The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-02
CASEY IS
lEAD;POPUl
LOCAL SINGER
-. u Ctr, Generous ID GIT u
c,I1sa vslcA, Answer DeatA
summons.

-. Mae Richards Casey, who
1000 thousands OF people with
- vonderful rich contralto voice.
~ Tho sang at hundreds Of local
.,s died at 10 o'clock Sunday
s,",rr in st. Anthony's hospital.
80 lad been confined to the hos
~ ~, several weeks, the result OF
= operation which she underwent
- November. 60
n mantle her illness last Novem-
=. Mrs. Casey continued to sing.
n. appeared before group at st.
az s.shony's hospital Thanksgiving
49, only two days before her OPP
s.stion and since had sung at run
al, and wedding and more recent
!. vas on a program at the Eiks
.,.h Her last illness was a re-
s 1rr.nce of the affliction which two
80. ago necessitated an opera
Nm similar to that five months ago.
v,s Casey had a wonderfully nat
sral voice. She was paid high
.,,hute by singers who applauded
~ AZ an excellent ballad singer.
MS CASEY devoted much OF ne:
.crk 10 the simple hymns and bal
,.ds Her favorite ones were
Teach Me To Pray" and my Faith
:. Thee. In paying tribute to her
many said that the greatest OF art
;.ts have never brought into a COM
mnnity the wealth, warmth and
simplicity Of voice that Mrs. Casey
did. pat r,
lard on May 10. 1871, the daughter
n Mr. and Mrs. Henry Richards
,ioneer residents OF Rock Island.
She was educated in the grammar
schools of this city and later in st.
Ioseph's parochial school, She had
never had a chance to cultivate her
voice, but while singing in the pa
rochial school was discovered by
mean Thomas Mackin of st. JOS
ept's rectory and was made mem.
bar OF the church choir. She had
been a member Of the choir for owe!
20 Years. She has appeared before
schools, lodges, clubs and institu'
tons on various occasions, was
called upon at patriotic programs
al the homecoming Of Rock island
soldiers. sang before the Chicago
Press Club, ard was soloist at thu
Harper house for many years. IL
late years she had been with thu
Edison Photograph company, sing
INK with the monograph in demon
STATIONS.
She was married to Thomas Case.
Of South Bend, Ind, in Rock Island
April II, 1894. Surviving are tn
husband, a foster baby daughter
and a brother. William Richards
all of Rock Island.
Mrs. Casey was a member OF tn
Royal Neighbors, was active in tn
music department Of the Rock Is
land Woman's club, and was mem
Der of the Altar society of st. Jos
uph's church.
Funeral Wednesday.
Funeral services will be held a
$50 o'clock Wednesday mornin
at the home, 101S Fourteenth-and
a-half street, and at 9 o'clock at 81
Jeseph's church with Father P. H
Durkin officiating. Burial will b
in Calvary cemetery.
Mrs. T. B. Reidy, who has been /
concert with Mrs. Casey many year
In tribute to her, said.
Mrs. Casey was as we'll know
as any woman in this communit!
She was endowed with a rich cor
tralto voice, filled with tenderness
and pathos and with her simpl
hymns and ballads cheered tn
\ hearts Of thousands of bereaved q
funerals, or the young couple {
the altar. at patriotic celebration
and at clubs and lodges, irrespet
tive of creed and color. Her voic
was natural and unframed, yet
was filled with that tenderness thu
touched the hearts Of everyone"