Thomas L. Shannon in 1894
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|---------Michael SHANNON (1800, Ireland - 1860, Ireland)
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|------Patrick SHANNON (1830, Ireland - 1903, Iowa)
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| | |--------
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| |---------Mary NEYLON (1808, Ireland - Ireland)
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Thomas Lucien SHANNON (1865, Iowa - 1929, Iowa)
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| |---------Jeremiah LUCEY (1800, Ireland - 1897, Iowa)
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| | |--------
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|------Julia LUCEY (1836, New York - 1910, Iowa)
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| |--------
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|---------Bridget DOYLE (1815, Ireland - 1885, Iowa)
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|--------
The following is taken from two family histories compiled by one or two of Thomas' children in the early 1970s:
Thomas Lucian (Lucian after the Lucey family name and also because he
was born on the feast of St. Lucian) 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 and
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. He was awarded a teaching certificate.
Dad taught school in the old White School and then went to Red Oak,
(or Charter Oak by another account) 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. (another account says,
``Dad's wrestling prowess evidently cam in handy --- he stayed out
the year.'')
The other history also says, ``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 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.
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).
Most of Thomas' life was passed in Clinton county with the exception of 16 years in northern Iowa (Lawler), returning to Clinton in 1927. When his mother died in 1910, Thomas was living near Grand Mound. It must have been shortly after that that Thomas moved to Howard Co., because his son Robert was born in Elma in 1911.
Sources for this individual: @S274@
