H. P. RYAN HAS ANSWERED THE LAST SUMMONS. President of Grand Forks City Council Died Last Evening at St. Paul. End Came Before His Sister and Brother Could Reach Bedside. Remains Will Be Brought to City This Evening – General Breakdown Responsible for His Demise – Had Been Prominent in Affairs of This District Since Early Days – Was at One Time Chief of Police. Hugh P. Ryan, aged 51 years, president of the Grand Forks city council and one of the pioneer residents of Grand Forks county, died last evening (July 10, 1912) at the Mounds Park Sanatorium, St. Paul, at 6:30 o’clock. Death came following an illness extending over the last two months, a breakdown of the nervous and physical system being the immediate cause of death. Mr. Ryan was removed to the sanatorium some weeks ago, and since that time his condition has been critical.
His sister, Kate, and brother Thomas Ryan, of Crystal, the two surviving members of the family, left Grand Forks yesterday on the noon Northern Pacific train, but arrived in St. Paul too late to see their brother alive. The body will reach Grand Forks this evening and it is expected that the funeral services will take place on Saturday. Prominent in civic affairs and known to many by reason of his long residence here, Mr. Ryan’s death will come as a distinct blow to the community. During his long residence the deceased took an active interest in the upbuilding of Grand Forks, and was the owner of considerable real estate in this city and East Grand Forks, as well as farming property to the south of the city.
Here Since 1879. It was in the year 1879 that Hugh Ryan, then but little more than a boy, reached Grand Forks. His brother, James Ryan, preceded him a year, and the other members of the family soon followed. The first year he was in Grand Forks county, Mr. Ryan worked on the Prouty farm. The next year he entered into partnership with his brother-in-law, Cornelius Crowley, and built what is now known as the Ryan hotel. In the early days it was known as the Commercial hotel and afterward as the Freemont. During his residence here, Mr. Ryan served the city and state in various official capacities. He was chief of police under Mayor Anderson and afterward under Mayor Dinnie for two terms, resigning when he was elected state senator from the Sixth legislative district. At the time of his death he was president of the city council, and was serving his second term in the council.
The deceased leaves two members of the family to mourn his loss, Miss Kate Ryan of this city and a brother, Thomas Ryan, of Crystal. His father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ryan, two sisters, Mrs. Crowley, Miss Maggie Ryan and his brothers, Edward and James Ryan, all died in this city. John Ryan, another brother, was killed last fall when struck by a train in Chicago, and William Ryan, the sixth brother, who was employed as engineer on the Michigan Central railroad, died some years ago.
Funeral Plans. Although no funeral arrangements have been made, it is expected that the services will take place on Saturday, with requiem mass in St. Michael’s church. The deceased was a member of the old St. Michael’s Benevolent society, as well as a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic order of Foresters and the Elks. It is expected that these lodges will take part in the funeral services. The city council and city officials will also have a prominent part in the services. Owing to the long residence of the deceased in the valley, he has many friends within a wide radius who will attend the last rites. One of the most largely attended funerals in the history of the city is certain.
The physical and nervous breakdown which caused Hugh Ryan’s death is claimed by those who knew him to have been the result of hard work and worry. Apparently a robust man, some months ago, he began to lose vitality and the rapid breakdown of the system followed until the end came. Hugh Ryan was among the pioneers who settled in Grand Forks county in the early days, endured the hardships and finally reaped the rewards of hard, consistent work. He was a public spirited citizen, always ready to do his part in the betterment of Grand Forks, and occupied an important and prominent place in the ranks of the builders of this city. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Thursday Morning, July 11, 1912, Volume XXXI, Number 219, Page 8.)
