Mead, Mary

FITZGERALD, MEAD, KILEY, BROWN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/13/2009 at 13:01:05

Mary (Fitzgerald) Mead deserves both pleasure and profit from the Management of her estate, which is located in Fairview Township, Jasper County, and bears a full line of excellent improvements. Her parents were Thomas and Catherine (Kiley) Fitzgerald, both natives of Ireland, where her birth occurred April 1, 1832. The grandfather, Thomas Kiley, was the owner of a large farm in his native country, and was married to Margaret Brown. They were the parents of ten children, namely: Margaret, Bridget, Mary, Johannah, Anna, Ellen, Catherine, Patrick, Thomas and Michael. The mother was a Catholic in religion, and died in her seventy-third year. The father died when seventy-four.

The parents of our subject had born to them nine children, all growing to mature years but one. They are, John, Mary (our subject), Catharine, Cornelius, Margaret, Ann, Bridget and Thomas. Mrs. Fitzgerald obtained a good common school education in her early days add died at the early age thirty-six years, in the faith of the Catholic Church. The father emigrated to this country in 1850 and died eighteen months after his arrival, at the age of sixty years. He also belonged to the Catholic Church.

Mrs. Mary Mead emigrated to the United States with her father when she was eighteen, and in her twenty-third year was united in marriage with Edward Mead, a native of New York, She bore her husband six children, two of whom were lost in infancy. Those living bear the names of Catharine, John, Margaret and Edward. The children all received good school advantages and are now married and prosperous in life. Six months after their marriage the young couple came to this County and township, living on a rented farm. In 1862 they bad accumulated enough money to enable them to purchase an unimproved piece of property, at once setting about its cultivation. The husband and father was a hard worker, an economical and sagacious man, and the home soon showed signs of a thrifty manager. Mr. Mead was born in Ireland and was engaged in agricultural pursuits the greater part of his life. He was called from time to eternity April 11, 1891, when at the advanced age of seventy-six years, respected and mourned by his many friends. He was a Democrat politically and held many township offices, serving with satisfaction to his constituents. He was, like his wife, a member of the Catholic Church. Mrs. Mead received in her youth a good education, which is of great value to her in the management of the home estate. The farm comprises two hundred and eighty acres of fertile and productive land, which is taken care of in the best possible manner and yields a handsome compensation to return. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 207.