According to "St. Joseph Cemetery" (a history of the cemetery written for the South Dakota state centennial in 1989), Cornelius Donovan and his wife, Margaret, lost five children during the diphtheria epidemic in 1895. Cornelius was reported to have been driving a team of horses with a load of cement to set the tombstone for his five children; and, Cornelius was reported to have been killed when he fell from the wagon. Cornelius' name was then added to the grave stone.
The authors of the St. Joseph article reported that they could not account for why the mother's name was not included on the stone; although, they reported that they did find another grave of an unknown Donovan in the burial records.
However, a search of the obituaries revealed that Margaret Donovan died at her home in Los Angeles, California on November 15, 1932 as a result of influenza. Mrs. Donovan was the twin sister of Anna (Patterson) Jordan, who died while at Mrs. Donovan's home only five days earlier. Mrs. Donovan's obituary mentioned the couple's five children who died during the diphtheria epidemic at Emmet, and also mentioned the three remaining children who survived Margaret. The remaining children were John and Will Donovan, and Mrs. Cameron Elliott; and, all three were living in Los Angeles, California in 1932.
The authors of the St. Joseph article reported that they could not account for why the mother's name was not included on the stone; although, they reported that they did find another grave of an unknown Donovan in the burial records.
However, a search of the obituaries revealed that Margaret Donovan died at her home in Los Angeles, California on November 15, 1932 as a result of influenza. Mrs. Donovan was the twin sister of Anna (Patterson) Jordan, who died while at Mrs. Donovan's home only five days earlier. Mrs. Donovan's obituary mentioned the couple's five children who died during the diphtheria epidemic at Emmet, and also mentioned the three remaining children who survived Margaret. The remaining children were John and Will Donovan, and Mrs. Cameron Elliott; and, all three were living in Los Angeles, California in 1932.
According to "St. Joseph Cemetery" (a history of the cemetery written for the South Dakota state centennial in 1989), Cornelius Donovan and his wife, Margaret, lost five children during the diphtheria epidemic in 1895. Cornelius was reported to have been driving a team of horses with a load of cement to set the tombstone for his five children; and, Cornelius was reported to have been killed when he fell from the wagon. Cornelius' name was then added to the grave stone.
The authors of the St. Joseph article reported that they could not account for why the mother's name was not included on the stone; although, they reported that they did find another grave of an unknown Donovan in the burial records.
However, a search of the obituaries revealed that Margaret Donovan died at her home in Los Angeles, California on November 15, 1932 as a result of influenza. Mrs. Donovan was the twin sister of Anna (Patterson) Jordan, who died while at Mrs. Donovan's home only five days earlier. Mrs. Donovan's obituary mentioned the couple's five children who died during the diphtheria epidemic at Emmet, and also mentioned the three remaining children who survived Margaret. The remaining children were John and Will Donovan, and Mrs. Cameron Elliott; and, all three were living in Los Angeles, California in 1932.
The authors of the St. Joseph article reported that they could not account for why the mother's name was not included on the stone; although, they reported that they did find another grave of an unknown Donovan in the burial records.
However, a search of the obituaries revealed that Margaret Donovan died at her home in Los Angeles, California on November 15, 1932 as a result of influenza. Mrs. Donovan was the twin sister of Anna (Patterson) Jordan, who died while at Mrs. Donovan's home only five days earlier. Mrs. Donovan's obituary mentioned the couple's five children who died during the diphtheria epidemic at Emmet, and also mentioned the three remaining children who survived Margaret. The remaining children were John and Will Donovan, and Mrs. Cameron Elliott; and, all three were living in Los Angeles, California in 1932.
