Quinlan, Edward 1835-1910 & Ann Mc Guire Family

QUINLAN, MCGUIRE, COLGAN

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 12/11/2021 at 18:42:43

Quinlan, Edward E. and Anne McGuire

This story was taken from the ‘Rock Valley Records & Recollections’ book written about 1976 in honor of the two hundredth birthday of our nation, page 51 and 52. It was a revision of the history written by Lottie Thomas in 1955. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society and some research notes were added.

Edward Quinlan was born in Ireland and came as a child to Shellsburg, Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood. As a young man, he made several trips to California and also went to British Columbia and worked in the mines in Montana and later in Canada.

He came to Sioux County in the year of 1869 and settled on a tract of land three miles east and one mile south of Rock Valley. Today, this is the Bill Landegent farm. He was married in 1873, and he and his wife lived on the farm until his death in 1910. Mrs. Quinlan and two of their four children, James and Mary, moved to Rock Valley and built a house at 1920 15th Street (now the home of James Bouwmans). She lived here until her death in 1937. Mr. and Mrs. Quinlan are both buried at Rock Valley. Their daughter, Mary, taught in rural schools in Sioux County for many years. Mrs. Marie Richter had her as a teacher when she was in the eighth grade.

The story of the Quinlan’s marriage is a very interesting one. In the winter of 1873, Edward Quinlan and his betrothed went to Sioux City to be married. With them was a girl friend, a Miss Buckley, who later married P.C. Sullivan of Rock Valley. When the party left home, the weather was beautiful and they had no thought of a snowstorm. When the party returned, however, a big blizzard struck them and the roads were soon drifted in and effaced.

Mr. Quinlan took what he thought was the right direction, but landed at the Floyd River near LeMars, and the whole equipage fell off the bank into the bed of the stream in the soft snow, as the river was frozen solid. Mr. Quinlan was resourceful, and as he had a shovel with him, he hastily scooped out a place and with the wagon box, blankets, and robes, rigged up a sort of shelter in which they were fairly comfortable and stayed for two days and nights.

On the following day, when the storm died down a little, he went forth to look for the horses, which he found in a clump of willows close by. As soon as they thought it safe, they broke camp and went out of the river bed where they saw a house not a hundred rods away, which they had narrowly missed before falling into the river. When they stopped at the house to take note of their condition, they found that they were a little frost-nipped in places, but otherwise unhurt. All they had to eat was some candy. The following day they left for their homestead, and rejoiced and shivered by turns when they told their friends of their narrow escape.

(Above – A Revision of history written by James Quinlan, a son, in 1955)

RESEARCH Notes added by Wilma J. Vande Berg
In the St. Mary’s church book page 136 some comments were add to the above story,
Include – Now that was a honeymoon to remember!!
All the Quinlans are gone now: Mrs. Quinlan having died in 1936, Mary in 1953 and James in 1958, Belle Crandell died in 1927 at the relatively young age of 50 and she is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery along with her husband, parents, brother James and sister Mary. Her son, George Edward, is also deceased. Tom Quinlan, who lived at Worthing South Dakota, died in April, 1965 at the age of 84.
From a family report on Ancestry.com by others,
Edward Quinlan born 1835 Ireland died 26 Jun 1910 Rock Valley IA Parents – not listed.
Johanna ‘Ann’ McGuire was born Mar 1850 Higland, Iowa Co. Wisconsin to James P. McGuire 1804-1873 and Bridget Colgan 1815-1889. Ann died 25 Aug 1936 at Rock Valley.
Seven Children were born to them, three died in infancy.
Surviving to adulthood were:
1.James Edward Quinlan Jr. 1874-1958.
2.Mary Ann Quinlan 1876-1958
3.Isabella Olivia Quinlan 1877-1928
4.Thomas Francis Quinlan 1880-1965.

