Edward P Cleary

CLEARY, FINLEY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen - volunteer (email)
Date: 1/30/2016 at 23:31:54

Woodbury County History 1984

Edward P Cleary
By Mary Miltenberger

Edward Cleary was born in 1823 in Nenagh, Ireland, County Tipperary, the son of Hugh Cleary. As a young man he went to Limmerick to earn money for passage to the United States. He came to America, arriving May 30, 1849, on the SS John Hawkes at the Boston port. His reason for wanting to come to America was the oppression of the English and the potato famine.

One June 1, 1854, Edward married Hanorah Finley also from Ireland, in Boston. The marriage records show his occupation in teamste. He late became a steam engineer, and as he grew older, a farmer.

Edward and Hanorah left Boston and traveled to Ohio where the first two childen were born. They are Kate and Mary. Later they moved to Keokuk, Iowa, and then Salix, Iowa. The other children are Maggie, Annie, Edward, Lucy and Steve. Edward’s favorite saying was ‘Divil-A-Bit’ and not surprising as the parish he was born was at the base of Devil’s Bit Mountains. He was a big man and it was said he would go into sloons and announce loudly, ‘I’m a roraring’ Tip form Nenagh!’ And if there was anyone around who didn’t like that news, he would see what he wanted to do about it. Hanorah was a little woman and unfortunately for us, they didn’t talk about Ireland, only wanting to forget about all the hardships in that country.

After Edward and Hanorah left Keokuk, Iowa, they traveled by boat to Sioux City, taking the Mississippi River to St Louis and then the Missouri River to Sioux City. At night they would go ashore and would have to be very careful because of Indian raids. Edward was quite a smart man and would take the bark off of a tree and make a place to keep his money and valuables in and then put the bark back on the trees. When the Indians came he would have nothing for them. When the family arrived in Sioux City after several weeks he bought a team and wagon and made his way to Salix. This trip took a week, since he had to cut the tall reeds and grasses out of his way.

Edward died January 14, 1907 and Hanorah died August 31, 1913. Their children are Mary, Mrs John Joyce; Anne, Mrs Pat Dunn; Kate, Mrs Jim O’Meara; Maggie, Mrs Pat O’Neill; then Edward, Lucy, Mrs Charles Tippens; and then Steve.