Anna Downey Donahue was born to Denis Downey and Bridget Gately in County Roscommon, in central Ireland. Annie was the sister of the Governor of California, John Gately Downey 1860-1862 and the husband of San Francisco industrialist Peter Donahue. When her brother was governor, Miss Annie Downey served as a charming hostess for social affairs at the state capitol.
In 1864 San Francisco, Annie married the prominent and wealthy Peter Donahue, who was the founder of Union Iron Works, later Bethlehem Steel, and San Francisco Gas Works, later PG&E, among other pioneering enterprises. In the San Francisco Call newspaper, Annie is described as "a lady of cultivation who appreciated Peter Donahue's manly worth."
Annie helped raise Peter's daughter and son, Mary Ellen born in 1855, and James Mervyn born in 1859, from Peter's previous marriage to Mary Jane Maguire, who died in November of 1861.
Annie died at age 60, a widow and a very prominent woman in San Francisco society, leaving a vast estate – much of it given to charity. The newspaper estimated Annie Donahue's probate to be worth five million dollars.
Her funeral from St. Mary's Cathedral was attended by the rich and famous as reported in the San Francisco Call. The funeral cortege was lead by the honorary pallbearers, Judge William T. Wallace, Judge William W. Morrow, John M. Burnett, Mayor-elect James D. Phelan, Irving M. Scott, Claus Spreckels, General Patrick W. Murphy, R. E. Doyle, Judge Joseph D. McKenna, Oliver P. Evans. A. H. Loughborough and Joseph B. Crockett.
"The casket, covered with violets and a spray of pink blossoms, was followed to the bier in front of the altar by Mrs. Eleanor Martin, sister of the deceased and chief mourner, and members of her family and relatives of the late Peter Donahue."
Annie was interred in San Francisco's Mount Calvary Cemetery in a large Donahue family mausoleum and later moved to Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma in August of 1940 by order of Annie's nephew, Mr. Walter Martin of San Francisco. She is now interred in the Calvary Section, Dorm E, Station 2, Area 3, Grave 1/2.
Anna's brother, Governor John Downey spent most of his adult life financing and organizing a community near Los Angeles that was later named the City of Downey in his honor. Anna Downey Donahue's name is memorialized in Downey's neighboring city of Anaheim. The German leaders who developed the community were close friends of Governor Downey and his family. In deference, they named their community Anaheim — German for Anna's Home.
(Bio, Allen Rountree, Sunnyvale Historical Society)
In 1864 San Francisco, Annie married the prominent and wealthy Peter Donahue, who was the founder of Union Iron Works, later Bethlehem Steel, and San Francisco Gas Works, later PG&E, among other pioneering enterprises. In the San Francisco Call newspaper, Annie is described as "a lady of cultivation who appreciated Peter Donahue's manly worth."
Annie helped raise Peter's daughter and son, Mary Ellen born in 1855, and James Mervyn born in 1859, from Peter's previous marriage to Mary Jane Maguire, who died in November of 1861.
Annie died at age 60, a widow and a very prominent woman in San Francisco society, leaving a vast estate – much of it given to charity. The newspaper estimated Annie Donahue's probate to be worth five million dollars.
Her funeral from St. Mary's Cathedral was attended by the rich and famous as reported in the San Francisco Call. The funeral cortege was lead by the honorary pallbearers, Judge William T. Wallace, Judge William W. Morrow, John M. Burnett, Mayor-elect James D. Phelan, Irving M. Scott, Claus Spreckels, General Patrick W. Murphy, R. E. Doyle, Judge Joseph D. McKenna, Oliver P. Evans. A. H. Loughborough and Joseph B. Crockett.
"The casket, covered with violets and a spray of pink blossoms, was followed to the bier in front of the altar by Mrs. Eleanor Martin, sister of the deceased and chief mourner, and members of her family and relatives of the late Peter Donahue."
Annie was interred in San Francisco's Mount Calvary Cemetery in a large Donahue family mausoleum and later moved to Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma in August of 1940 by order of Annie's nephew, Mr. Walter Martin of San Francisco. She is now interred in the Calvary Section, Dorm E, Station 2, Area 3, Grave 1/2.
Anna's brother, Governor John Downey spent most of his adult life financing and organizing a community near Los Angeles that was later named the City of Downey in his honor. Anna Downey Donahue's name is memorialized in Downey's neighboring city of Anaheim. The German leaders who developed the community were close friends of Governor Downey and his family. In deference, they named their community Anaheim — German for Anna's Home.