MEET REMAINS OF HON. HUGH P. RYAN. Over 200 Grand Forks Citizens Escort Body From Depot to Home – Funeral on Saturday. The esteem and respect in which the late Hugh P. Ryan is held by the people of Grand Forks was shown in no small manner last evening when 200 representative citizens met the body at the train and escorted it to the Ryan hotel where it now lies in state. The cortege was headed by members of the police force and city officials, with the lodges of the Elks and Knights of Columbus represented by several score of their members. The hearse bearing the body brought up the rear and when the home of the deceased was reached, the ranks parted and with bared heads the marchers formed in double file while the remains were taken to the rooms of the deceased in the hotel building. Funeral arrangements were completed last evening. The service at St. Michael’s church will begin at 10:30 o’clock, the funeral procession leaving the Ryan hotel about 10 o’clock. Solemn requiem high mass will be said by Monsignor Lemieux and assisting priests. The members of the city council, the Knights of Columbus and the Elks will attend the funeral services in a body and following the services will accompany the remains to the cemetery. Special cars will be provided at the corner of Fifth street and Ione avenue. The regular pall bearers were announced last evening and were chosen from the K. C. and Elk lodges. They are M. F. Murphy, A. F. Turner, A. I. Hunter, John O. Fadden, M. M. O’Connor, M. J. Moran and Steve Collins. In addition there will be eight honorary pall bearers who will be named later. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Friday Morning, July 12, 1912, Volume XXXI, Number 220, Page 10)
MANY WILL ATTEND THE RYAN FUNERAL. Grand Forks citizens will pay their last token of respect today to the memory of the late Hugh P. Ryan. The funeral will take place this morning at 10:30 o’clock from St. Michael’s Catholic church and the various lodges of which the deceased was a member will attend in a body. Many old friends of the deceased from outside the city will attend the services and the funeral promises to be one of the most widely attended ever held in the city. The funeral cortege will leave the home in the Hotel Ryan at 10 o’clock and at the church requiem high mass will be celebrated by Monsignor Lemieux and assisting priests. The members of the city council, city officials, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Order of Foresters and Elks will attend in a body. Another organization of which the deceased was a charter member, the old Volunteer Fire Department, will also gather in a body and attend the funeral. Street cars will be provided at the corner of Fifth street and Ione avenue and following the church service all who desire may take the cars to the end of the line. From there the march to the grave will be resumed. The remains lay in state all day yesterday in the apartments of the deceased in the Ryan hotel and scores of friends took advantage of the opportunity to gaze on the calm and peaceful features of the dead. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Saturday Morning, July 13, 1912, Volume XXXI, Number 221, Page 6)
MANY PAID A LAST TRIBUTE. Funeral Service Over Remains of Hugh P. Ryan was Largely Attended. Solemn High Mass Celebrated in St. Michael’s Catholic Church – Brother Lodge Members and City Officials in Line of March – Interment Took Place in Calvary Cemetery – Large Escort Taking Remains Here. With services appropriate to the standing of the deceased and the respect in which he was held by the people of Grand Forks, the funeral of the late Hugh P. Ryan was held yesterday morning from St. Michael’s Catholic church. The great edifice was thronged with a representative gathering of Grand Forks citizens, paying fitting tribute to the memory of one of Grand Forks’ foremost citizens. Solemn requiem high mass was said by Monsignor Lemieux, assisted by Father Zumbusch, deacon, and Father Hart, sub-deacon. The body was accompanied by hundreds of citizens and the members of the various lodges to Memorial park cemetery, where the burial took place. Following the service, the choir sang “Nearer My God to Thee,” and the body was lowered to its place in the grave.
The funeral cortege which left the Ryan hotel, the home of the deceased, at 10 o’clock in the morning, gave evidence of the esteem in which Hugh Ryan was held. The police and members of the fire department, together with the city officials and city employees, headed the funeral procession. Next came the Elks, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Order of Foresters, members of the volunteer fire department and citizens in carriages. The procession was nearly three blocks long and over 300 members of various lodges to which the deceased belonged were in line of march.
Chief of Police Lowe, who served under Hugh Ryan, directed the line of March. Leaving the Ryan hotel, the funeral cortege proceeded to University avenue, where it turned west to Sixth street and then proceeded north to the church. All along the line of march citizens stood with bared heads and the street car traffic was stopped until the funeral procession had passed. When the church was reached, the escort formed four deep and the casket was borne into the church.
The active pallbearers were James Collins, J. C. Mahon, J. R. Poupore, F. B. Feetham, J. D. Bacon, M. M. O’Connor, W. F. Perry and John O. Fadden. The honorary pallbearers were Mayor M. F. Murphy, Steve, Collins, Dan O’Connor, A. F. Turner, M. J. O’Connor, A. I. Hunter and J. J. O’Leary. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Sunday Morning, July 14, 1912, Volume XXXI, Number 222, Page 8.)