O'Boyle, Timothy

OBOYLE, WELSH

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 2/14/2003 at 21:11:30

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

TIMOTHY O’BOYLE

Among the more prominent and enterprising farmers of Liberty township who are of alien birth is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. He is a natïve of Ireland, and a son of Frank O’Boyle, who brought his family to America in 1848, and first located in Canada, but after spending eighteen months in the dominion he came to the United States and lived for a year and a half in Buffalo, New York. He next moved to Jefferson county, Indiana, where he engaged in railroad work until his death, which occurred in 1855. His wife died in 1881. They had six children who came with them to this country, those now living being Bridget Ellen, a resident of California; Timothy, our subject; Frank, a farmer of Crawford county, Iowa; and John, a resident of Liberty township, Clinton county.

Our subject was born May 27, 1837, and was therefore eleven years of age on the emigration of the family to America. In 1858 he came with his mother to Clinton county, Iowa, and entered a tract of government land in Liberty township, which he converted in to a fine farm. When he located here there was not a house between his place and DeWitt, and that section of the county was not settled until about 1861. Mr. O’Boyle now owns two hundred acres of rich and arable land, and has made many useful and valuable improvements upon the same. He follows general farming, but now rents most of his land to his sons, with whom he lives, and has also engaged in stock raising to some extent.

Mr. O’Boyle married Miss Catherine Welsh, by whom he had seven children, who are still living: Mary M., Bridget Ellen, Francis J., Elizabeth, Martin M., Daniel J. and Thomas W. Those deceased are Timothy L., James, Ignatious and Sarah. The family are communicants of the Catholic church of Toronto. Mr. O’Boyle is independent in politics, voting for whom he believes to be the best man. For sixteen years he served as township trustee, and his (sic) filled other local offices of honor and trust.