Obituary of John W. Maher (1936)

In this obituary, which appeared in the Daily Times-Press of Streator, Illinois, on August 4, 1936, John W. Maher, a lawyer, journalist, businessman, and horticulturist, is remembered.

JOHN W. MAHER FORMER LOCAL MAN SUMMONED

Prominent Citizen of Devils Lake, N. D., Dies Off Panama Coast.

Word of the death of John W. Maher, 84, of Devils Lake, North Dakota, which occurred at sea, off the Isthmus of Panama, Thursday, July 29, was received by local relatives of the aged man. Mr. Maher was born in Eagle township, west of Streator, and was a brother of the late Mrs. Richard Wolfe of this city. He leaves two brothers, Ed Maher, formerly of this city, now of Chicago, and Jerry Maher of Millet, Texas. He is an uncle of Mrs. Albert Purcell, Anthony, Bart and John Solon, Miss Evelyn Wolfe, and Mrs. Mary Prendergast, all of this city.

It is thought funeral services will be held in Devils Lake about August 10.

The Devils Lake News, under date of July 29, carried the following account of the death of this prominent man:

“John W. Maher, 84, one of the earliest settlers of the Lake Region, lawyer, horticulturist, world traveler and former public official, died at sea off the Isthmus of Panama Thursday at 0 o’clock a. m.

He passed away peacefully aboard the United Fruit Passenger Liner, Talamonca, two days out of Balboa en route to San Francisco, a radiogram from the ship’s captain, to his son, Howard Maher, stated,

Funeral arrangements have not been made as the ship carrying the remains is not scheduled to dock until August 5 at San Francisco. From there the body will be brought to Devils Lake for burial.

Born in Illinois.

Born in Streator, Illinois December 18, 1852, the son of Bartholomew and Margaret (Wolfe) Maher, Mr. Maher attended school and was graduated from Streator high school. He attended the University of Michigan from which he graduated in 1880 with a bachelor of law degree. He was admitted to the bar in Michigan that same year.

In 1881 in company with a brother, he drove from Streator to Grand Forks, where in partnership with Judge George Walsh, he practiced law until the Spring of 1883 at which time he came to Devils Lake to practice law. His specialty in those days was filing of claims and final proofs. The territory from Grand Forks north to Canada and west to Churchs Ferry was being opened for settlement by the U.S. Land Office and he made filings and final proofs for a great many of the settlers who were pouring into this section at that time. He was active in the law practice until about 1905.

Establishes Loan Business.

In the early eighties, he established a farm loan business and furnished a great amount of capital for farm and city development through the Lake Region.

From 1890 to 1894, he actively owned and managed the Devils Lake News, a thriving newspaper of that time. In 1907, he established the Devils Lake Nursery and was one of the active organizers of the Twin City Life Insurance company and the Farmers Railway. He was also district attorney of Towner county and treasurer of Ramsey county more than half a century ago.

He 1884, he married Sadie C. Coleman of Ann Arbor, Michigan. She died February 27, 1923. There are two sons, Howard of Devils Lake, and J. Wallace of Minneapolis and three daughters, Mrs. Clinton Smith, Mrs. M. J. Crowley of Devils Lake and Mrs. J. Stuart Robertson of Long Island, New York.

Member of Rotary.

Mr. Maher was an enthusiastic member of the International Rotary club. Whenever he traveled, at home or abroad, he always made his attendance. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Elks and having devoted much of his time to horticulture, was a life member of the Iowa, Minnesota, South and North Dakota Horticultural Societies.

His later years were spent largely in travel. He made nine trips to Europe, ,Africa and the Holy Land, visited every state in the Union and every province in Canada and travelled extensively in and around South America. He was making a tour of the Pacific ocean when he passed away.

Mr. Maher was always active and intensely interested in the growth and progress of North Dakota. His main interest and investments were in land, securities and improvements within the state. In all his journeys and travels throughout the world he often expressed that North Dakota was as good as any in the Union and expressed the faith that in days to come it would be more prosperous and productive than in days past. He lived a useful and particularly active and successful life. Death came to him as he had often wished—at sea.”

Top of the page: bird’s eye view of Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, ca. 1908