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Thomas O'Rourke
1862–1888, 26 years 18 days
26 years, 18 days

The Daily Register-Call of Central City, Colorado, under the date of Sept. 13, chronicles the death of Thos. O'Rourke, only son of our esteemed and venerable citizen, Farrell O'Rourke, Esq., at the age of 26 years.
The young man's death occurred in the village of Nevadaville, near Central City, in Gilpin Co., Col., where the mine of the Old Colony Mining Company is located. It was in the mine he met his death. The statement that it was in the Rio Grande mine is a mistake. The Rio Grande is situated in the mountain region further south.
The deceased was crushed in the caving of the mine through his solicitude for the safety of his fellow workmen. He could easily have saved himself, but he stopped while the huge masses of rock were falling around him to warn his companions of their danger and thus offered himself a sacrifice upon the altar of manly duty. A ponderous peice of rock rolled upon him, cutting off his left foot as inch or two above the toes, and breaking his right leg in four places between the ankle and the knee.
It was not thought at first that his injuries were of a fatal character. His sufferings were terrible but his youth and natural vigor were believed to be sufficient to carry through the ordeal. Providence ordered it otherwise.
When the father of the young man arrived in Nevadaville on Monday, he found his son was the recipient of every attention that an abundance of money and a generous heart could dictate. The laboring men of the village and district were in a unit in their wish to do everything possible to save his life, and nobly did they respond to every call in his behalf. The two leading physicians of Central City were employed to attend to him, and to make sure that no chance of his recovery was lost, a physician of high repute was summoned from Denver. When death claimed him for his own the Wednesday following the father's arrival, there was a widespread manifestation of sorrow.
This deep feeling of regret and respect also took form in generous acts as well as words. The laboring men again showed how royal a spirit fills the sons of toil. They had the body enbalmed and placed in a costly casket, paid all the incidental expenses of the sickness and after having born the ashes to the Catholic church in Central City, where an eloquent sermon was delivered by Rev. Father M. J. Carmody, they carried them to the Union Pacific depot and a ticket to Anamosa was bought and given to the bereaved father.
Mr. O'Rourke arrived in Martelle via the St. Paul road, at 10:20 last Saturday night. He was met there by Messrs. M. F. Sullivan, M. Gavin, James Kinney, William McDonald, and E. J. Wilsey, who bore the silent one to the home of his father where it was received by a large number of friends and relatives.
The next Sunday morning funeral obesquies were held in St. Patrick's Catholic church, Rev. Father Power officiating. A graceful eulogy was pronounced by the reverened father, in which a tribute was paid to the worth of the young man who was cold in death, and the heroism with which he had met his fate. Messrs. Phil. Ballard, Pat. Foarde, Robert Washington, John Power, Jerry Whalen and Edward Doyle were pall-bearers. Interment was made in St. Patrick's cemetery. Upwards of eighty carriages joined in the funeral train.

Submitted by: Patrick McDonnell
Source: The Daily Register-Call, Central City, Colorado, Sept. 13, 1888

Card of Thanks
EDITOR JOURNAL—: I desire to express my gratitude to the workingmen of Central City and Nevadaville, Colorado, for the kindness shown my son during his sickness, for the generous respect for his memory they manifested after his death, and for the courtesies extended to me in the hour of affliction. I would also return thanks to the physicians and nurses who attended my son so faithfully by day and night to alleviate his sufferings, and to Rev. Father Cormody, the worthy priest who smoothed my boy's dying pillow, ministering to him the sweet consolations of religion. Nor would I forget the esteem and affection displayed by Anamosa friends at this time of sorrow. These things have been as a heavenly shadow to me and to my family. God bless you all is the fervent wish of
Farrell O'Rourke

Submitted by: Patrick McDonnell
Source: Anamosa Eureka, Anamosa, Iowa, Sept. 18, 1888

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