John Patrick Ryan ^1,2,3,4

   Cause of his death was Lung Cancer.

   Another name for John was Jack Ryan.

  General Notes:

[Peed.ged]

[4659.ftw]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 1, Ed. 1, Tree #4659, Date of Import: Mar 20, 2001]

Ironwood Daily Globe, September 24, 1937
"JACK RYAN PASSES WEDNESDAY EVENING
Was One of Ironwood's Well known "Old-Timers"
Another of that rapidly thinning line of early settlers who helped make Ironwood history was called from the scene Wednesday evening after a short but severe illness. John Ryan, better known to everyone as "Jack", died at the Barnaby home on East Vaughn Street where he and Mrs. Ryan made their home for the past few months.
Jack played an important part in the early history of the range and his career was a colorful and varied one; being a stationary engineer, Gogebic County's first turnkey; undersheriff, bartender, policeman and world's middleweight champion wrestler.
Jack was born on March 14, 1868 in Wabasha, Minnesota, and first came to Michigan at the age of three, when his parents moved to Negaunee, where he spent his early childhood, and was married to Miss Flora Allen October 25, 1885. He came to Gogebic County in July of '86 and operated the first engine on what is now the Newport mine property.
When Dave Foley was made the first sheriff of Gogebic county, Jack Ryan became the turnkey and became the undersheriff for Dave's successor, Andy Byrne. After his deputy sheriff job he managed bar for Dave Foley for about twenty-two years. He then became a member of the Oliver Iron police force, which position he held for thirteen years. In the early days when Cornish wrestling was in style, Jack held the world's middleweight championship.
More recently he tended bar in the Iron Inn in Ironwood and at Dewey's in Bessemer.
Besides his wife, he is survived by one son, Dave, of Puritan, and three daughters, Mrs. James Nulty, of Lake Linden, Mrs. C.J.Trier and Mrs. Lyle Schlender of Hurley. A sister, Mrs. Wm. Cain of Bozeman, Montana, and a brother, Edward, of Cauderay, Wis., also survive and thirty-two grandchildren.
The body is at the McKevitt-Kershner-Patrick Co. funeral parlors, where it will lay in state until Saturday morning at 9 o"clock when services will be held at the St. Ambrose church. Interment will be in Riverside cemetery.
Mr. and. Mrs. Ryan celebrated their golden wedding anniversary October 25, 1935."
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Ironwood Daily Globe article of October 25, 1935
"John Ryans Married 50 Years Yesterday"
* * *
The couple was married 50 years agov, Oct. 25, 1885, in Negaunee. They came to that city when children and grew up there. Mr. Ryan was born in Wabasha, Minn., and Mrs. Ryan in Toronto, Canada.
* * *
Mr. Ryan has the distinction of being the first turnkey at the Gogebic county jail and was undersheriff for the second sherif of the county, the late Andy Byrne.
Another distinction to Mr. Ryan's credit is that at one time he was considered the champion middleweight Cornish style wrestler of the world. However, he did not restrict himself to wrestling middleweights but broadened his field and usually tussled with heavyweights.
In the late '80s and early '90s Mr. Ryan won all prizes in Cornish style wrestling in the middle and heavyweight divisions in this region. Bouts were usually staged at tournaments and other celebrations. Mr. Ryan recalls that his last bout was with Tony Harris at Ashland on Nov. 5, 1895, and had the satisfaction of closing his wrestling career with a win, throwing Harris three falls out of five.

On 9/21/94 I visited St. Felix Catholic Church, Wabasha, Minnesota and Father Gerald Ryan took me to the Rectory where he looked through the old church records. He found the baptismal record for John Patrick Ryan who was born on March 14, 1868. Sponsors were Martin Quigley and Helen Ryan. (By Jim Ryan)

He is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Ironwood, Michigan
(interred September 24, 1937 Block 6, Lot 91)

  Medical Notes:

Cancer, No Alzheimer's, No Mental illness

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Policeman, Bartender. ^1,3,4

• Personality/Intrst: Hunting, Wrestling. ^1,3,4

• Residence: Ironwood, MI. ^1,3,4

• Ethnicity/Relig.: Roman Catholic. ^1,3,4

• Comment 1: Cornish Wrestler Medal. ^1,3,4

John married Flora Allen, daughter of Richard Allen and Sarah Fox, on 24 Oct 1885 in Negaunee, Michigan ^1,3,4.^,15 (Flora Allen was born on 5 Sep 1866 in Durham, County Of Grey, Ontario, Canada ^1,3,4 and died in 1951 in Ironwood, Gogebic County, Michigan ^1,3,4.)