Hugh O’Kane goes back to his roots whenever he visits the cemetery at St. Rose of Lima near Kenyon. After his death, he will be buried there next to his late wife, Monica. The hat he wears symbolizes his military service in the 1950s. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

(Almost) reaching the century mark

Hugh O’Kane surrounded himself with family and friends for his 100th birthday party Aug. 30 at St. Rose of Lima south of St. Paul near Kenyon in August. COVID-19 restrictions did not deter this lifelong Catholic, who recently formed a group for elderly men called Old Goats after hearing about their loneliness and lack of fellowship with other men their age.

The gathering a day after his birthday for a tour of the historic church of his upbringing, followed by a party nearby at his family farm, was robust. And, by O’Kane’s estimation, a good time was had by all.

Here’s a humorous twist: O’Kane did not turn 100 this year. That mark won’t be reached for another decade. At first, he resisted having a party at all. Then, he thought it would be fun to inject some humor by turning it into a triple-digit celebration. People followed his lead and played along.

“That was my idea,” O’Kane said about making it a 100th birthday party instead of 90th. “I’m Irish. There’s a lot more (birthday) presents when you reach 100 than when you reach 90. And so, for the Irish: better to be safe than sorry. So, celebrate the 100th now. It’s just a bunch of blarney.”

Amid the fun, there was one awkward moment. “Two people gave me hundred-dollar bills,” he said. “I still don’t know how to handle that.”

For O’Kane and the estimated 100 guests that day, the party was a chance to stir memories of the historic church. It was completed in 1878 with lots of help from O’Kane families living nearby, who supplied all the limestone used for the building’s exterior. Hugh O’Kane, who now lives in the Twin Cities and belongs to St. Joseph in West St. Paul, tries to get down to the area, called Cherry Grove Township, about every two months. He stops at the church, which closed in 1961, and then visits his 80-acre farm just a few miles away.

His final resting place will be at St. Rose, in the church cemetery located adjacent to the church. The O’Kane name can be found on many tombstones, and Hugh will someday take his place beside his wife, Monica, who died in 2011 and is buried there. Ancestors and relatives buried at this cemetery go back at least three generations, and Hugh either has met them or knows their stories.

For him, childhood memories are a mixture of farm chores and church events, including Sunday Masses which Hugh, second youngest of eight, attended with his siblings and parents, John and Theresa, and later became an altar server.

“My dad rang the bell to start the Mass, and he picked up the collection (during the offertory), and he was a trustee,” O’Kane said. “My dad would always have to come and start the furnace (during the winter) on Saturday afternoon to have heat on Sunday morning. And, I’d come up many times with him on Saturdays to start the furnace.”

During the summer months, there was lawn mowing to do. Hugh’s dad took it on, later passing down the job to all of the O’Kane boys, including Hugh.

The O’Kane name has been a big part of the church’s history, with the limestone coming from the farm of Thomas O’Kane, Hugh’s uncle. Another relative, Samuel Tunks, was a stonemason who laid the stone blocks for the church along with other men of the parish.

The details of the church construction, as well as stories, letters and photos going all the way up to the present, are contained in a book called “St. Rose of Lima: Celebrating 140 years.” The parish was formed in 1878, and photos of many pastors throughout that time can be found in the book. Photos of Hugh also made the pages of the book, along with some of his reflections. Though the church is closed, events such as weddings still take place there, with photos in the book of nuptials as recent as 2014.

St. Rose of Lima church was built with limestone coming from the farm of Hugh O’Kane’s uncle. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

After a childhood on the farm that he called “absolutely fantastic,” Hugh left the rural community after graduating from high school in 1948 and moved to St. Paul. He and Monica married in 1954 at St. Matthew in St. Paul, and raised eight children. Seven currently live in the Twin Cities, and Hugh lives with one of them today.

People might think that, having such strong roots in Cherry Grove, O’Kane would be somewhat of a homebody. But they would be wrong. He is, in fact, just the opposite. He owns land in rural South Dakota, and makes the four-hour trip there regularly. He also has, on a whim, decided to take longer drives and even flights to other countries. Sometimes, his children have a hard time keeping track of his whereabouts.

“He doesn’t let any grass grow under his feet, that’s for sure,” said his son, Joe O’Kane, the third youngest. “I’m a bachelor, just like him. So, I get the calls when he wants to travel.”

Such a call came a year ago when Hugh got an itch to travel to the country of his ancestry.

“He called me and said, ‘What are you doing?’” Joe recalled. “I said, ‘Well, I’m working. What are you doing?’ He said, ‘I’m going to go to Ireland next week. Do you want to go?’ I said, ‘No.’ He’s charming, but he has some ADHD that’s pretty powerful.”

Joe reconsidered after talking to a friend who gave him this advice: “Well, you never know. He might tip over (die) tomorrow, so you’d better go with him.”

It ended up being a compromise. Hugh went for 16 days, and Joe came for seven. They looked, but they never felt entirely satisfied that they found the area their ancestors had called home.

Retired since 1995 from his job in municipal bond and investment sales, Hugh continues to live an active lifestyle. In addition to traveling, he spends many hours making rosaries, which he hands out wherever he goes. He estimates he has made about 2,000, using beads made of wood, with the hope of making 200 more “before I die.” Spontaneous thoughts often turn into productive endeavors.

That’s how the Old Goats group came about. Five years ago, he joined St. Joseph parish and noticed a need for a fellowship group for elderly men. There were single men, many of them widowed, who seemed in need of fellowship, he said. So, he started a weekly group that meets for two hours on Thursdays. He started with five men, and eventually saw as many as 35 show up. Today, there are around 20 men per week, he said.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, O’Kane has managed to stay busy and on the road. Just a month after his birthday party, he took a trip to South Dakota, spent some time on his land, then continued westward, with a destination of the West Coast to check out the impact of historic wildfires on the region.

Such energy and passion for life has at least one of his children believing he will make it to his real 100th birthday. Looking ahead to the next decade, Joe O’Kane said of his father:

“Well, I don’t think he’s tipping over” anytime soon.