely. The Castlerahan baptismal register from Matthew's period having been lost, confirmation is unlikely. ** All certified evidence names Mary Caffrey as the mother of the Fagans, rather than Anna. The use of Anna and Ann by Matthew Fagan and the Caffreys left in Ireland suggests that it might have been a legitimate nickname or a second name.
OBITUARY Matthew Fagan, for many years a resident of Hunter's Point, died on Monday. The funeral * 1 will be held on Tuesday morning at 8:30 o'clock from the home of his daughter, Mrs Anna J. Fenton, 537 West 150th street, Manhattan, thence to the church of St Catherine Genoa, West 153rd street, where a mass of requiem will be offered at 10 a. m.. Interment will be made in Calvary cemetery. The funeral arrangements will be under the direction of John J. Keegan of Long Island City. Mr Fagan was born in Ireland. For forty years, * 2 he had a blacksmith shop in Hunter's Point and was well known in Long Island City. About two years ago * 3, he went to live with his daughter, Mrs Fenton, in Manhattan. Besides Mrs Fenton, Mr Fagan leaves another daughter, Mary M. Fagan, and two sons, Thomas and Edward, both of whom live in Long Island City. Thomas Fagan is connected with the real estate business of George J. Ryan. * 1 Terminology Note: a "funeral" at that time was what we would call a "wake" today. * 2 Probably technically inaccurate. Matthew was retired by 1915. Though he may have worked in Hunters Point since 1875, he was probably not the owner until some time between 1889 and 1892. * 3 More likely 16 months, per death certificate.	This ad for Thomas Fagan's place of employment appeared on the same page as the obituary and death notice. (Aside: George Ryan was president of the N.Y.C. Board of Education during the 1930s and was an early trustee of the Long Island City Savings Bank, with which members of the Fagan family would long be associated.)
ibid, Death Notice FAGAN--Matthew, on Monday June 10, father of Mrs Anna J. Fenton, Thomas F., Edward J. and Mary M. Fagan. Funeral from the residence of his daughter, Mrs Anna J. Fenton, 537 West 153rd street, New York City, Thursday, June 18 at 9:30 AM, thence to the church of St Catherine Genoa, West 153rd street, where a mass of requiem will be offered at 10AM. Interment will be made in Calvary cemetery. The funeral arrangements will be under the direction of John J. Keegan of Long Island City.

Return to home

P.F. home page at http://www.pefagan.com/index.html
Updated Apr 2000 by
Patty Fagan 74407.1124@compuserve.com