Plumas County Obituaries

Joshua Brown McShane

Submitted by Brad Sharpe

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit 
or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations 
desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain 
the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of 
the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to 
their own work.

Weekly Mercury ( Oroville) � 4/06/1883, Pg. 4 

There died at Quincy, Plumas county, on the 27th ultimo another pioneer 
--- Joshua Brown McShane, of whom the National gives the following account: 
�Mr. McShane was a native of Pennsylvania, but went to Wisconsin in very 
early times, and was interested in the lead mines there when almost a boy. 
He came to California in 1851 and almost immediately took up his residence 
at Rich Bar, on the East Branch, where he has lived ever since, following 
the occupation of a butcher, and always interested in the mines. He was the 
oldest living Odd Fellow in California, having been initiated in 1838, in 
Wisconsin, by Thomas Wildey, the father of the Order in the United States. 
His funeral was conducted by Plumas Lodge, No. 88, I. O. O. F. , of which 
he was an honored and respected member. The beautiful ceremonies in the 
Lodge-room were followed by a very eloquent address by Hon. W. W. Kellogg, 
and the members of the Lodge, in procession, escorted the remains to the 
grave in the Odd Fellows lot in the Cemetery where the closing rites were 
performed. The choir, composed of several ladies and gentlemen, rendered 
some beautiful selections, appropriate to the solemn occasion. Father 
McShane had but few relatives, but his friends were numbered by hundreds, 
and many a rough old miner will drop a tear to his memory, for he was a 
true friend and brother, and an honest and honorable man. He was about 76 
years of age.