Murphy, Timothy 1825 - 1906

MURPHY, SCANNELL, SCANNEL

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 8/14/2017 at 09:49:10

Elkader Register, Thur., 13 Dec. 1906. Condensed from a 2 1/2 newspaper columns obit.

The subject of this sketch was born on a farm near the village of Lisrobbin, Cork County, Ireland, on July 25, 1825, and departed this life at his home in Littleport, Iowa, during the early morning of Tuesday, December 4th, 1906, at the ripe old age of eighty-one years, four months and nine days. He remained on the farm where he first saw the light of day pursuing the usual work and labor which devolved upon the average farmers son at that time in Ireland, attending subscription school at times during the winter where he received a very good common school education. In 1850 his ambition turned to America and he left Ireland by sailing vessel in the latter part of August 1850, finally landing at Castle Garden, New York, during the latter part of October.

From New York he went directly to New Hampshire, where a cousin of his was employed on a farm. Here he performed his first work on American soil, that of digging potatoes for fifty cents a day and board. Shortly afterwards he secured work from two brothers named Hiram and William Barker. Here he worked for two years, when owing to the extreme strenuousness of his labors in the autumn of 1852 he began working for another farmer in the area named McDuffy. Do to the extreme winters of 1852-3 he decided to go to Kentucky or Cincinnati, Ohio, where numerous former acquaintances of his then resided. On Feb. 8th, 1853, he left New Hampshire for Cincinnati, Ohio, where, on Feb. 22, 1853, he was united in marriage with Miss Julia Scannell, with whom he was acquainted since boyhood in the old country. Shortly after their wedding they went to Cynthiana, Kentucky, where a railroad was building graded along the banks of the Licking river. Here they boarded twenty railroad workmen and Mr. Murphy worked on the construction for the railroad also.

In July, 1854, they returned to Cincinnati for a few weeks visit with friends and relatives. About September 1st of the same year, Mr. Murphy, accompanied by his brother-in-law, Michael Scannel, left for Dubuque, Iowa, where Mr. Murphy worked for two months at whatever was offered. While here he conceived the idea to obtain a piece of government land and having a permanent home of his own. About Dec. 1st, 1854, he boarded a steamboat for Guttenberg in search of land to file upon and purchase. Selecting land near Littleport Mr. Murphy spent two days walking to Dubuque to file upon it, and the next day came into possession of it.

About New Years of 1855, Timothy Murphy, accompanied by his faithful wife, moved from Dubuque to their new home in the dense wilderness of Clayton County. He prospered in his untiring and unremitting labors and succeeded after many, many years to convert a wilderness into a finely kept up an productive farm with good buildings, orchard and always well kept fences. This farm is located along the Littleport and Strawberry Point Road three miles east of Littleport.

On Thursday, Nov. 22nd, 1906, he was discovered by one of his kind and indulgent neighbors to be in failing health. His condition was regarded as serious from the first and was so declared by his attending physician. He failed rapidly until the end came peacefully and he passed to his eternal reward.

The funeral was held from the Catholic church at Littleport at 10:30, Thursday, Dec. 6th. Mass was celebrated, Father Minogue officiating, after which all that was mortal of the kind and indulgent deceased was followed to its last resting place in the cemetery south of town by a large concourse of sorrowing friends and neighbors, who tenderly laid away the remains beside those of his wife who preceded him in death about nine years ago. May he rest in peace.

(Note: Both spellings of the surname Scannel/Scannell were used in the article. The IGPP shows a gravestone for Julia Murphy 11-30-1825 / 02-04-1897, in Sacred Heart Cemetery.)