Austin Thyne, a prominent farmer of Sperry Township, Clayton County, Iowa, is a native of Ireland, having been born in Milltown-Malbay, County Clare, in the year 1849, and is the son of Austin and Jane (Dixon) Thyne. There were eleven children in this family, five of whom are living, three boys and two girls. The father of our subject died in the Old Country at the age of ninety-three, and the mother emigrated to the United States, where she made her home until her death, which occurred in the year 1888. The maternal grandparents of our subject lived to the good old age of one hundred and one, and one hundred and two, respectively. The paternal grandmother lived to be ninety-three years old.

Our subject emigrated to the United States in the year 1865, his brother Patrick and another brother following five years later. Mr. Thyne sailed from Queenstown and was twenty days crossing the ocean; he did not have a very pleasant voyage, as he was sea sick all the way. He landed in Boston, Mass., where he worked for about four months on the railroad, when he left the east and went to Oshkosh, making the journey in three days and three nights. On his arrival in Wisconsin he went to work on a farm for a Pennsylvania Dutchman. He remained here for about two months and then came to Iowa, where he now resides. Our subject worked for different parties for six or seven years. He and Pat O'Laughlan purchased eighty acres of land in partnership; they cultivated and improved the same, and in 1875 our subject bought out his partner, and by hard labor and industry soon had a valuable and paying farm.

Mr. Thyne was united in marriage with Miss Mary Henry, daughter of Alexander and Annie (Carr) Henry, January 22, 1877. Her parents are living on a farm about two miles and one-half from her home. Mr. and Mrs. Thyne are the parents of nine children. Jenny, the oldest, is sixteen years of age; Annie is fourteen, Austin, twelve; Willie, ten; Robert, eight; Isabel, six; Emmet, four; Walter, two, and Grace is the baby.

Politically, our subject is a Democrat, but generally votes for the best man regardless of politics. In his religious belief he is a Catholic. The two sisters of our subject reside in Australia. Our subject is loyal and true to his adopted country, and is ever ready to do his whole duty as a liberal spirited and progressive citizen.

~source: Portrait and Biographical Record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties; Chicago: Chapman Pub. Co., 1894; pg 476-477
~transcribed by Becky Teubner