KENNEDY, JOHN T.

KENNEDY, THAIN, HARVEY, LOBECK, COYDILL, POMRAINEY, CONLEY

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 2/17/2004 at 12:51:26

Biography reproduced from page 669 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

John T. Kennedy is one of the well known and respected citizens of Wesley, Kossuth county, Iowa, where he is manager of the James A. Smith Lumber Company of Wesley. He was born in what was then Algona township, now Wesley, Kossuth county, December 21, 1868, and is a son of A. K. and Anna (Thain) Kennedy, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Scotland. They celebrated their marriage in Lake county, Illinois, and in 1862 the father with his family located in Kossuth county, where he filed on a homestead on section 22, township 92, range 27. At the time of their settlement in Kossuth county there was only one house built between his homestead and the town of Algona. Mr. Kennedy’s first domicile was a sod shanty and a sod barn gave shelter to his stock. Later he built a suitable frame house with lumber sawed in the pioneer mills at Algona. On that property he continued to live during the remaining years of his life, which closed in 1909. He was one of the influential and progressive men in the locality and was honored by being elected to serve in several county offices. The mother is still living and makes her home with her children. To Mr. and Mrs. A. K. Kennedy eight children were born: John T., the subject of this review; Mary, who married Frank Harvey, of Burt, Iowa; Alice, the wife of Charles Lobeck, a resident of Wesley, Iowa; William, who resides at Lone Rock, Iowa; Fannie, the wife of Robert Coydill and resides north of Algona, Iowa; Ralph, a resident of Stillson, Texas; and Lulu, who married William Pomrainey, and resides near Burt, Iowa.

John T. Kennedy was reared at home and received his early education in the public schools of Wesley township. He remained under the parental roof until he attained his majority and at the age of twenty-one years started in life for himself as a farmer in Wesley township. He later took charge of the James A. Smith Lumber Company of Hutchins, Iowa, and devoted his attention to that occupation for a period of three years, after which he accepted the superintendency of the Farmers Lumber Company of Wesley, this state, and has filled that position until they sold to the J. A. Smith Lumber Company in 1910, when he became manager of the company.

Mr. Kennedy was united in marriage November 24, 1910, to Mrs. Kate Conley. He is affiliated with the republican party but in local affairs votes independent of party lines. He has served as constable for a number of years in his township. His fraternal relations are with the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and his wife are members of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Kennedy is one of the well known business men of this part of the state, his occupation for the past seven years having brought him into contact with the leading business men and farmers in his portion of Kossuth county. He is a man of strict integrity and enjoys the good-will and esteem of all his friends and associates.