Dr. William Edward Minahan was a native of Chilton, Calumet county, Wisconsin, where he was raised on a farm. He was educated in the public schools and the Oshkosh Normal. Taking the customary courses at Rush Medical College (Chicago), he graduated in 1891 and after practicing at Calumetville as the successor to his brother until 1899, he came to Fond du Lac and soon built up a large and remunerative practice.
He was talented. energetic and full of the spirit of enterprise and progressiveness, so that he became one of the men of prominence and influence of the city.
Having earned a much-needed rest he planned a European tour for the summer of 1912 and with his wife, took passage on the ill-starred Titanic in April for his return home.
The vessel. the largest of its kind in existence, was on its maiden trip, and running into an iceberg near the Newfoundland coast, about eleven o'clock at night, stove in her steel-plated sides and before adequate help was at hand, sank to the bottom of the deep. carrying with her about 1,500 souls. among whom was Dr. Minahan.
His wife and other women of his party were among the several hundred saved by the timely arrival of the Carpathia.
The untimely and awful death of Dr. Minahan cast a gloom upon the whole community.
He was both popular as a physician and citizen and his loss was keenly felt by all.
Faith in the nobility of man is renewed when such heroic figures as Dr. William Edward Minahan meet death calmly, quietly and without fear, a man who had himself so often staid the hand of death as it reached out to others. His character was as clear as the sunlight. No man came to know him but appreciated him at his true worth, recognizing the fact that he not only cherished a high ideal of duty but lived up to it. He constantly labored for the right and in the avenue of his profession devoted a large portion of his time to the service of others. He was not an idle sentimentalist but a worker and, recognizing the field in which he might render efficient aid to his fellowmen, he labored therein. A man of high professional attainments and of high character, his loss is felt wherever he was known and most of all where he was best known.
A native of Chilton, Calumet county, Wisconsin, he there spent his youthful days in the home of his parents, William B. and Mary (Shanasy) Minahan, both of whom were natives of Ireland and became early settlers of Calumet county. Upon their removal from the New England states in the early ’40s they located first in the town of Russell, Sheboygan county, but removed to Chilton before the Civil war. The father engaged in both farming and teaching and became one of the best-known and most highly esteemed residents of Calumet county. He was a man of exceptional education and culture and aside from his work as an instructor was for many years county superintendent of schools. He reared a large family of children, who enjoyed excellent educational advantages and who became a credit to their parents.
Mrs. Willam B. Minahan died about eight years ago, survived for two years by her husband. In the family were six sons and four daughters, the brothers of Dr. Minahan being: Robert, a surgeon of Green Bay; John R., also engaged in the practice of surgery there; Victor I. an attorney of Green Bay; Hugh, living in San Francisco, California; and James, deceased. The daughters of the family are: Ella, living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Mary, the wife of John McCormick, of Green Bay; Grace, the wife of Dean Philleo, of Grand Rapids; and Daisy, of Green Bay.
At the usual age, Dr. Minahan entered the public schools of his native town, wherein he pursued his education until graduated from high school. He was also for a time a student in the normal school at Oshkosh but in the meantime had entered the newspaper field, working for some time as a printer and in other capacities on the Chilton Times, one of the oldest papers of the state. His normal course was pursued with a thought of taking up the teacher’s profession but serious consideration of the subject of a life work led to his adoption of the medical profession and with this end in view he entered Rush Medical College of Chicago, from which he was graduated with high honors in the class of 1891. He then located for practice in Calumetville, succeeding to the practice of his brother, Dr. R. E. Minahan, who had removed to Green Bay. He came to Fond du Lac in 1899. His practice here was large and of an important character and it was characteristic of Dr. Minahan that he would respond as readily to the call of one from whom he could expect no pecuniary reward as to those who were. well able to pay him a large fee. It was well known that he did a great amount of charity practice. He was particularly skilful in surgery and specialized in that field. His time was largely concentrated upon his professional duties and his careful preparation for the responsibilities of his chosen life work. He did not consider his duties ended with his graduation from college but carried his researches and investigations far and wide into the realms of the medical science, gleaning therefrom many valuable truths directly bearing upon the laws of health. He also kept in touch with the advanced work of the profession through his membership in the county and state medical societies. He was also a member of the Business Men's Association of Fond du Lac but otherwise held aloof from membership connections, preferring to give his undivided thought and attention to his home and to his professional duties.
On the 3rd of February, 1903, in Arkansas City, Kansas, Dr. Minahan was married to Miss Lillian Thorpe, a daughter of S. and Frances Thorpe, of that city. Early in the year 1912 Dr. Minahan went abroad, accompanied by his wife and his sister Daisy. At various places along the line of their travel he sent a friendly greeting to the many friends remaining at home and spoke with eager anticipations of his return, to which he looked forward with equal pleasure. Fate interposed, however, for passage was engaged on the steamship Titanic and Dr. Minahan was numbered among the dead of the greatest marine disaster in history. His wife and sister were among those placed in the lifeboats, while Dr. Minahan remained with that heroic band of men that calmly and courageously faced death. Such an act on his part was characteristic of his entire life and when the crisis came he was ready for the emergency. One of the local papers said at the time of the awful disaster: “Those who knew him best are confident that even if Dr. Minahan had been given the opportunity to escape in the lifeboats from the Titanic he would have preferred to remain on the liner himself rather than take the place of someone else who might be saved. It is easy to picture him walking about among the frenzied people who were facing their doom as the giant liner sank lower and lower, striving to give the same aid and comfort that characterized his work here.
The loss caused by his demise is one which cannot be estimated, for during his many years of residence here his worth to the community was far greater than the monetary returns he received for the service his efficiency as a physician and surgeon enabled him to give. There are hundreds of homes in this vicinity where he has brought comfort and relief to sufferers without any thought on his part of financial gain.” His fellow practitioners spoke of him in terms of highest regard. One said: “Dr. Minahan was an untiring student, a clever diagnostician, a kind physician and a wonderfully pleasing man socially.” Another said: “As a physician and surgeon he attained a high degree of efficiency and as a citizen he was a credit to the city.” “Dr. Minahan was an able physician,” said another. “His cheerful disposition won him friends and his manner inspired confidence.” Another’s voiced sentiment was: “In the death of Dr. Minahan the community loses one of its truly great men. As a citizen he stood for all that was best; and as a physician he was eminent. His loss is felt by all who knew the man, but it is upon his former patients that the blow falls most severely. To them, in the hour of sickness, his coming was like a ray of sunshine, due to a personality which was a strong attribute of the man.” His friends will miss him but his life, strong and purposeful, characterized by noble thoughts, and his manner, by sincerity and simplicity, will not be forgotten. He reached the supreme point of greatness in the hour of his death but the beauty of his better self lives on.
