adel Oregon O'Keeffes Irish Sheepherders of Lake County Oregon

John J. O'Keeffe, well known and hightly respected sheepman of the Adel community, died Monday evening at his sheep camp in that vicinity. Death was atributed to stomach hemmorage, according to a diagnois of the case by Dr. Chas Leathead. Bill Aikens and James Fitzagerald were with him at the time, and when the attack came Fitzgerald went back to the home for help, but Mr. O'Keeffe passed away before he retuned to camp. Deceased was born May 29, 1889 at Newmarket, County of Cork, Ireland. He came to America, in company with his brother Bill and Tom Sullivan of Lakeview , on March 10, 1907. A few weeks later he came to Lakeview and for a number of years worked for the Parman brothers, formed partnership with them later operated with his brothers, and then purchased a ranch at Adel.In 1921 he returned to Ireland, where he and Nora Fitzpatrick were married. They returned to this country, and in 1938 the family made a visit back to the land of thir birth. At one time there were 11 of the O'Keefe brothers in Lake county, most of whom have returned to Ireland.Survivors are his wife, three daughters, Sadie and Noreene, of Adel, and Marie, Ireland; and one son, Henry of Adel. He is also survived by his mother and two sisters in Ireland, several brothers in Ireland, and twoborthers , Dan and Tom, of Malin and Merrill.Funeral services will be held tomorrow at St Patrick's church at 10 a.m. requiem mass, and interment will be in Sunset Park cemetery.

Henry John O’Keeffe

Henry John O'Keeffe, 80, Life-long rancher,
Died Sept. 15, 2001, at his Adel home.

Rosary services will be held at 7:30 p.m. today and mass of Christian burial at 11 a.m. Wednesday in St. Patrick's Catholic Church with Fathers Ray Hopp, John Cloherty and Austin Cribbin as the celebrants. Interment will follow in the family plot at Sunset Cemetery in Lakeview. A reception and luncheon will follow at the Lakeview Elks Lodge. Ousley Osterman Huffstutter Funeral Chapel, Lakeview, is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. O'Keeffe was born April 10, 1921, in Lakeview.
He was educated in Adel; County Cork, Ireland; Lakeview and Los Angeles.
He married Theresa Manning on Sept. 8, 1955, in Redmond and they made their home on the O'Keeffe Ranch in Warner Valley.
Mr. O'Keeffe initially raised sheep and switched to cattle in the early 1960s. He had a special interest in irrigation and, in his later years, enjoyed operating the swather during haying.

He also enjoyed reading, especially about history.
Mr. O'Keeffe was a life-long member of the Elks Lodge and Knights of Columbus.
Survivors include his wife, Theresa O'Keeffe of Adel; sons and daughters-in-law, John and Jane O'Keeffe of Adel and Con and Mary O'Keeffe of Portland; daughters and sons-in-law, Margaret and Kirk Dorsett of Chico, Calif., Nora and Bob Stangel of Enterprise, Barbara and Lyle Dawson of Red Bluff, Calif., and Maureen and Ken Rosetti of Portland; grandchildren, Katelyn, Maureen and Alex Dorsett, Henry, Patrick, Daniel and Virginia O'Keeffe, and Theresa, Joscely, Marta and Paul Stangel; sister and brother-in-law, Bob and Norene Alger of Lakeview.
He was Preceded in death by sisters Marie Holland and Sara Jenene Schadler

Con J. O'Keeffe
Author: Sherrain Glenn
Date: 26 Aug 2000Surnames:
O'KEEFFE
ObituarySchminck Memorial Museum Archives
Obit Book C page 27Con
J. O'Keeffe funeral held tuesday morningRequiem high mass was held for Con J. O'Keeffe, Adel rancher, at St Patricks Catholic Church Tuesday morning, November 15, 1949 at 10 o'clock. Father F.L. Geis, pastor of the church, officated with Father O'Connor of Merrill and Father Phalen of Chilopqin assisting. Graveside servivce were conducted by the Lake County Post No 53 American Legion. On Monday evening at 7:30 Rosary was read by Father Geis at the Ousley Osterman chapel.Mr. O'Keeffe died suddenly Friday evening, November 11, 1949 when a half track in which he was riding went over a bank in Hammersley canyon. With his nephew, Henry O'Keeffe of Adel and George Bowers of Lakeview he had been moving some of O'Keeffe sheep from that area.Henry O'Keeffe and Bowers, both injured in the accident, walded for about six miles to get help.Mr. O'Keeffe was born June 29, 1892 at Newmarket, Ireland and was 57 years of age. He came to Lake County from Ireland in 1910 and was engaged in the livestock industry here and in Klamath County since that time. He was associated with his brother, John O'Keeffe until the laters death May 30. 1943, and since that time he has been associated in stock raising with memberrs of John O'Keeffe's family.Mr. O'Keeffe was a member of Lake County Post No 53, American Legion, having been a veteran of WWI. He enlisted in the Army October 2, 1917 and was discharged in 1919, after serving in the St. Mehiel, Crateau Thierry and Muese Argonne operations.

In addition to relatives in Warner Valley and Lakeview, Mr. O'Keeffe is survived by three brothers in this country, Dan and Tom O'Keeffe of Merrill and Humphery O'Keeffe of Sacramento, by four borthers and two sisters in Ireland.