Garaghty, James 1836 - 1932

GARAGHTY, KENNEDY, CONNEL, CONNELL, BRANNON

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 8/5/2021 at 20:31:25

Clayton County Register, Thur., 26 May 1932.

James Garaghty died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. James Connel in Read township, last week Wednesday, May 18th, at the advanced age of 96 years and 17 days, following an illness of seven weeks.

James Garaghty was born in Mullingar, West Meath county, Ireland, on May 1, 1836, and came to America in 1845 with his father, one sister and four brothers. The Garaghtys landed in New York, going from there to Falls Village, Conn., where they remained for three years. In the fall of 1848 he came to Iowa making the trip to Iowa by water and the remainder of the way by ox teams. The family settled on a farm in Garnavillo township; later they owned the farm known as the Charles Reimer farm in Volga township and in 1869 he bought what is known as the Garaghty farm in Read township from the Rogers brothers and there he lived until two years ago when he went to reside with his daughter, Mrs. James Connell.

November 14, 1872, Mr. Garaghty was married to Miss Anna Kennedy by the Rev. Father Quigley in the old stone church here in Elkader, which his father helped to build by assisting with the laying of the floor. Mrs. Garaghty died April 2, 1883, leaving six small children. Many and difficult were the struggles made by Mr. Garaghty to keep his family together, but like all pioneer fathers left with motherless children he achieved his purpose by rearing all of them to honorable and successful manhood and womanhood.

Three of the children still live in or near Elkader, Michael, Mrs. James Connell and Thomas. John died about three years ago. One daughter, Mayme, lives in St. Paul, and another daughter, Mrs. John Brannon, lives in Waterloo

Mr. Garaghty was one of the real pioneers of this community. He has led a useful and contented life and it was because of his good habits that he attained the advanced age which he did.

Funeral services were held last Saturday in St. Joseph's church here and interment was made in St. Joseph's cemetery, the Rev. J. P. Taken officiating.

Those from a distance who attended the services were: R. E. Garaghty, Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Lee, Mrs. J. Reding, Mrs. D. Landis, all of St. Paul; Leo Garaghty of Minneapolis; Mrs. Thos. Smith and son, Dubuque; Michael Kennedy, Dubuque; Mr. and Mrs. Harry O'Connell, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Daly, John Kennedy of Bankston; R. E. Kennedy, son and daughters of Peosta, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Mart Kennedy and daughter of Epworth, besides friends from Guttenberg, Garnavillo, Clermont and Garber.

(Note: All surnames presented as they were in the article.)