Sheehey, James

SHEEHEY

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/2/2021 at 20:41:16

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.651

JAMES SHEEHEY
James Sheehey, is one of the self made men of Warren county for through his own industry and good management he has acquired a comfortable competence and is today the owner of a fine farm on section 11, Jefferson township, where he now makes his home. He is a native of Ireland and on his emigration to this country in 1867 came direct to Iowa, first locating at Des Moines, where he commenced work for the Rock Island Railroad Company. At the end of two years he was made section boss on the Des Moines and Winterset branch of that road and on the 12th of February, 1872, became a resident of Warren County, making his home in Lothrop while filling that position for thirty years.
Mr. Sheehey was first married in this county to Miss Mary Wood and to them was born one daughter, Margaret. After the death of that wife he married Miss Anna Macken, by whom he had one son, James, who worked for the Rock Island Railroad for some years and is now at home with his father. For his third wife Mr. Sheehey wedded Miss Mary Dewitt, and they became the parents of three sons and three daughters, namely:Edward, Michael, Leo, Alice, Mamie and Catherine.
Mr. Sheeheys first purchase of land consisted of twelve acres in Jefferson township but as time has passed and his financial resources have increased, he has added to his property until he now owns three hundred and forty acres of land, divided into two farms. Upon one of these he located on his retirement from the railroad service in 1901 and he now devotes his energies to farming and stock raising. His home place is well improved with good buildings and as an agriculturist he is meeting with excellent success. He is a very energetic, industrious man, of good business ability and sound judgment and to his own unaided efforts he owes his prosperity for he commenced life in the new world empty-handed. Politically he has been a lifelong democrat of the Cleveland type.