William Shortt

SHORTT, LYONS, DEENEY, MCWILLIAMS, SHORT

Posted By: Patricia Bollozos (email)
Date: 7/6/2020 at 12:53:08

William Shortt was the first American born child of Patrick Shortt and Bridget Elizabeth Lyons, of County Kildare, Ireland. William was born in New Jersey, June 13, 1859. He died at the age of sixty-seven years at French Creek, Allamakee county, Iowa, July 28, 1926, from heart failure.

William Shortt married Elizabeth Ellen Deeney in Allamakee, Iowa, October 16, 1888. Elizabeth was the daughter of Bernard Deeney and Ellen McWilliams. Elizabeth was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1857. She died in Allamakee, Iowa, June20 1942.

Bernard Deeney, Elizabeth’s father was born about 1815, County Donegal, Ireland. He died in Allamakee, February 15 1868. From the book, 'History of Clermont and Brown counties, Ohio', by Bryon Williams, page 530, Bernard Deeney immigrated to America in the mid 1840’s. He served in the Mexican War under General Winfield Scott. Locating to Cincinnati, Ohio, he worked in the ironmills as a mechanic. Bernard married Ellen McWilliams about 1850 before settling in Allamakee around 1860, joining his brother James Deeney (1801-1887) one of the early settlers to Allamakee, Iowa.

William Shortt was engaged in agriculture like his father in French Creek, Allamakee. William owned two hundred acres in Section 22; French Creek.

Elizabeth continued to manage their farm after William’s death in 1926, with her children for decades.

William and Elizabeth had four children:
Mary Veronica Shortt (1892-1972)
Irene Elizabeth Shortt (1895-1972)
Genevieve Shortt (1896-1973)
Mark Shortt (1901-1958)

None of their children married. They continued to live on the family farm all of their lives.

William and Elizabeth with their four children are buried at Lycurgus Cemetery, Allamakee, Iowa.

~The biography was compiled by the contributor using the following references & resources: Ancestry.com, Find A Grave, Iowa Marriage Licenses, Library of Congress, French Creek Map and Directory 1917.