William Brothers

Many are the natives of the green land of Ireland who have come to America and carved for themselves a niche in the great western republic and have found the position and the opportunities for accumulating property which would never have been afforded them in the old country, and in this number we must reckon one of the old citizens of Monroe county, who has been a resident of the county for over half a century and well deserves mention among the prominent men of the county.

Michael Brothers, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Tipperary county, Ireland, and his wife, Mary Bryan, was of the same county. They lived and died in the land of their birth and became the parents of seven children, five sons and two daughters: Catherine, John, Michael, Daniel, Patrick, William and Mary.

William Brothers was born over three-quarters of a century ago, about the year 1825, in county Tipperary, and spent the early years of his life in his native land. When about twenty-six old he emigrated to America, and coming west to Iowa bought eighty acres of improved land in Monroe county. A few years later he was married and then removed to Keokuk, Iowa, where for about three years he worked at blacksmithing, and then came to Monroe county and located on the farm where he now lives. He owns about two hundred and forty acres of land, all under a good state of improvement, and Mr. Brothers has the name of being one of the successful farmers of the county.

In 1857 Mr. Brothers was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Conroy, who was born in Queens county, Ireland, and was the daughter of James Conroy, who died soon after his arrival at

St. Louis, Missouri; she spent her childhood in Ireland and came to this country with her parents. There were eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Brothers, three sons and five daughters: Mike and James, twins; Mary, Catherine, Annie, Elizabeth, Julia and John. Mr. Brothers has been prominent in the local affairs of the township; he has been township trustee and a member of the school board for several terms; in politics he adheres to the Democratic party. He is now about seventy-seven years old and his estimable wife is eighty-two, both having passed the allotted span of life. They are zealous members of the St. Patrick’s church at Georgetown and they gave liberally of their means and influence to build it.