John Thomas Donnelly

I found this grave stone in Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California where my grandma and great grandparents are buried. The plaque reads

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Whereas

God in his all wise providence having been pleased to take from amongst us our dear friend and messmate John Thomas Donnelly and

Whereas

In the sorrow that has gone to us with his loss, we deem it our duty to put on record our appreciation of those qualities of head and heart which in life endeared him to us and

Whereas

In the circumstances which attended his death he displayed a heroism and a devotion to duty which won the unstinted praise not alone of his captain and officers but of the president of the United States and secretary of the Navy therefore

Be it resolved

That while we sincerely mourn his loss we gratefully acknowledge the glory which his heroic death has reelected upon the naval service upon the ship which he loved and upon us individually and that in fullness of our comingled sorrow and pride we promise to hold his name in lasting remembrance amongst us and to cherish as an inspiration his devotion to duty, his patriotism, and his sincere good-fellowship

Be it resolved

That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the relatives of our departed friend with the assurance of our abiding sympathy and our congratulations on the honor which our departed comrade conferred upon them both in the uprightness of his life and the heroism of his death

December 1904

The Enlisted Men of the Battleship Missouri

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I did a little research to see if I could figure out how he had died.

"On 13 April 1904, while engaging in target practice, a twelve-inch gun in USS Missouri's after turret "flared back" hot gasses into the turret when the breech was opened for reloading. A bag of propellant was set afire and the conflagration spread from the turret into the ammunition handling chamber below. Though the fire was confined to those two areas, it took the lives of 36 of the ship's officers and crew." (http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-m/bb11-k.htm)

I was only able to find one small article in the Los Angeles times from April 14, 1904 on the accident. Can you imagine the media coverage an accident like this would get today?

Also on the headstone are the names of several of his family members:

Patrick H. July 19, 1926 (Father)
Helen F. May 30, 1946 (Mother)
Alexander M. Dec. 24, 1953 (Brother)
Mary A. August 10, 1983 (Sister)
M. Emmett August 22, 1954 (Brother)
Florence M. September 17, 1972 (Sister in Law; Michael Emmett's wife)
John P. July 13, 1981 (?)