Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 570
MARION HERBERT MAHONEY

It is a pleasure for the biographer to write of the lives of successful farmers who are at the same time representative citizens of their community. These men are the bone and sinew of American citizenship and without them our institutions and our progress would count for little. One of the representative citizens and successful farmers of Harrison county is Marion Herbert MAHONEY.

Marion H. MAHONEY was born December 18, 1868, in Raglan township, Harrison county, Iowa, the son of Theodore and Emily (WAKEFIELD) MAHONEY. They were natives of Maryland and Illinois, respectively, the father coming from near the Chesapeake bay and the mother from Peoria.

Theodore MAHONEY was the son of Stephen MAHONEY, one of the first settlers of Harrison county. He owned and operated the first saw-mill and grist mill in Harrison county and it was he who sawed the lumber for Harrison county's first court house at Magnolia. The mill was located about a mile and a quarter northeast of Magnolia on the Willow river. Theodore MAHONEY also operated in later years the grist- and flour-mill which was located on the Soldier river. The biographical sketch of Stephen G. MAHONEY, presented elsewhere in this volume, recounts other incidents of the MAHONEY family history.

Marion Herbert MAHONEY was the third child of a large family of boys. He received a common-school education and spent six months taking a business course at the Western Iowa College at Council Bluffs. He lived under the paternal roof until he was married and then settled on his present farm, which then was a part of his father's estate. He has since added to the original farm and now owns two hundred and fifty-five acres of good land all in Taylor township. The soil on this farm has all been formed by the overflow of the Soldier river.

In 1894 Mr. MAHONEY built a good house and barn and he has since added to the improvements by a large barn and crib, tool sheds, etc., and now owns one of the best farms in Harrison county. Mr. MAHONEY engages in general farming and stock raising. He makes a specialty of thoroughbred Hereford cattle and hopes to be a contender for ribbons at future fairs. His present herd, though small, is of the best quality. Mr. MAHONEY is a practical farmer and stock raiser and is truly a representative citizen.

Marion H. MAHONEY was married November 8, 1893, to Dora F. STOWELL, a prominent school teacher of this county, who was born July 24, 1870, in Raglan township, Harrison county, the daughter of John and Evelyn (GURLEY) Stowell, who were natives of Athens, Ohio, and Peoria, Illinois, respectively. To Mr. and Mrs. MAHONEY three children have been born, two of whom are living, X. Ray, born February 1, 1899; Ruth S., born July 1, 1902, and Ethel M., who died in infancy.

Mr. MAHONEY is a Republican. He has held several minor offices, but does not profess to be a politician in any sense of the word. While he is not a member of any church, he is a strong believer in the principles of the Christian religion and especially of right living. He and his family are eminently respected in their community and are keenly and actively alert to all questions that pertain to the public interest of the public welfare.

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