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Note: Had one brother who was a Catholic Priest in Boston, Massachusetts. Attended school in Ireland and later a University in Dublin. After school he traveled throughout Europe, the British Isles, where he met and married in Scotland. Emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he worked in the steel mills. Because of the smog from the mills and the harsh weather, they buried three children in Pittsburgh. They Emigrated to this country in 1872, five years at Scranton, PA. Move to Swift County in the Spring of 1877, taking a homestead in Cam Lake and Kildare townships, where they resided until 1920, when they moved to Benson. Three children were born and died before moving to Minnesota. Archbishop Ireland from St. Paul, Minnesota was recruiting people, Irish in particular, to take out homesteads in the DeGraff area of Minnesota. Along with many other settlers, they moved five and one half miles north of DeGraff. Their first home on the homestead was a sod house, and they later built a better home. Nine children were born on this homestead. Later on, he bought an additional 160 acre farm on contract, which was adjacent to the South of the homestead and he moved his family to this farm. He worked on the Great Northern Railroad, that was being built during the summer months. They had a rough time of making ends meet as did all the homesteaders at first. He was a big man, six feet tall with broad shoulders and sandy colored curly hair. He always had a beard, never wore glasses and could read the newspaper but only in the bright sunlight. He is buried in the Catholic Cemetery in DeGraff. (Aunt Peggy)Had one brother who was a Catholic Priest in Boston, Massachusetts. Attended school in Ireland and later a University in Dublin. After school he traveled throughout Europe, the British Isles, where he met and married in Scotland. Emigrated to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania where he worked in the steel mills. Because of the smog from the mills and the harsh weather, they buried three children in Pittsburg. They Emigrated to this country in 1872, living five years at Scranton, PA. Move to Swift COunty in the Spring of 1877, taking a homestead in Cam Lake and Kildare townships, where they resided until 1920, when they move to Benson. Three children were born and died before moving to Minesota. Archbishop Ireland from St. Paul, Minnesota was recruiting people, Irish in particular, to take out homesteads in the DeGraff area of Minnesota. Along with many other settlers, they moved five and one half miles north of DeGraff. Their first home on the homestead was a sod house, and they later built a better home. Nine children were born on this homestead. Later on, he bought an additional 160 acre farm on contract, which was adjacent to the South of the homestead and he moved his family to this farm. He worked on the Great Northern Railroad, that was being built during the summer months. They had a rough time of making ends meet as did all the homesteaders at first. He was a big man, six feet tall with broad shoulders and sandy colored curly hair. He always had a beard, never wore glasses and could read the newspaper but only in the bright sunlight. He us buried in the Catholic Cemetary in DeGraff. (Aunt Peggy)
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