Ironton, Ohio Tuesday December , 1947

Monsignor J.H. Cotter Dies
St. Lawrence Pastor was 91
Death Came This Morning to City’s
Most Illustrious Writer, Orator
Submitted by Barbara Madden

Ironton lost its most illustrious citizen today, St. Lawrence O’Toole Catholic church , at Sixth and Center streets lost a beloved and loving pastor and the diocese of Steubenvile saw death take its most aged, and best known active priest. The sands of life ran their course at 9:15 a.m. for the Rt. Rev. Monsignor James H. Cotter, LL.d., Litt. D.A. a man who for years was Ironton’s leading citizen in the lecturing and writing world closed his eyes in eternal sleep following a serious illness of several weeks.

Dr. James H. Cotter is dead but memory of him will linger in the memory of several generations, for he was known in every walk of life in Ironton. His name, his love were in every Catholic home and in many Protestant homes. Even though it had been realized for several days that this beloved citizen was near death’s door, hope prevailed that he would, as on previous occasions, rally and call upon the strength of a great heart to pull him through the crisis. A human constitution can stand just so
much, life here is not eternal and the body of Monsignor Cotter finally yielded to death today.

Oldest Pastor
Dr. Cotter was probably the oldest active Catholic pastor in the state of Ohio. He was in his ninety first year and continued “in harness” up until three weeks ago. He had been pastor of St. Lawrence church for 58 consecutive years and had served in the priesthood 66 years. His interests were in his faith, in his fellow man. His wisdom, his insight into the problems of life, were carried to his followers by mouth and by the printed word.

The bells tolled at St. Lawrence today. And the message they carried into Ironton homes was one of sorrow. Monsignor J.H. Cotter was born in County Tipperary, Ireland on August 19, 1857, son of George and Sarah Delhanty Cotter, representatives of staunch old families of the Emerald Isle. The spirit of Ireland was in his blood, in his gifted tongue and brilliant mind and love for his native land was second only to his great love for America. His parents passed into eternal life 1n 1896 after they had established their home in Ironton in 1893 and after their evening of life had been brightened by the devotion, intellectual promise and ability of their beloved son.

Dr. Cotter was fifteen years old when his family came to America. He secured his early education in parochial schools in New York state, pursued his academic studies in Manhattan college, New York City, and was graduated from there in 1877 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He later received the degree of Master of Arts from his alma mater and the institution further honored him in 1906 by conferring upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. The same degree was also accorded him by Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary, Maryland in the year 1908.

Throughout his life Dr. Cotter was noted for his devotion to literature and for his assiduous cultivation of good style to prose and verse. (rest of article lost)