Michael O'Connor (born 1855)

OCONNOR

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 10/3/2022 at 21:47:25

Michael O’Connor
(born 1855, London, England)

Michael O'Connor is one of the thrifty and progressive agriculturists of this county and now owns and operates a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 3, Calhoun Township. He also owns another
farm, west of Lake City, comprising one hundred and fifty-seven and a half acres. His early home was on the other side of the Atlantic, for he was born in 1855 in the city of London, England, his parents being John and Ellen O'Connor, who brought their family to the United States in 1865. His father is now living a retired life in Lake City, Iowa. Michael is the oldest of the father's family of children, the others being as follows: Thomas, a farmer of Calhoun County; John, a retired resident of Lake City; Morris, who died in Kankakee County, Illinois, in 1897, leaving a wife and two children; Mary, wife of Thomas Devine, of Kankakee County, Illinois; Ellen, wife of Morris Sheehan, of Calhoun County, Iowa; and Mrs. Nora Ward, a widow now living in Lake City.
The subject of this sketch spent the first ten years of his life in London, and then accompanied his parents on their emigration to America. He grew to manhood in the, town of Utica, La Salle County, Illinois, and was given good school privileges. About 1871 he removed to Kankakee County, that state, where his father owned a valuable farm, and he assisted in its operation for several years. He also owned property in that county and continued his residence there until the beginning of the present century. In 1900 he sold out and after traveling quite extensively over northwestern Iowa looking for a suitable location he decided to settle in Calhoun County and bought the farm where he now resides, taking up his abode here on the 28th of February that year. He has since enlarged and remodeled the house and made many other improvements which add greatly to the value and attractive appearance of the place. A skillful farmer and a man of good business and executive ability, he has met with excellent success in his undertakings and is today one of the substantial men of his community.
At Kankakee, Illinois, December 8, 1878, Mr. O'Connor led to the marriage altar Miss Maggie Durkin, who was reared in Will County, that state, and they have become the parents of seven children, namely: John, James, Martin, Walter, Cecilia, Helen and Pearl. The oldest sons now assist their father in the operation of the farm. The family are communicants of the Catholic church of Lake City. Although their residence in this county is of short duration they have made many warm friends here and stand high in public esteem.
In his political views Mr. O'Connor is a stanch Republican, and while a resident of Kankakee, Illinois, served as township committeeman for the appointment of employees of the insane asylum at that place for several years. He was also a member of the school board for twenty years, and was district clerk all of the time. Public-spirited and progressive, he does all in his power to advance the interests of the community with which he is connected. [Source – Biographical Record of Calhoun County, Iowa, by S.J. Clarke, 1902, p.417]