Aloysius Cletus Alphonsas "Doc" Dargan was born April 26, 1888 in Jamestown, Howard County, Iowa to John Edward Dargan and Mary Ann Conlin. He was the 9th of their eleven children. His siblings were: Thomas John (1869-1948); Elizabeth Ann (1870-1964); Frances R. (1873-1960); Nell Ellen (1875-1961); Gertrude Mary (1878-1962); Agnes Josephine (1880-1954); James Bernard (1882-1963); Mary (1892-1985); and Bernard William ( after 1900-after 1900).
Aloysius grew up on a farm that sat on the border of Mitchell and Howard Counties, very near Riceville, Mitchell, Iowa. In the 1895 Iowa census he is age 6 living at home in Jamestown. In the 1900 census he is age 12 living at home in Jamestown. In the 1910 census he is age 21 living in Seattle with his two older sisters, Gertrude and Agnes.
In 1904, Aloysius moved west to settle in Seattle, King, Washington and learned the electrician trade. Two of his sisters, Gertrude Dargan (Mrs. Thomas Andrew O'Gorman) and Agnes Dargan, who never married, also moved to Seattle. Agnes has a lengthy obit on the Find A Grave site at the Holyrood Catholic Cemetery in Shoreline, WA.
Aloysius married El Leva Schwehm on November 3, 1910 at Seattle, Washington. The couple had two children: Bertha M. (born November 22, 1911 in Seattle) and Jacob Earl (born August 26, 1914 in Seattle, died May 20, 1991 in Federal Way, King, WA). The family can be found in the 1920, 1930 and 1940 census living in Seattle.
(News article) "Golden Wedding Fete Set by A. C. Dargans" - Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Dargan - Seattle Wedding 50 years ago - The Dargans in 1960 - Observing Happy Half Century:
Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Dargan will celebrate the golden anniversary of their wedding with a family get together Sunday in Burien. They were married in Seattle on Nov. 3, 1910. Dargan 72, was born on a farm near Riceville, IA. He came to Seattle in 1904. He has been an electrician all his adult life. He is a maintenance electrician for Providence Hospital and is known to his many friends as "Doc". Mrs. Dargan, 71 is a native Seattleite. Her family home was at what now is Westlake Ave and Denny Way. The Dargans have two children, Mrs. Bertha Bruingon and Jake Dargan, both living in Seattle, and five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Aloysius died February 1, 1972 in Seattle and is resting at the Riverton Crest Cemetery there. A photo of his grave can be found at Find A Grave, # 86940365.
Submitted by Deidre Badker, August 2012
