 John F. O'Flaherty, 76, the
city's oldest master plumber and the aea's oldest
living veteran of the Spanish-American war, dies
at 1:30 a.m. today in the Veterans hospital at
Jefferson Barracks, Mo.O'Flaherty
became a patient in the hospital last June 11,
when the right side if his body became paralyzed.
His conditioned became critical Thursday. City
plumbing inspector here for the past seven years.
O'Flaherty lived at the Knights of Columbus.
He
was active in veterans organizations, serving 14
years as commander of the Nelson A. Miles Camp
No. 61 of the United Spanish War Veterans. For
his work in behalf of this group he was awarded
life membership in the organization.
O'Flaherty
first held that position of plumbing inspector in
1920 and served in that capacity for two years.
In 1942 he was reappointed to the post which he
held for the past five years.
From
1922 to 1932, he was executive secretary and
treasurer of the East St. Louis Master Plumbers
Association of which he was a charter member and
the East St. Louis Heating and Piping Contractors
Association, which is composed of members from
the city, Belleville, Alton, Edwardsville,
Granite City and Wood River. He has represented
all these organizations in national conventions
for more than 10 years.
In
1932 O'Flaherty entered the plumbing contracting
business as an independent operator and was
employed until his appointment as city inspector
in 1942.
Union
Man
O'Flaherty
has been prominent in organized labor movements
since 1904. When he came to this city. From 1905
to 1910 he was secretary of the Central Trades
and Labor Union, and for six years after that, he
served as secretary of the Building Trades
Council. He has also been special representative
of the American Federation of Labor in this
district.
O'Flaherty
was also active in politics as a member of the
Democratic party. In 1912 he was elected circuit
clerk of St. Clair County and was one of only two
Democrats in the county to be re-elected in 1916.
He held the office for 8 years.
For
30 years he had been a delegate to judicial and
state conventions of the Democratic party.
In
addition to his affiliations with labor
movements, plumbers organizations and politics,
O'Flaherty belonged to numerous fraternal lodges
and clubs. He was a member of the Knights of
Columbus Council No. 592, who will recite the
rosary at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Burke Chapel, of
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks lodge
No. 664, of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, of
which he was the first president of East St.
Louis. O'Flaherty has been grand marshall of many
Decoration Day parades held here.
Born
in Ireland
A
native of Ireland, O'Flaherty was born in Cork,
the son of Daniel Joseph and Ann O'Flaherty. His
father, a professor, always remained on the
Emerald Isle. Young O'Flaherty was educated in
Christian Brothers college in Cork, and the came
to America in 1890 at the age of 19. In the
Spanish-American War, he was a member of the
"Fighting Irish" company, company K, of
the 69th New York Volunteer Infantry. Four years
after his discharge in 1898 he came to East St.
Louis.
O'Flaherty
is survived by four sons and a daughter: John J.,
Thomas, Francis and Edward O'Flaherty and Mrs.
Jennie Huschle, all of this city. Mrs. Huschle is
secretary to States Attorney L.P. Zerweck.
A
solemn requiem high mass will be celebrated in
St. Joseph's church at 9 a.m. Thursday with Rt.
Rev. Msgr. Albert R. Zuroweste officiating.
Burial will be in Mount Carmel cemetery. Burke
has charge.
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Funeral services
complete with a firing squad and bugler from
Scott Field, were held at the grave by members of
the Nelson A. Miles Camp No. 61 war veterans, of
which O'Flaherty had been commander for 14 years.
The pall bearers were Timothy O'Donnell, Pat Van
Horn, Allen Huff, Jule A. Schneider, Walter
English and Arthur Fischer.
