Death of Patrick Lynch The "Father of Moberly" Departs This Life Wednesday Afternoon Perhaps no man in Moberly was better known than Pat Lynch, who, from the fact of his early settlement in this place, was sometimes called the "Father of Moberly." After A brief illness, he died at his residence near the city, at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 25, 1883. Deceased was born in county Carlow, Ireland, and was, at the time of his death, 63 years old. About the year 1852, he came by express contract to America and took charge of a large farm in Howard county, where he remained six years. About 1858 he purchased a tract of land in Randolph county, to which he removed the same year. In 1860 he was living in old Allen, a station on the North Missouri railroad, one mile north of this city. Moberly had been surveyed and laid out in 1858 by the Chariton & Randolph Railroad company, which proposed to build a road from where Moberly now stands to Brunswick. To make a village and prominent point of Moberly, the proprietors offered, in the spring of 1861, to give the same amount of ground in Moberly to the citizens of Allen that they owned there, if they would remove their houses to this point. Mr. Lynch was the only citizen of Allen who accepted the proposition, and he moved a small one-story frame building, in the summer of 1861, from that point to lots 11 and 12 in block 12 of the plat of Moberly, which lie jus east of the present site of the Merchants' hotel. The war came on with such violence that no other settlers could be induced to take up their abode here, until the fall of 1866. Here, then, for five years Mr. Lynch lived alone, and he often playfully said that he held the city against all intruders throughout the war. At the sale of lots in September, 1866, he bought more ground, which subsequently became very valuable, and resided here until a few years ago, when he moved to a small fram near the northwest corner of the city. He was a man of great physical courage, the native wit and keen retort for which his race is proverbial, infinite humor, strong attachments and unsullied personal integrity. He leaves a wife and three children, besides two step-children, the issue of a forme marriage of Mrs. Lynch. Ex-marshal John a Lynch and Mrs. Frank White reside in this city. Thomas A. Lynch, the other child, lives in Rawlins, Wyoming territory. In consideration of the circumstances of the esteem in which the deceased was held, Mayor Forney issued the following proclamation this morning: MAYOR'S PROCLIMATION By the death of Patrick Lynch, last afternoon, the city of Moberly has lost the first citizen who settled within her corporate limits, and who for several years was the only inhabitant of the place. And, whereas, it is customary to pay especial honor to the pioneers of our western cities and towns, I respectfully request that all business houses be closed from 3:30 to 4:30 this afternoon, in order that every citizen may have opportunity to attend the funeral services at the Catholic church at that hour. D. S. Forney, Mayor 26 Jul, 1883 (copied from the "Moberly Daily Monitor" of Thursday, 26 July 1883.) ================================== Funeral of Patrick Lynch A large congregation of citizens attended the Catholic church yesterday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, to pay the last rites to the remains of Patrick Lynch. The large church was well filled. Rev. Father McKenna officiated and read the funeral services of the Catholic church. The following gentlemen acted as pall bearers: D. S. Forney, C. P. Apgar, James Kennedy, Ed. Lovett, D. A. Coates and Pat Hegarty. When the services were concluded the coffin was removed from the Church to the hearse, and a long line of carriages--forty-five in number--followed the remains to the Catholic cemetery. A large number of pedestrians proceeded to the burial place by a different route. At the grave the usual ceremonies were observed and there was laid to rest the body of the first citizen of Moberly. Green be the grass above him. (copied from the "Moberly Daily Monitor" of Friday, 267July 1883.)