Fred J. Dougan
June 8, 1863-July 7, 1897
OBITUARY
Fred J. Dougan died at the residence of his parents Mr. and Mrs. R.F. Dougan in West Niles, July 7, 1897. He was born in Niles June 8, 1863. In November, 1878 he was employed as fireman in the Michigan Central railroad yards at Chicago; from there he went to firing on the Cincinnati, Wabash & Michigan in 1882. In December, 1885, he was promoted to the position of engineer with the same company and remained in their employ until July, 1887, when he decided to go west and in August 1887, he went to work for the Atchison & Santa Fe railroad, and ran the construction train while they were building their road through the Indian Territory. From there he run from Spury to Englewood, Kansas, for the same company until his health began to fail and he went south in September, 1888, and commenced working for the Kansas City, Memphis & Burmingham railroad, and remained in their employ until December, 1896, when his health again failed him and the company gave him one year's leave of absence. Hoping he could regain his health he went to Denver, Colorado. He seemed to improve for a time, but later began having hemorrhages, and losing strength, he decided to return home. He was home just eight weeks when death relieved him of his sufferings.
He was married May 20, 1885 to Miss Pearl Brown of Benton Harbor, Mich. There were three children born to them, one of which died in March, 1893. He leaves a wife, a little daughter and an infant son; mother and father and two brothers to mourn his loss.
He was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, a Knight of Pythias, an Odd Fellow and a member of the Ancient Eccenic[sic] Order, of Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Niles Weekly Mirror, Wednesday, July 21, 1897, page 1, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library