Obituary

  At the parish home in Corning last Saturday occurred the death of Rev. Father Richard Dollard, for over twenty years the faithful pastor of St. Patrick's Catholic church of this city. While his death had been almost daily expected for several weeks, yet his passing cast a shadow of sorrow over the whole community, both among his own congregation and those outside who had know him all these years. For the past three years he had been in very poor health and for many months he has been unable to conduct services of his church. The services have been in charge of the Passionist Fathers from Des Moines during the time Father Dollard was unable to get around.
  Father Richard Dollard was born in Valley Brazil, Monncoin, Killkenny, Ireland, February 17, 1856 and was aged 70 years, 6 months and 11 days at the time of his death. He was educated in the local schools of his birthplace. He later took his seminary work at Waterford, Ireland. He was ordained to the priesthood of the Catholic church June 18th, 1882. In October of the same year he came to this country locating in Iowa. He had charge of the parishes at Walnut, Avoca, Harlan and Carson covering a period of seventeen years. Later he went to What Cheer and came from that charge to Corning twenty years ago where he has resided continuously until the time of his death. He began his pastorate here July 18, 1906. He is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Sinnot and Mrs. Walsh and one brother, Edmund, all of whom reside in Ireland. During his life in this country Father Dollard made many trips back to his native land, going every two or three years until the war. His last visit to the land of his birth was in 1921.
  The funeral was held Tuesday, morning at 9:30 from the church he served so long and the immense number of people present spoke a silent tribute to the deceased. The church was packed to capacity and nearly as many people stood outside unable to get in to hear the services. The services were solemn and impressive and the presence of nearly forty priests upon the altar taking part in the services added solemnity to the occasion.
  The services were opened by the priests chanting the Offices of the Dead, a service which included the Psalms of David and the Prayers of Job. This was followed by the requiem solemn high mass celebrated by Father Malone of Creston, Dean of the diocese of Des Moines. Father Murphy of Des Moines was Deacon and Father Gleason of Valley Junction was the Sub Deacon. Father Coleman, C. P., of Des Moines, who has been taking care of the local parish for several weeks, was master of ceremonies. Servers at the mass were Father Judge of Osceola, Father Doyle of Imogene and Father O'Brien of Creston. The mass was sung by Fathers Ostidick, Hugh and Gregory.
  The funeral sermon was delivered by Father Gregory and in his remarks the speaker paid high tribute to the faithfulness of Father Dollard to his people during the twenty years of his pastorate in Corning. He devoted the best years of his life to caring for the spiritual needs of the Catholic people of the community and the speaker urged the Catholic people to keep faithful to his memory by ever remembering the deceased in their prayers. The speaker dwelt upon the fact that death after all is only a passing from this life of trials and troubles to a life of eternal joy, if we have been faithful to the commands of the Creator, "and who," asked Father Gregory, "could question the faithfulness of Father Dollard." It was an excellent sermon and appreciated by the people of the congregation.
  Burial was made in Calvary cemetery where Father Dollard had already erected three beautiful statues which will stand a tribute to his memory. Services at the grave were in charge of Father Malone. The pall bearers were George Tracey, Dan Lynch, Tom Roach, J. N. B. Miller, John Mack, William Maloney, William Ryan and James Lynam. Monday the body lay in state at the church and the guard during the day was furnished by the local council, Knights of Columbus, of which Father Dollard was chaplain.
  About forty priests from various parts of the state came to pay their last tribute to Father Dollard whom they had known for so long. Those present included rt. Rev. Msg. McMannus, Father Skelton, Father Coughlin, Father Nolan, Father Purril, all of Council Bluffs; Father Ostidick, McGuinnes, Murphy and Larkin of Des Moines and Fathers Hugh, Gregory and Coleman all from the Congregation of Passionists of Des Moines; fathers Coughlin, Waukee; Meugher, Leon; Judge, Osceola; O'Donnell, Hamburg; Melville, Shenandoah; Doyle, Imogene; Malone and O'Brien of Creston; Burkhiser, Zello; Gleason, Valley Junction; Shebeby, Adair, Powers, Afton; Costella, Audubon and Pouget of Lenox.
(Adams County Free Press, Friday, September 3, 1926)

Notes: Born in Mooncoin, Kilkenny. Died 28 August 1926.