Charles W. Kenney

It is a rare privilege to be able to spend our lives on the old home
place; there is a charm under "the roof that hears our earliest cry,"
that never vanishes, but for some caprice of fate few of us are
permitted to remain at our birthplace; we are ushered out into strange
lands among strange people and are compelled to form new ties and
often adopt different modes of existence.  This has not been the case
with Charles W. Kenny, of Clinton county, who was born on December 24,
1868, on the farm which he now occupies.  He is the son of Patrick and
Margaret (Blessington) Kenney, both born in Ireland, from which
country they came to America in 1847 and 1840, respectively.  The
father came alone and after a few years spent in New York, Michigan
and Wisconsin, he came to Clinton county, Iowa in 1851 or 1852 and
entered government land, being among the pioneers.  He developed his
one hundred and sixty acres in Hampshire township into an excellent
farm, by clearing and improving it, and he was married in this county,
having been a young man and single when he came here.  The maternal
grandparents, the Blessington family, came to America about 1840 and
located in Vermont.  They left their daughter Margaret in the city of
Lowell, Massachusetts, where she found employment in the cotton mills;
later she came to Clinton county, Iowa, and married Patrick Kenney.
To this union eight children were born, seven of whom are living.
Patrick Kenney has never been a public man, living a quiet life, yet
interested in local affairs.  He has lived retired in Lyons since
1893.  His wife died in 1905.

Charles W. Kenney was educated in the common schools and reared on the
home farm where he assisted with the work of clearing and developing
and he never cared to follow any other line of work.  About 1900 he
bought the old home place of one hundred sixty acres.  He has managed
the same very successfully and has made a great success in stock
raising, breeding high grade Aberdeen Angus cattle, draft horses and
other good stock, which always find a ready market owing to their
superior quality.

Politically, Mr. Kenny is a Democrat.  He has been township assessor
for six years and is now township trustee, and is also secretary of
the school board at present.  He belongs to St. Iranaeus Catholic
church at Lyons, and to the Woodmen of the World.

On April 10, 1893, Mr. Kenney married Rosa V. Shannon, daughter of
Patrick and Julia Shannon, old settlers of Washington township.  This
union resulted in the birth of eight children, namely; Charles J.,
Francis P., Beatrice M., Andrew, Joseph (died in infancy), Rose
Lillian, Monica and James G.  The mother of these children was called
to her rest on May 18, 1910.  She was a woman of beautiful Christian
character and had a host of friends.



From Wolfe's History of Clinton County, Iowa, Volume II, 1911, pp. 821-822
In the Wisconsin State Hist. Soc. Lib.
Located by D. Nicklaus, retyped 1995 by L. Morrison