John Dignan

John Dignan was born in East Calder in 1897 and by 1911, the family had moved to Goschen Place in Uphall where John was already working as a shale miner at the age of 15. However by the 1921 census, the family had moved to Tarbrax where he and his brothers worked in the shale mine. His father was born in Roscommon in Ireland.

He served in the Royal Scots Third Battalion during WW1 and was awarded the 1914-1915 Star Medal.

Although John and his brothers all worked in the shale industry, John emigrated to the USA, leaving from Glasgow on 10th April 1923 destined for Ellis Island in New York. He ended up working for the Goodrich Tire company in Akron, Ohio and whilst there, met and married Elizabeth Johnstone from Aberdeenshire. They married on 31st December 1925 and had 4 children.

John died on 11 May 1977.

John J. Dignan, Sr.

John J. Dignan, Sr., 80, of 2153 Eighteenth St,. S. W., died May 11 at Akron General Medical Center.

A native of Scotland, he was a U.S. and Akron resident for 54 years. He retied from B. F. Goodrich Company 16 years ago with 23 years service.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; daughter, Mrs William (Jessie) Gibbs, of Bath, O.; sons, John J. Jr., of Akron, Bert of Doylestown, O., and James of Lakewood, O.; six grandchildren; one sister and one brother in Scotland.

He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Clan MacKenzie No. 209, Goodrich Twenty-Year Club, Goodrich Local No. 5, U.R.W.A., and also the Royal Scots Third Battalion during World War I.

Visitation will be Friday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Schlup Funeral Chapel, Kenmore Blvd. at Eighth St., Mass of the Christian Burial will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Sixteenth St., at Battles av. Burial Greenlawn Memorial Park. Parish Wake service will be Friday, 3 p.m. at the chapel. (Schlep Inc., 745-3131).

The Akron Beacon Journal, Thursday May 12 1977