Heagney, Charles F.

HEAGNEY

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 22:56:39

Charles F. Heagney

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.291)
CHARLES F. HEAGNEY, a retired farmer of Boomer Township, was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, October 4, 1848, son of Dominick and Hannah (SCOTT) HEAGNEY. Mr. Heagney's paternal grandfather was married first to Catherine McBRIDE, a native of Ireland, and had seven children: Margaret, Bridget, Rosanna, Martha, Mary, John and Catherine. Afterward, in 1817, he married Miss Sarah BROOKHOUSER, who was born July 4, 1800, the first-born child of Adam and Keziah (MASON) BROOKHOUSER, natives of pennsylvania and of German descent. She had five brothers and three sisters: Mary, Adam, Margaret, William, Esther, Elderson, Hiram and Isaac.

The HEAGNEY family remained in Pennsylvania until 1849 and then moved to Dubuque County, Iowa, settling upon a partially improved farm, where the father finally died, in 1851, leaving a wife and nine children. The children are: Adam, who resides in California; Dominick, the father of Charles F.; the next one died in infancy; William and Andrew J. reside in California; the next born is also deceased; Sarah, residing in Sioux City; George W., living in Missouri Valley, this state; and James K., also deceased. In 1858 the remainder of the family came to Pottawattamie County and located upon a piece of rough, unimproved prairie, made a fine home and lived there twenty years. In 1878, the widow disposed of the farm and went to Dakota, where she remained until 1888 and, returning, settled in the vicinity of Missouri Valley, with her son George. She is now ninety years of age.

Mr. Dominick HEAGNEY was born March 2, 1828, and on December 31, 1847, married Miss Hannah, daughter of Isaac and Catherine SCOTT, natives of New York State and farmers, who lived in Pennsylvania in 1844-49. The mother died and the remainder of the family came to Iowa. In the family were five children: Phoebe, Hannah, Henry, Henrietta and Catherine. After his father died, Mr. HEAGNEY remained on the farm about seven years and then came to Pottawattamie County and purchased 80 acres of rough, unimproved land and made of it a good home. He built a residence 32 X 44 feet and a story and a half in height. Farming and stock raising were his specialties, and he dealt in hogs, horses and cattle, especially the latter. He disposed of that farm and bought property in Missouri Valley, where he now lives in a somewhat retired life. He has been an industrious and exemplary citizen.

In his political views, he is a lively Democrat. August 7, 1862, he enlisted in Company A, 29th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, under Captain John T. Williams and General Fiske, in the Department of the Gulf. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, was stationed at Helena; was in the campaign from Little Rock to Camden, when he was under continual fire for sixteen days; was also at Jenkins Ferry where there was some hard fighting, and in the siege of Mobile. In 1865 he was stationed at the mouth of the Rio Grande. On the 10th of August that year, he was mustered out at New Orleans. There were four brothers in the War, of whom one was killed and the other three returned home. Mr. HEAGNEY, though not wounded, contracted a disease of the eye and rheumatism, from which he still suffers. He had seven children, namely: Charles F., our subject; Rose, the wife of W. E. LAUGHERY and residing at Missouri Valley; Mary, the wife of Fred McCOLLOUGH and living also in Missouri Valley; Catherine, now Mrs. John FISHER; Addie, wife of William E. BALDWIN and residing in Fremont, Nebraska; two died in infancy.

Mr. Charles F. HEAGNEY, reared to farm life, at the age of twenty-one years went to Kansas and entered a tract of land, returned to Pottawattamie County, visited Dakota awhile and returned home again, when he remained until he was married April 24, 1877, to Miss Maggie, daughter of David and Mary (PHILLIPS) ROBERTS, parents natives of Wales. Mr. ROBERTS, a carpenter, was born in March 1808 and reared to farm life; he came to the United States in the summer of 1855, residing four years in Iowa City and then located upon his farm in this county. By his first wife, he had one child, Bessie, who is now living in Wales. By his present wife, he had eight children, as follows: William, at home; David and Emma, dead; Rosa, at home; and Mary, wife of Thomas FRENCH and residing in Boomer; Margaret; Samuel, at home; and Harriet, the wife of Joseph CUSWORTH and residing in Boomer. Margaret was born August 15, 1853, and completed her school education in the high school of Council Bluffs.

Mr. HEAGNEY bought his present place of 80 acres on section 5, Boomer Township, when there were but few improvements upon it. He has continued to add other improvements until he has made of the place an excellent residence. He has also added to his land area until he now has 120 acres of fine land, half of which is devoted to plowed crops. At present, he is renting the farm and enjoying the fruits of his labor at ease. he has formerly been a very hard-working man, but for the past five years, he has not had perfect health. Principally for the sake of recovering his health, he went in 1886 to the Black Hills of Dakota, and for four months was engaged in building the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad. He returned with his health considerably improved.

He is a well-settled and intelligent Democrat. He has been Road Supervisor two years. He is a member of St. John Lodge of the Mutual Protection Society. Was reared in the Roman Catholic Church. He has two children, Mary Emma, born January 19, 1878, and edna, November 6, 1887.