The below is from "History of Shannon Family" which was apparently
written by a child of Thomas and Annie (Farrell) Shannon. I received a
copy from a Patrick T. Shannon, a son of their Thomas and Annie's son
Robert Shannon. Patrick T. Shannon thought it had been edited by his
father and Urban Farrell in the early 1970s.
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Family farmed at Villa Nova, south of St. Patricks to road east, 1st
farm on left, children were all educated at White School, just east of
the farm. (White School, about 100 years old, still stands, was used
as a school till about 1955.)

While living in Villa Nova Parish, the Shannon family helped build the
new church, a large brick church built in 1879.  This was the second
church, which burned in 1940.  The present church is built on the site
of the big church. The original church was built in the present
cemetery, towards the south edge, and was of frame construction.

Patrick and Julia are buried in Villa Nova, second lot on the left as
you drive in the gate. This was at one time the first lot, but in
later years additional lots were provided toward the front of the
cemetery, and Uncle Michael Shannon (Dad's brother) bought the lot in
front of his parents, and Dad bought the lot across the drive on the
right, which are directly in front of Mother's parents, George and
Catherine Farrell.

Thomas Lucian (Lucian after the Lucey family name) was a student at
White School, grew up in the community and was highly respected.  Dad
has told me that when the big Church was being built, much of the
material was hauled by team and wagon from Clinton, 20 miles. Because
of farm work, and everyone busy, 1 man with a team and wagon, then
other families would provide a boy with a team and wagon and several
would leave early in the morning, get their loads in Clinton and
return.  The one man in the group would be in charge and lead the
way. This trip would sometimes take 24 hours to complete.

Dad was very proud that he had helped.  Dad was considered quite an
athlete, foot racing, base ball and wrestling. He was the pitcher for
the local team (Uncle George Farrell was the catcher and was proud of
his broken and crooked fingers from Dad's curve ball. They did not use
gloves at that time.)

The practice at that time was informal athletic meets with other
communities, Dad and his friends and team mates would travel to towns
and communities to meet the local teams.

Dad was a big man, 6 feet, weighed about 200 pounds, but was fast amd
was quite successful in 100 yard dash and high jumping.  Farmer Burns,
World Champion Heavyweight Wrestler, was giving and exhibition and Dad
was one of the crowd and wrestled with Farmer Burns.  He was a great
fan of Burns all his life.

Dad attended St. Ambrose College in Davenport, was active in Debate
club and athletics.

Dad taught school in the old White School and then went to Red Oak,
Iowa to teach. In those times country schools consisted of all grades
up to 8th, and often 18 and 20 year old boys were students.  The
favorite game at school was to run the teacher out.  That was the case
at Red Oak when Dad went there to teach.  Dad stayed.

Dad and his brother Uncle John farmed just east of White School, 1st
house on south, and I believe Aunt Bridget kept house for them. Per
Cleo McDermott (1975) and Walter McConahey (1875) the farm was the
Marr place, 2 miles so. of church on east-west road.

The children of the Farrell family also attended White School, in fact
several of them when Thomas L. Shannon was teaching there.  Annie
Farrell (Mother) was one of Dad's students.

The Farrell family also were members of St. Patrick's at Villa Nova,
and the parents are buried there. Second lot on right, just behind
Thomas L. and Annie Farrell Shannon lot. After the death of George,
Catherine continued farming till the children married and left home.

Annie and Thomas were married in 1894 at Villa Nova. They had both
been baptized, confirmed and now married in the same church,
St. Patrick's of Villa Nova, which they had attended all their
lives. When Dad and Mother died, they were members of St. Patricks in
Clinton, Iowa. Funeral masses were held for both at St. Patrick's in
Clinton and then burial at Villa Nova, first lot inside the gate on
right side of drive.  This burial lot which they purchased as young
people is in front of Mother's parents and across the drive from Dad's
parents and brother.

Thomas and Annie started married life farming the same place where Dad
farmed just east of the school and for several years farmed in the
Villa Nova Community.  Eleven children were born.