(Bio, Allen Rountree, Sunnyvale Historical Society)
Anna Downey Donahue was born to Denis Downey and Bridget Gately in County Roscommon, in central Ireland. Annie was the sister of the Governor of California, John Gately Downey 1860-1862 and the husband of San Francisco industrialist Peter Donahue. When her brother was governor, Miss Annie Downey served as a charming hostess for social affairs at the state capitol.
In 1864 San Francisco, Annie married the prominent and wealthy Peter Donahue, who was the founder of Union Iron Works, later Bethlehem Steel, and San Francisco Gas Works, later PG&E, among other pioneering enterprises. In the San Francisco Call newspaper, Annie is described as "a lady of cultivation who appreciated Peter Donahue's manly worth."
Annie helped raise Peter's daughter and son, Mary Ellen born in 1855, and James Mervyn born in 1859, from Peter's previous marriage to Mary Jane Maguire, who died in November of 1861.
Annie died at age 60, a widow and a very prominent woman in San Francisco society, leaving a vast estate – much of it given to charity. The newspaper estimated Annie Donahue's probate to be worth five million dollars.
Her funeral from St. Mary's Cathedral was attended by the rich and famous as reported in the San Francisco Call. The funeral cortege was lead by the honorary pallbearers, Judge William T. Wallace, Judge William W. Morrow, John M. Burnett, Mayor-elect James D. Phelan, Irving M. Scott, Claus Spreckels, General Patrick W. Murphy, R. E. Doyle, Judge Joseph D. McKenna, Oliver P. Evans. A. H. Loughborough and Joseph B. Crockett.
"The casket, covered with violets and a spray of pink blossoms, was followed to the bier in front of the altar by Mrs. Eleanor Martin, sister of the deceased and chief mourner, and members of her family and relatives of the late Peter Donahue."
Annie was interred in San Francisco's Mount Calvary Cemetery in a large Donahue family mausoleum and later moved to Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma in August of 1940 by order of Annie's nephew, Mr. Walter Martin of San Francisco. She is now interred in the Calvary Section, Dorm E, Station 2, Area 3, Grave 1/2.
Anna's brother, Governor John Downey spent most of his adult life financing and organizing a community near Los Angeles that was later named the City of Downey in his honor. Anna Downey Donahue's name is memorialized in Downey's neighboring city of Anaheim. The German leaders who developed the community were close friends of Governor Downey and his family. In deference, they named their community Anaheim — German for Anna's Home.
(Bio, Allen Rountree, Sunnyvale Historical Society)
In 1864 San Francisco, Annie married the prominent and wealthy Peter Donahue, who was the founder of Union Iron Works, later Bethlehem Steel, and San Francisco Gas Works, later PG&E, among other pioneering enterprises. In the San Francisco Call newspaper, Annie is described as "a lady of cultivation who appreciated Peter Donahue's manly worth."
Annie helped raise Peter's daughter and son, Mary Ellen born in 1855, and James Mervyn born in 1859, from Peter's previous marriage to Mary Jane Maguire, who died in November of 1861.
Annie died at age 60, a widow and a very prominent woman in San Francisco society, leaving a vast estate – much of it given to charity. The newspaper estimated Annie Donahue's probate to be worth five million dollars.
Her funeral from St. Mary's Cathedral was attended by the rich and famous as reported in the San Francisco Call. The funeral cortege was lead by the honorary pallbearers, Judge William T. Wallace, Judge William W. Morrow, John M. Burnett, Mayor-elect James D. Phelan, Irving M. Scott, Claus Spreckels, General Patrick W. Murphy, R. E. Doyle, Judge Joseph D. McKenna, Oliver P. Evans. A. H. Loughborough and Joseph B. Crockett.
"The casket, covered with violets and a spray of pink blossoms, was followed to the bier in front of the altar by Mrs. Eleanor Martin, sister of the deceased and chief mourner, and members of her family and relatives of the late Peter Donahue."
Annie was interred in San Francisco's Mount Calvary Cemetery in a large Donahue family mausoleum and later moved to Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma in August of 1940 by order of Annie's nephew, Mr. Walter Martin of San Francisco. She is now interred in the Calvary Section, Dorm E, Station 2, Area 3, Grave 1/2.
Anna's brother, Governor John Downey spent most of his adult life financing and organizing a community near Los Angeles that was later named the City of Downey in his honor. Anna Downey Donahue's name is memorialized in Downey's neighboring city of Anaheim. The German leaders who developed the community were close friends of Governor Downey and his family. In deference, they named their community Anaheim — German for Anna's Home.
(Bio, Allen Rountree, Sunnyvale Historical Society)
Gravesite Details
Interred here 16 August 1940.
