Margaret (McCrea) Donovan Horne was born September 28, 1874, in Lyons, Clinton County, Iowa, to Patrick and Bridget McCrea, both born in Ireland.  She married William Donovan June 23, 1896, in Clinton County, Iowa, in the Catholic church and moved to Dixon, Lee County, Illinois, the following day.  They had a son Edward W., born May 16, 1897, in Dixon.  Her husband, William, died April 10, 1901, of Bright’s disease.  An item in The Dixon Evening Telegraph, dated 24 May 1901, read, “Mrs. Margaret Donovan started last evening for Prescott, Arizona, to make that place her home.”  

The Prescott Morning Courier dated September 26, 1904, carried an advertisement for “First Class Board,” a private boarding house located at 427 West Gurley Street, opened by Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Donovan.  The Weekly Arizona Journal-Miner dated December 14, 1904, carried an advertisement for the Comet Grotto Restaurant, located downstairs in the Lawler Block on N. Cortez St., showing Mrs. Margaret Donovan as proprietor.  She married Edward Joseph Francis Horne, a widower, in Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona Territory, on November 26, 1908.  However, the Bisbee Daily Review dated November 25, 1908, carried the article: “Will Be Married Today – Justice Hogan will this morning unite in marriage Edward J. F. Horn [sic] and Mrs. Marguerite Donovan.  Mrs. Donovan has been proprietress of the Delmonico House in Bisbee for some time and is well known.  Horn [sic] is a real estate and insurance man of Prescott.”

The family was living on S. Alarcon Street, Prescott, when the 1910 census was enumerated, but had moved to 140 S. Summit before the 1920 census was taken.  The voter registration rolls for 1916 showed that Margaret was forty-three years of age, five feet four inches tall, weighed 130 pounds, had dark hair, dark eyes, and was a Democrat.

Margaret was a devout Catholic; she was a member of Sacred Heart Church and of Court Colletta, Catholic Daughters of America.  She was a member of the Monday Club, the Elks Ladies Club, and Ernest A. Love unit No 6, American Legion Auxiliary. Margaret died on July 15, 1948 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, and was buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Prescott, Arizona. 

Donor: Edward W. Donovan, son
Photo Located: Yavapai County People & Family Collection, Folder – Horne/Donovan Family
Updated: 6/19/2017, D. Sue Kissel