Jere Egan, retired Plush rancher and community and church benefactor, is shown knelling to receive the Papal Medal, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, from the most Reverend Francis P. Leipzig, Bishop of the Baker Diocess, on February 11, 1963. Lake County Examiner Photo.

   Lake County lost one of its most distinguish citizens on Saturday, August 15, 1970, when Jeremiah Patrick Egan died here at 90 years of age. He was the possessor of one of the Catholic Church's rarest honors, the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, which was bestowed on him in 1963 by Pope John XX111 and presented by the Most Reverend Francis P. leipzig, bishop of the baker Diocese.
   The recitation of the Holy Rosary for the retired Plush rancher was at 8 p.m. Monday, August 17, at the Ousley Osterman Chapel. Father John Phelan said the Requiem mass at St. Patrick's Catholic Church at 10 a.m. on tuesday, August 18, and interment was at the Odd Fellows Cemetery.
   Mr. Egan was born at Banane, Meelin, county Cork, Ireland, on march 20, 1880, the eighth of ten children of Patrick and Johanna Murphy Egan. He attended the public schools there, but at 13 his education ended and he helped his parents on their farm. Later he brought a farm of his own, but nearing 30 he yearned to go to a place many Irishmen were talking about, Lakeview Oregon USa. On his 30th birthday, ,March 20, 1910, he boarded a ship for America and came directly to Lake County.
   For two years he herded sheep for ranchers, then acquired a small band of his own, starting the climb if the economic ladder. He later was to own a large ranch at Plush, which he sold on retirement in 1958.
   On November 5, 1914, he was married to his childhood sweetheart, Hanna Marie Mahoney, who came here from Boston. A son, Patrick anthony, was born to them on June 16, 1916. Tragedy struck twice in 1918, first in May when the son died, and then in September when his wife was expecting their second child, died in a car accident.
   Mr. Egan was a civic spirited man who was active in public affair; he was a man who loved the church and little children. Among his benefactors were these.
   He Helped a number of young people through college; he often sent the Plush school children to Lakeview with their teachers, for a meal and a movie; he served on the Plush school board 14 years; he built a park for the Plush children, fenced it, drilled a well, installed a pump and irrigation system, plated shrubs and grass and secured from the county court a agreement to maintain the park after he was gone; he helped with the cost of building the St. Patrick's Parish hall in L:akeview and the Catholic Church at Plush; in Lakeview he bought a residence adjacent to the parish hall and gave this to the church for a convent.
   In January, 1963, Bishop Leipzig announced from Baker that Pope John XX111, to reward Mr. Egan for his benefactions, had bestowed the Pepal medal, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For Church and Pope). This decoration had been established in 1888 as a memorial of the Golden Sacerdotal Jubilee of Pope Leo x111, who bestowed in upon men and women who helped in making the Jubilee successful. Succeeding Popes have continued the medal, giving it for outstanding services to Church and Pope.
   Bishop Leipzig presented the medal to Mr. Egan at St. Patrick's Church on February 11, 1963 at a special Mass conducted by Pastor, Father John Phelan. The Church was filled to capacity that evening, and there followed a banquet at St. Patrick's Parish Hall which overflowed with 325 friends of Mr. Egan including priests and others who traveled many miles.
    As Mr. Egan has helped many people through the years, he wanted his friends to know that he too had been helped when the going was rough. At that tangent, he specifically gave credit to five: Dick Wilcox, Fred Reynolds, Cleve Snider, Mabel Ross and L. F. Conn "without whose help I would not be here now.
   Mr. Egan is survived by a number of nieces and nephews. He was an honorary life member of the knights of Columbus and member of the Lake view Elks Lodge.
   Mr. egan is survived by one foster son, Delbert Caswell of Lakeview: six nephews, James K. Egan of Edmonds Washington, Con Peter Curtin of Melin, County Cork Ireland, Paddy Egan of Dublin, Eire, and Paddy Curtain, Newyork City, six nieces, Mrs. R, Huggard and Mrs. Harnett of Dublin, Eire; Sister Immaculata of Tralee, County Kerry, Eire, Sister petronella of Flourtown, Penn, Mrs. O'connel of County Galway, Ireland, and Mrs. Nora Sheehy, County Limerick. Ireland.
   Honorary pallbearers were Henry O'Keeffe, Raymond Morris, John F. O'Leary, Dan Collins, Mike Deely, P. B. Murphy, Dave Murphy and Kenneth Cogburn, Active pallbear were Don Fitzgerald, Con Lynch, William Laird, Denis T. Murphy, Tom J. Flynn and T. R. Conn.