The Tragic Story of Patrick and Bridget Flynn
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| Flynn Family Plot at St. Mary's Cemetery |
By
Diana Vice
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| Rick Vice at St. Mary's Cemetery |
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| St. Joseph Orphan Asylum Monument |
The man stated that during a recent morning visit to the cemetery, he saw a gray-haired woman wearing a plain dress appear from behind the trees. She stopped near a group of gravestones on a hill near the winding road toward the southwest part of the cemetery, and just like that, the woman vanished. Curious, the man walked to the area where he saw the woman but could see no sign of her anywhere. He looked down and noticed the dates carved into the granite stones of the Flynn family, which indicated that Bridget (Lynch) Flynn (58) and her son Owen (14) both died on January 28, 1899. Other young members of the Flynn family who passed away include Patrick Flynn (aged 34) on October 1, 1876; Katie Flynn (aged 2) on November 4, 1880; and Margaret Flynn (aged 1) on December 19, 1880.
Unsettled by what he saw, the elderly man approached two men who were mowing the cemetery grounds and told them what he had just witnessed. They said they had seen the woman at the gravesites several times and tried to speak to her, but she never responded. They also claimed to have seen her disappear behind the trees. My husband said the man seemed puzzled by it all, and I became determined to find out more about the tragic circumstances of Bridget Flynn and her children.
While examining the Flynn family gravestones, I observed that the inscriptions identified the deceased as "Children of Patrick and Bridget Flynn," which raised another question. Patrick was not buried in the family plot. Where was he? Initial research led me to Patrick’s Civil War military headstone across the road, behind the trees from where the woman had emerged. My follow-up research also provided details about a gruesome tragedy that took the lives of Bridget and Patrick Flynn, along with their teenage son, Owen, on a cold January day in 1899.
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| Patrick Flynn Civil War Gravestone at St. Mary's Cemetery |
A newspaper headline reported, “Asphyxiated, Patrick Flynn, Wife and Son Meet Death, the Discovery in a Romig Street Home.” The article stated, “A ghastly discovery was made last evening at about 8 o’clock, and the city, or those who heard the news, were informed of the event,” the story began. “A whole family had been asphyxiated. Not only that, but death had come in this horrid form fully five days before the discovery was made. Down on Romig Street, between Sixth and Seventh, is the little home of Patrick Flynn.”
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| Journal & Courier - Feb. 3, 1899 |
Will Flynn, recovering from illness at his South Third Street home, hadn't seen his parents in a couple of weeks. A neighbor saw a light in their house on Saturday, but no further activity was noticed. Later, Thomas Keefe informed Will that his parents had not been seen for a week. Police responded to the situation and entered the residence by force with several officers. The odor of burnt gas was significant, and those present were physically affected by the fumes.
Nothing could have prepared Will Flynn and the officers for the horrific scene that included the decaying corpses of Patrick, Bridget, and Owen Flynn, along with a cat who had perished alongside the Flynn family. Rumors of a murder suicide committed by Patrick Flynn circulated but were dismissed by investigating officers. It was determined that the deaths were caused by an obstructed stove pipe that was used to heat the house, which, in turn, resulted in carbon monoxide poisoning. The news account stated, “The end of this whole household is one of the most horrid and revolting that has been chronicled in years and should serve as a warning to all consumers of gas.”
The Flynn’s were well-known in the community. Patrick was about 54 years old at the time of his death and had spent most of his life in the community. He was employed by the J. B. Falley hardware store for many years and later bought a plot of land from Falley’s on Romig Street between Sixth and Seventh Streets, where he constructed a house around 1880. He later started a draying business and was described as hardworking, except during occasions when he consumed excessive alcohol. Bridgett Flynn was described as a “gentle, patient and loving woman who endured much and who won the respect and esteem of all who knew her.” Owen was noted as being a “bright and clever lad.”
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| Journal & Courier Ad |
Two sons, William, of Lafayette, and Edward, from Chicago, were left to tend to the funeral details, which was held on February 3, 1899, for Patrick from the Soller-Seeger funeral parlor and a funeral for Bridget and Owen was held at the St. Mary’s Church the next day with interment for all at the St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Patrick,
despite reports of abuse while intoxicated, was respected for his distinguished
Civil War service. He served four years as a private in the New York Cavalry
(Harris Light), Company I, from 1861 until July of 1865. He re-enlisted as a
private in Battery F, Fifth United States artillery, in August of 1865 and was
honorably discharged in August of 1870. He engaged in a lot of intense action,
including at Gettysburg where his company played an important role in the
campaign for which he received a medal for bravery.
It seems a
bit sad that Patrick is buried in a remote corner of the cemetery, a short
distance from his family. Someone has obviously been tending to the gravestones.
There is always an American flag next to Patrick’s military-issued marker and
the gravestones of the other Flynn family members are modern, an obvious sign
that they have not been forgotten.
William Flynn and his wife, Antoinette, continued to live at 614 Romig Street for the rest of their lives. William died in 1947, and Antoinnette in 1960. The old Flynn house was demolished in the 1980s, and the current house, built around 1920, was moved to that location from 8th Street. William passed away in the home in 1947 and his wife in 1960.
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| William Flynn Family: Paul, the baby, held by William, and going clockwise from Paul is Bill, Henrietta, Helen, Antoinette, Marguerite, Irma, and Lillian. (Walter had not yet been born.) Family Photos from Ancestry.com |
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| Marguerite Flynn |
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| William Flynn |
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| This house at 614 Romig street was moved to this location from 8th Street in the 1980s. The Flynn family home was previously demolished. |
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