Keough, John 1848-1921

KEOUGH, FOLEY

Posted By: Janet Brown - volunteer (email)
Date: 8/6/2013 at 16:40:50

From the December 3, 1921 Alton Democrat:

JNO. KEOUGH CO. PIONEER PASSES AWAY

Parents Homesteaded Between Maurice and Struble In 1871

GUNNY SACKS FOR SHOES

Hauled Fuel 20 Miles from Rock River — Lived Only Week In Fine New Home

A great concourse of friends gathered at the Catholic church in Struble Saturday morning to pay their last respects to one of the county's respected and well-loved pioneers, John Keough who passed away the night of Nov. 23 at his home southeast of Maurice. His death was the result, of heart failure and came as a shock to family and friends, who had not realized how near the end was. Mr. Keough had returned a week before from the hospital at Le Mars where he had been receiving treatment for several weeks. On his return he joined his family in the fine new modern home which he had worked hard through the summer to complete and where he lived just a week before his death. He was 73 years old and lived over fifty years on the farm homesteaded by his parents where he was the oldest son of a large family, he had lived the pioneers life of hard labor and bitter privation.

Besides Mrs. Keough and four sons, Leo B. and Loy of Maurice, F. B. of New York City and Verne of Maurice, Mr. Keough is survived by the following brothers and sisters: T. H. Keough and W. J. both of Maurice, Mrs. M. B. Needham, Charles City; Mrs. Peter Kronen, Maurice; Mrs. Ed Daley, Oakland, Calif.; Mrs. Mike Howard, Washington.

John Keough was born in 1848 in Massachusetts. He came with his parents to Iowa during the '60s, locating at Manchester, where his father worked as a mason in the great stone quarries. Later the family moved further west to Masonville and in 1871, came to Sioux County, taking up a homestead which is now halfway between the towns of Maurice and Struble. Le Mars was the nearest town in those days. Here the family lived a life of extreme hardships, as did other pioneer settlers. Without fuel or adequate clothing, the men were obliged to team 20 miles to the Rock River, where they chopped wood all day, returning in the evening with their load, without proper clothing, their feet wrapped in gunny sacks as substitutes for shoes. In 1886 Mr. Keough was married to Miss Kate R. Foley of Manchester. His death occurred just two days before their 35th wedding anniversary.

Funeral services were conducted at the church in Struble by Wiltgen and Son of LeMars, Rev. Father Thoeuissen of Struble delivering the sermon and performing the last solemn rites. Burial was in the Catholic cemetery at Maurice in the family lot where the pioneer's parents are at rest. Pallbearers were Messrs. John Linnan, Dan Buckley, Fred Vlotho James Deegen, John Rosienbourg Sr., John Schlesser.

Among those present at the funeral from a distance were Mrs. Needham of Charles City, J. P. Foley of Galesburg, Ill., B. Needham of Rock Rapids, John Fanning of Parker, S.Dak. and Mrs. Flynn of Kingsley, Ia.

Poster's note: The last few paragraphs about pallbearers, etc. were very hard to read -- I did my best with the names. Based on the 1880 census and the Iowa WPA cemetery records, John was the son of Hanora (Nora) (died 1901) and Michael Keough (died 1904).