Home < 1907 Bios

Greene County IAGenWeb

1907 Past and Present Biographies

John Carey

John Carey is one of the pupular and highly esteemed citizens of Greene county, living on section 28, Cedar township, where he owns a good farm. He is one of the worthy citizens that Ireland has furnished to Iowa, his birth having occurred in County Tipperary on the 15th of December, 1840. His parents were Jeremiah and Mary (Mackey) Carey, in whose family were eight children, four of whom are now living, namely: Mrs. Mary Kelley, a resident of Canada; John, of this review; Michael, who is living in Ottawa, Canada; and Martin C., of Langley, Canada, who is chief train dispatcher for the Northern Pacific Railway Company.

John Carey came with his parents to the new world in 1845, when in his fifth year, the family home being established in Canada, where his father and mother remained until they were called to their final rest. John was reared, pursuing his education in the public schools and after he had attained his majority and sought a companion and helpmate for life’s journey, being married in 1861 to Miss Ellen Ryan, who was born in County Limerick, Ireland, about 1840. Following his marriage Mr. Carey turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits in Canada, and there carried on his business until 1875, when he removed with his familty to Greene county, settling on section 28. Cedar township, where he has since made his home.

Here Mr. Carey secured a tract of land of one hundred acres, of which only thirty acres had been broken, while a small shanty constituted almost the only improvement upon the farm. He began life in his new home with few comforts and no luxuries to make life endurable, but by hard work and untiring diligence he has prospered. His economy and industry enabled him to add to his capital and extend the boundaries of his farm until he had at one time seven hundred acres of land in Cedar township. Of generous spirit, he has given to each of his three sons one hundred and sixty acres of land at the time of their marriage to start them in life and he now retains the ownership of two hundred acres of land for himself. In 1898 he retired from the farm and purchased a fine residence in Lohrville, where he lived for a few months, but indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature and he could not content himself in town, so he returned to the farm and intends to spend his remaining days upon this property, which is nicely improved. There is a fine grove of trees and orchard surrounding the house that were set out by Mr. Carey. Many modern accessories and equipments are found upon the place, including the latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields. As the years have gone by he has prospered and his labors have been the basis of an excellent success which he is now enjoying.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Carey have been born six children, and the family circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death. Joseph, the eldest son, wedded Miss Mary Mmnehan, is engaged in farming in Cedar township and has three children, John, Annie and Louis; Martin C., who also carries on general agricultural pursuits in Cedar township, wedded Emma Monahan and has one daughter, Mary. Thomas married Ellen Concannon and resides in Cedar township. Mary Ann is the wife of John Monahan, a resident farmer of Cedar township, and they have five children, Joseph, Ella, Thomas, Mary and Ruth. Ella, the second daughter of the Carey family, is the wife of Michael Grace of Cedar township, and they have four children, Agnes, Mary, John and Michael. Julia H. is the wife of T. J. Ryan, who is principal of the schools at Landsboro, Iowa.

Mr. Carey has always been a democrat since he became a naturalized American citizen and is a staunch advocate of the principles of the party. He has never been desirous of public office, but is always loyal in his citizenship and gives his aid to many progressive movements. Both he and his wife are members of the Catholic church. Having long resided in the county, Mr. Carey is familiar with its history from the early period of its development, and from its colonization to the present time. He bore the hardships and trials of frontier life here, hauling corn to Jefferson, where he marketed it at fifteen cents per bushel. Other farm products sold at a low price and many of the supplies which had to be hauled into the county were very high, but notwithstanding there were difficulties to be met and hardships to be borne Mr. Carey has prospered as the years have gone by, becoming one of the substantial agriculturists of this part of the state.

He is spoken of as a fine man with a host of warm friends. He deserves much credit for what he has accomplished and the high regard in which he is uniformly held has been justly earned. He has always been honorable in his business relations, watchful of all the opportunities pointing to success and has gained his prosperity through unfaltering diligence and integrity. All these qualities have won for him the good will and confidence of those with whom he has been associated and his many friends will receive this record of his life with pleasure. It proves what may be attained when one has the will to dare and to do and his example may well serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others.

Transcribed from "Past and Present of Greene County, Iowa Together With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Prominent and Leading Citizens and Illustrious Dead,"
by E. B. Stillman assisted by an Advisory Board consisting of Paul E. Stillman, Gillum S. Toliver,
Benjamin F. Osborn, Mahlon Head, P. A. Smith and Lee B. Kinsey, Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907.

Site Terms, Conditions & Disclaimer