John A. "Pop" Quinn, for several decades Beloit's peerless chef, was born June22, 1884, at Branson, Mo.,to Isaac and Christina Shoemaker Quinn, and died Dec. 11, 1962, at the Rice County Hospital, Lyons, at the age of 78 years, five months and 19 days.
He was united in marriage May 30, 1906, to EdithTressa Neumann and to this union two sons were born.
Besides the two sons, Milton Quinn, Lyon's Ks. and Forrest Quinn, Santa Monica, Calif., he is survived by a sister, Mrs. Evelyn Hart, St. Joseph, Mo.; Six brothers Clarence, Williams H. James and George, all of St Joseph, Carl, Wathena, Ks.; and Lester, St. Paul, Minn.; three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Quinn came to Beloit July 14, 1905. He recalled men coming to Kansas for the wheat harvest brought him along as a cook; being broke, he spent his first night here in a livery stable.
He obtained a job as a cook and within a year had purchased his first restaurant in Beloit; with in a few years he brought a second restaurant here, operating both of them.
In 1914, Quinn sold both his restaurants and opened a new restaurant in larger quarters which he operated until 1922 when he again obtained a new location with larger facilities.
When this was destroyed by fire, he built the building no housing Kilmer's Beloit Cafe and opened Quinn's Cafe which "Pop"and "Mom" Quinn made famous with travelers along the old Sunflower Trail, later US-40 and today US-24.
The Quinn's, with "Pop" baking his own pies and pastries, operated on the theory "that a satisfied customer is the best advertising we can get."
Probably one of his most ambitious undertakings was providing coffee for some 10,000 to 12,000 people in Beloit Aug. 12 1913 for a gigantic barbecue.
He provided 1,500 gallons of coffee for the mob, which was fed-100 per minute- in an hour and a half. "Pop" brewed his coffee in four horse tanks.
A pit for firewood, was dug under each tank, which rested on a brick foundation . Water for the brew was hauled to the tanks in Chautauqua Park from the now abandoned city wells on West Main.
Quinnstarted soaking the coffee the night before the big event by placing it in large sugar sacks suspended from long steel poles into the water in the stock tanks.
About 4 in the morning he ignited the wood beneath the tanks and by 11:30 that morning the boiling coffee was ready to serve.
Quinn was introduced to the restuarant business just after the turn of the century. At the age of 17, after having played baseball in a small town, he was given a job at the close of the season by the operator of the small hotel where he stayed,working in the restuarant .
He started at the bottom as pot washer; he soon worked up to second cook. Then, to further his education in restuarant work, traveling and working in different types of eating establishments.
In his younger years, Quinn indulged in a number of hunting expeditions in the Rocky Mountains and he was sought after as a speaker to relate his experiences on these trips.
Reports one issue of the official publication of the Kansas Resturant Association: "At meeting of the National Resturant Assn. these stories and pictures displayed by Mr. Quinn have proved most interesting and whenever he is in Chicago, he is always in demand by his fellow resturant operators."
Funeral services for John Quinn were Saturday, Dec. 15, 2 p.m. at the Harrison Funeral Home, Rev. George Eller of the Lutheran Church officiating. Mrs. R.C. Baker was organist.
Pall bearers were Gene Waters, Jim Reiter, Leo Rasing, R.D. Chapman, Thayne Horne and Leroy Spicher.
The Beloit Elks Logde conducted graveside services. Interment was in Elmwood Cemetry.