OBITUARY OF EDWARD QUINLAN
Alton Democrat July 2, 1910
Edward Quinlan — one of the pioneer settlers of Rock township— died at his home near Rock Valley on Saturday June twenty fifth with a complication of diseases. For the last four years he suffered with neuralgia and heart trouble. Mr. Quinlan was born in Listole County Kerry Ireland in 1835. He came to the United States in 1851 and settled in Shullsburg, Lafayette county Wisconsin where he engaged in farming.
Mr. Quinlan being a firm believer in Greeley's advice "Go west young man” and being of an adventurous disposition he left Wisconsin and farming to seek he fortune in the gold fields of California. In 1870 he returned from the west and came to Iowa and took a homestead in Rock township. Three years later he was married at Sioux City to Miss Anne McGuire.
To this union five children were born—one of these dying in infancy, Mr. Quinlan was considered one of Rock township's most prosperous farmers. He was best known as "Squire" having held the office of justice of the peace for a number of years. He was also treasurer of Rock township —which office he filled with general satisfaction,.
Mr. Quinlan was what we call a self made man. He educated himself. His father died when he was a mere child and his mother was left with very limited means and young Quinlan had very few of the educational advantages but being of a studious kind, he kept well informed of the current events of the day and being a great reader the books took the place of the school.
Mr. Quinlan was loved and respected by all who. knew him. He was a loving husband, a kind father, a good neighbor and an upright citizen. Deceased is survived by his wife and two sons and two daughters—James and Mary at home and Thomas of Larchwood and Mrs. Belle Crandall of Alvord. The funeral services were held from the Catholic church of Rock Valley on Tuesday June twenty eighth. Rev. Father O'Reilly officiated at Requiem High Mass assisted by Rev. Father Cooper of Alvord and Rev. Father McNally of Maurice. Interment was made in (the Catholic cemetery of Rock Valley. Being held in high esteem by his friends and neighbors the funeral was one of the largest ever witnessed in Rock Valley.

OBITUARY OF ANN McGUIRE
Source: Sioux County Capital (9-3-1936)
Born: April 16, 1850
Died: August 25, 1936
Rock Valley and Sioux County lost one of our few remaining beloved pioneer ladies in the death of Mrs. Ann Quinlan
Upon the dawn of her 86th year, Mrs. Quinlan answered the last call Tuesday just as day was breaking and so gently and quickly did she breathe her last that it was scarcely noticeable to her sons, daughter and grandson who were gathered at her beside.
Mrs. Quinlan’s maiden name was Ann McGuire and she was born in Highland, Wisconsin April 16, 1850 making her 86 years old at the time of her death.
Mrs. Quinlan came to Iowa in 1871 and took up a homestead in the northwest section of Sioux County what was known as the Walnut Grove Farm.
She was married to Edward Quinlan on January 3, 1873 and moved to their farm which was four miles southeast of Rock Valley on which they resided until 1913. Death claimed Mr. Quinlan in 1910 and two years later Mrs. Quinlan moved to Rock Valley where she lived until her death.
Mrs. Quinlan belonged to the noble women of the pioneer age. She and her husband braved the trials and hardships of those days cheerfully. Mr. and Mrs. Quinlan’s wedding took place at Sioux City, the nearest town at that time. While they were returning to their home near Rock Valley by wagon, when in the vicinity of Le Mars, a storm broke with all its fury. Directions were lost and Mr. Quinlan decided to camp. He turned the wagon box over and piled snow around it, got his bride and bridesmaid under it, fed the horses, and crawled under the box to remain without food and water for three days. When the storm abated and the sun burst forth, the prisoners crawled from under the wagon box and walked a distance of two miles to a farm house, where they were given care, although weak and hungry and with fingers frozen, they soon recovered from the effects of their unpleasant experience and completed their journey homeward.
She was a woman of rare ability with a way of expression that called for the love and admiration of all who knew her. Her heart and her home were always open and she wanted no greater joy than the visit of a friend.
Three daughters and one son preceded her in death. Surviving are James and Mary of Rock Valley and Thomas of Worthing, South Dakota .One grandson, George Crannell of Waterloo, Iowa. Funeral services were held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Thursday at 9 o’clock. Reverend A. J. Forrester officiating and interment was made in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

This picture was taken from the 1908 Atlas Part IV, section 3 page 30.

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