James Keegan, whose death was briefly mentioned in last week's Bee passed away at his home northwest of Rock Valley Tuesday morning, May 4, following an illness of only a week.
Mr. Keegan was born at Bryant, Iowa, August 24, 1868, where he grew to manhood. He came to this vicinity from Bryant in 1886, and for the past fifty-one years lived in this vicinity, being one of the pioneer residents. He was one of the successful farmers of this community. He was a man who was highly respected by all who knew him and he will be greatly missed in the neighborhood where he spent so many years of his life.
On November 16, 1897, he was united in marriage with Kathryn O'Mara, who preceded him in death on December 2, 1929. To this union eight children were born: Percy and Margaret at home; Clement and Irma Buckley, of Maurice, Iowa; Clarence and Kathryn Heffernan, of Inwood; Arlene of Clinton, Iowa; and Florence of Albuquerque, N.M. He also leaves ten grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. Lowery, of Rock Valley.
Funeral services were held Friday morning at St. Mary's church in Rock Valley, Rev. Father Foerster, officiating. The pall bearers were John Spain, John McKeegan, Thomas Higgins, Charles Haas, Bernard Doherty, and Edward Buckley. The Bereaved family have the sympathy of many friends in their sorrow.
James W. Keegan is one of the younger agriculturists of Lyon County, and that knowledge and skill which should characterize the modern farmer mark his management of the family estate in Doon Township. He gives the closest attention to his work, and is becoming widely known as one of the progressive and up-to-date tillers of the earth in this part of the state.
Mr. Keegan was born in 1868 on a farm in Clinton County, Iowa, where his father, James Keegan, of Irish birth, had long been established. The father who came to this country was an old settler in Lyon County, where he died in March 1895.
James W. Keegan was the youngest born in a family of four children, and grew to manhood in Clinton County, where he was inured to hard farm work and trained to steady labor. When his parents removed to Lyon County in 1886, he assisted them in their removal to what was then a frontier, and assisted his father in the development of the farm, being the southwest quarter of section 31, Doon Township. He remained with his father until the death of that gentleman in 1895. From 1893 he ran the farm as a family concern with his brother until 1895, when the property was divided. James W. Keegan now owns a place comprising one hundred and ninety acres, all cultivated, and provided with a most desirable set of farm buildings and a grove that was planted in 1888.
Mr. Keegan was married in 1897 to Miss Katie O'Meara, a daughter of John O'Meara and a native of Clinton County, Iowa. By this union Mr. Keegan has become the father of four children: Florence, Percy, Clarence and Irma. Both he and his wife are well thought of in the community, where they have many friends and well wishers, won at first by their open hearted kindliness, but retained by solid worth and genuine character.
Source - Compendium of History Reminiscence and Biography of Lyon County, Iowa. (1905)
James Keegan, whose death was briefly mentioned in last week's Bee passed away at his home northwest of Rock Valley Tuesday morning, May 4, following an illness of only a week.
Mr. Keegan was born at Bryant, Iowa, August 24, 1868, where he grew to manhood. He came to this vicinity from Bryant in 1886, and for the past fifty-one years lived in this vicinity, being one of the pioneer residents. He was one of the successful farmers of this community. He was a man who was highly respected by all who knew him and he will be greatly missed in the neighborhood where he spent so many years of his life.
On November 16, 1897, he was united in marriage with Kathryn O'Mara, who preceded him in death on December 2, 1929. To this union eight children were born: Percy and Margaret at home; Clement and Irma Buckley, of Maurice, Iowa; Clarence and Kathryn Heffernan, of Inwood; Arlene of Clinton, Iowa; and Florence of Albuquerque, N.M. He also leaves ten grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. Lowery, of Rock Valley.
Funeral services were held Friday morning at St. Mary's church in Rock Valley, Rev. Father Foerster, officiating. The pall bearers were John Spain, John McKeegan, Thomas Higgins, Charles Haas, Bernard Doherty, and Edward Buckley. The Bereaved family have the sympathy of many friends in their sorrow.
Source - Rock Valley Bee - May 13, 1937
When my mother [Kathryn O'Meara] was about 9 and Uncle Dan [Daniel O'Meara] about 7 both their parents were dead. The children were taken to Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. My mother lived there until she was 16. She then came to Alvord, Iowa and lived with her sister Jennie [Jane] Smith. She taught school near there until she married my father [James Keegan]. Dan stayed there until he was a young man. Then came to Anita, North Dakota where his sister Nell [Ellen O'Meara] and family lived. He was a mail carrier all his life.
Born : 24 Aug 1868
