COSGROVE, WILLIAM S.

COSGROVE, ONEIL, MCDERMOTT, TOBIN, BREEN, TIERNEY, JOHNSON

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 5/14/2004 at 15:53:39

Biography reproduced from page 520 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

William S. Cosgrove, who engages in general farming and stock-raising in Wesley township, was born on the place where he is now living on the 30th of May, 1877, and is a son of Andrew and Anna (O’Neil) Cosgrove. The father was a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, whence he emigrated to America as a child of nine years with his parents, who located in Canada. There he was reared to manhood and married, continuing to make it his place of residence until 1869, when he removed with his wife and family to Kossuth county. Upon his arrival here Mr. Cosgrove filed on a homestead in Wesley township, which he cultivated until six years ago, when he retired. The first buildings on the place where made of sod, but several years later he erected a frame house, fourteen by eighteen feet, and thirteen years ago this in turn was replaced by a modern residence, and he also built new barns and sheds. As he was thrifty and a hard worker, Mr. Cosgrove prospered in his undertakings and was able to increase his property interests until his holdings aggregated two hundred and forty acres. When he withdrew from active work, he and the mother removed to Titonka, but two years later they went to Wesley, where he passed away in 1909 and was laid to rest in the cemetery at that place. The mother is now a resident of Titonka. She is a native of Canada but of Irish extraction and is an ardent Catholic, as also the father. They were the parents of eleven children: Joseph, who is a resident of Wesley; Mary, the wife of M. C. McDermott, of Titonka, Iowa; Lizzie, the wife of T. J. Tobin, of Garner, this state; Andrew, deceased; Ellen Jane, who died in infancy; Jennie, the wife of J. D. Breen, of Titonka; Bridget, who married P. W. Tobin, of Nashua, Iowa; John, who resides in Woden, Iowa; William A., our subject; Alice, who became the wife of William Tierney, of Garner; and George H., who lives in Titonka.

The entire life of William S. Cosgrove has been passed amid the scenes of his early childhood. He obtained his education in the common schools, and assisted his father with the cultivation of the farm until the latter’s retirement when he rented the place, a portion of which he has since inherited, while the remainder he leases from the other heirs. He is engaging in both general farming and stock-raising and is meeting with fair success in his undertakings, as he is diligent and enterprising in his methods.

On the 28th of November, 1905, Mr. Cosgrove was married to Miss Thora Caroline Johnson, and they have become the parents of four children, Genevieve, Kenneth, Andrew and John H.

Mr. and Mrs. Cosgrove are communicants of the Roman Catholic church. He is a stanch democrat in his political views, and has served as clerk of the township for two terms. Mr. Cosgrove is widely known in the community where he has a large circle of friends, many of whom are the comrades of his boyhood days.