In 1910, Thomas, Annie and family, with several other families,
including John Shannon, John Showalter, Patrick Farrell and their
families, moved to Howard County, Iowa, near Elma.

The family farmed there till 1918, then Dad became agent for Standard
Oil in Lawler, Chickasaw County, Iowa.  Family remained in Lawler till
1927, then moved to Clinton.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The following is taken from "Family History of Thomas Lucian and Annie
Farrell Shannon. Their ancestors and descendents", also received from
Patrick T. Shannon, who got it from his father, Robert.  This one was
pretty clearly written after the above one (but not by very long), and
most of what it says is the same as the above article, so I'm only
retyping the passages which show differences.  Patrick thought this
one might have been written by Ruth (Shannon) Bledsoe, a daughter of
Thomas and Annie.
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The Lucey and the Reed-Lawler-Farrell clan came together in DeWitt.
Growing families and more emigrants prompted the Irish to move from
DeWitt to Center Grove township, so named because of the large timber
grove running through it.  The north half was largely populated by
Germans. The south half, although with no streams or mill sites, drew
the Irish, largely because it was unsettled and the last of the
government lands were to be had in that locality.  Land in the DeWitt
area then sold for $4 to $5 per acre --- in center Grove it was about
$1.20 per acre.

The Shannon family helped build the first church in 1856, and again in
1879 when the big brick church with a towering steeple was built.  the
building was damaged by lightning fires several times, the last in
1940, when the steeple attracted its last bolt of lightning.  The
church was destroyed, along with many of its records.  The present
church was built on the same site. The original frame church was at
the south edge of the present cemetery.

Thomas Lucian (born Jan. 7, 1865 on the feast of St. Lucian, and named
also for the Lucey name) attended White School and grew up in the
community.

Thomas was quite athletic and excelled in foot racing and wrestling.
Some of us can remember, when he was a mature man with five or six
children, of some prodigious ``high jumps'' --- no hands, to our
delight.  He was also the pitcher for the local baseball team. Uncle
George Farrell was the catcher, and often displayed his broken little
finger from Dad's curve ball.  The didn't use gloves in those days.
Athletic meets and spelling bees were seasonal festivities, and he
excelled in both. Thomas later attended St. Ambrose College in
Davenport and was awarded a teaching certificate. He first taught in
the home school, where Annie Farrell, nine years younger than he, was
one of his pupils.  I think she never lost completely her awe of
``teacher.''  He then went to Charter Oak, in western Iowa, were pupils
ranged in age from 5 to 20, in grades one to eight. Most of the older
boys went to school with one ambition --- to run the teacher
out. Dad's wrestling prowess evidently came in handy --- he stayed out
the year.

He gave up teaching in 1892 and with his brother John farmed just east
of the White school, with their sister Bridget keeping house for them.
Michael, as the eldest son, stayed on the home farm. The young Shannon
trio were later to marry Farrells --- Bridget married Patrick, John
married Theresa (Tessie) and Thomas married Annie.

The Farrell children grew up with the Shannons, their close neighbors,
and attended the same school. Most of them received a modicum of
higher education, Uncle George attended St. Ambrose, and the girls had
brief terms at Our Lady of Angels. I remember Mama telling of coming
home for Christmas after her first semester, and learning to her
sorrow that another sister, I think Aunt Tessie, was to attend the
second semester in her place.

In 1910, Thomas and Annie and their family with several other families
of the clan: the John Shannons, John Showalters (Aunt Lizzie) and a
few years later, the Patrick Farrells, moved to northern Iowa.  Thomas
and Annie lived near Elma until 1917, when after two years of hog
cholera and three successive years of early frost which ruined the
corn crop, Dad was forced to sell out and move to town. He was
employed on the county road crew until 1918 when we moved to Lawler,
where he was Standard Oil agent. The family lived there until 1927,
when they moved back to Clinton. while in Lawler, Thomas served as
town marshal and justice of the peace, which included one marriage
(after he got an Okay from Father O'Brien).