Death of John F. Hannon.

John F. Hannon died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Jennie B. Hider, six miles east of Ottawa, Saturday morning, December 15, at 3 o''clock. The body .was brought to Olathe Saturday evening, on the Santa Fe, remaining in Ryan''s Chapel that night, when the funeral service  was held Sunday morning at 11:15 at the First Methodist church, Dr. M. M. Culpepper officiating. Burial was made in the Olathe cemetery.

 Most of the time since his return from his old home in Deerfield, New Jersey, some days ago, had been spent at the home of his daughter. He was stricken with paralysis at 8 o''clock Friday , morning, and never regained consciousness. His sons received the word by telephone, and all five of them took the first train to Ottawa to be at his bedside and they were with him when death came. All returned to Olathe the next morning excepting the youngest, John, who came on the evening train with the body.

Mr. Hannon was born at Deerfield, New Jersey, November 5, 1839, and at the time of his death was 78 years, one month and 10 days of age. He was married March 4, 1863, to Mary M. Casper, who died May 31, 1879. Eight children were born to this union, One, Julia, having died in the east and the youngest son, Arch, in the west. After Mrs. Hannon''s death, Mr. Hannon and the children came to Kansas and to Olathe February 21, 1880, and resided for a. number of years on the John Inlow farm, just west of Olathe. Later they moved into Miami county and lived there for a short time, when they came back to Johnson county and settled in Olathe, which has been their home ever since.

Mr. Hannon was the oldest child of George F. Hannon and Mary Ann Hannon and was born on the old homestead in New Jersey, where eleven brothers and sisters were also born. All are dead, excepting two brothers and one sister, who are still living at Deerfield.

His father before him was a stock man and farmer, and it was therefore but natural that Mr. Hannon should follow in his steps. After his marriage, he dealt extensively in cattle and sheep and in those days, instead of being called a "live stock dealer" as his sons now are, they were called "Drovers". The farm was 30 miles from Camden, New Jersey, and Mr. Hannon bought cattle and sheep on the Philadelphia and Baltimore markets and drove them on foot to his home, where he had stalls for eighty head of cattle and pens for several hundred sheep. His sons would drive in the family carriage to Camden and the cattle or sheep which their father had purchased would be ferried across the river to be driven home. Some of the boys would ride while the others would walk and drive the cattle, then they would "spell" each other.

Nowdays the live stock dealers buy in different parts of the country and ship to city markets. In those days it was just the reverse, and on the road home much of the live stock would be sold to farmers along the route: the rest would be fattened and sold on the farm. Not always would the boys drive as far as Camden, but would sometimes meet their father half way at Gloucester. If night overtook them the live stock was turned into a pasture near Pole Tavern and they would bunk at the Tavern, then continue the journey to Deerfield next morning.

 Butchering day was quite an event on the Hannon farm, as well as others in that community. It was a community affair and sixty or seventy would be butchered jn a day. They would render the lard until midnight, or there-abouts, and then finish with a neighborhood party.

It seems now to the boys, that the cattle and hogs were fatter those days than they are now, because nearly all were stall fed and most of the farmers would put in an extra feed at midnight. At the time the Hannons left for Kansas, a public "Vendue", now called a public sale, was held on the farm, and a driving team sold for $750.00. The boys remember that a big hog they were fattening was dressed and weighed 735 pounds, and it was also sold at the sale.

Mr. Hannon and sons have been live stock dealers since coming to Olathe, and probably have handled more cattle, the majority being cows and heifers, than were ever handled in the county before. Mr. Hannon was an excellent judge of live stock and could tell within two or three pounds the weight of a cow or a fat steer. Of late, he had not been so active In the business, and had almost given up the field to the boys.

Every year he would take a trip to his 320 acre farm in Gove county, and about every other year he would spend a couple of months at his old home at Deerfield, New Jersey, from which he had just returned a few days prior to his death.

Mr. Hannon was a fine old gentleman, hose word was just as good as a Liberty Bond. He was a member of the First Methodist church. He was a kindly man; seemingly a little gruff if you were not acquainted with the kindness of his heart or his loving spirit. His big heart was easily moved to compassion and he seemed never happier than when helping someone in a kindly way. No deserving person ever sought his help in vain. He was a man of high personal character which was formed by a course of action from which he never deviated.

 His love for his children was the overpowering passion of his life; especially toward his daughter was this feeling shown, for she was really a mother to the boys after the death of their mother. The children are: Mrs. Jennie B. Hider, Ottawa, George, Winfield, David and John, of Olathe, and Jacob, Kansas City. Mo.

Olathe Mirror
December 20, 1917
Page 4, Col 3
21nd Addtion, Block 5, Lot 12, E1