John Fitzgerald
June 22, 1828-Dec. 12, 1920
Niles Daily Star-Sun, Monday, December 13, 1920, page 1, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library
JOHN FITZGERALD, AGE 92, DEAD
Was Veteran of the Civil War; Born in Ireland; Funeral Tomorrow
John Fitzgerald, a resident of Niles for 27 years continuously, and a veteran of the Civil war, died Sunday night at 10 o'clock, at the home of his niece, Mrs. Louise Baker, 699 North Sixth street, at the advanced age of 92 years. In spite of the fact that Mr. Fitzgerald had long since passed the allotted span of three score and ten years, he was remarkably active until recently when he began to fail. His last illness was of about six days' duration. His death is attributed to Bright's disease.
The funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock from the house and will be private. Rev. H.T. Scherer will conduct the services. Burial will occur at Silver Brook cemetery. Friends are requested to omit flowers. The services will be private because of the recent illness of Mrs. Baker.
Mr. Fitzgerald was born in Kilkenny county, Ireland, June 22, 1828. When he was 14 years of age he came to Albany, N.Y., where he resided until he was 25, when he came to Niles to live with his sister, Mrs. Isaac Johnson, mother of Mrs. Baker. He later returned to New York and when the civil war broke out he enlisted in the First Artillery, and saw active service. At the close of the war he went to Genesee, Idaho, where he engaged in the occupation of a miner for a number of years. Twenty-seven years ago he came to Niles. Five years later his sister, Mrs. Johnson, died and since that time he had made his home with Mrs. Baker, who has faithfully discharged the task of caring for him in his declining years. He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Katherine Francis of Niles and by a number of nieces and nephews.
Since returning from the west, Mr. Fitzgerald had never engaged in ay active work. He was a member of Frank Graves' Post G.A.R.
Louis Baker, a grand nephew of the deceased, who is employed by the Western Electric company in New York, is expected home this evening and Mrs. Glen Sheliac of Columbia City, Ind., a niece of Mrs. Baker, arrived this afternoon to attend the funeral services.