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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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| James Boyle America
is greatly indebted to the little Emerald isle for having sent such a myriad
host of her best citizens to help us develop the Union. They have been coming to our shores since the colonial days
and have settled in almost every County in our half hundred states and
territories, devoting themselves to all lines of endeavor, and succeeding, too,
at whatever they undertook. They
have been loyal to our institutions and been ready upon all occasions to defend
our flag in times of national peril; in short, we have no better foreign-born citizens than the
Irish. One of this great number is
James Boyle, farmer, of Kellogg, Jasper County, whose birth occurred in County
Sligo, Ireland, December 25, 1848. He is the son of Patrick and Alice
(Fitzpatrick) Boyle, both born in County Sligo, the father in 1820 and the
mother in 1803. The father spent
his entire life in his native country, dying in 1860 at the age of forty years;
the mother came to America and her death occurred in Davenport, Iowa, at the
advanced age of ninety-two years. For
many years Patrick Boyle was a professor of various schools in Ireland, being a
highly educated man and of excellent characteristics.
His wife was a remarkable woman in many respects.
There were seven children in their family, four sons and three daughters,
namely: Michael, John, Patrick, James (of this review), Maggie, Kate and Mariah. James Boyle was
ten years old when he immigrated to America.
He remained in New York City until 1866, when he came west and secured
employment as foreman on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad, on
which he worked for a period of thirty-nine years in the same capacity, being
regarded by the officials as one of the most efficient and faithful employees.
Finally tiring of railroading, he purchased his present farm of sixty acres in
sections 26 and 27, Kellogg Township, Jasper County.
This land was bought by him in 1903, but he did not turn his attention to
active farming until 1905, and since then he has devoted his attention
exclusively to his place which, under, his able management, is yielding abundant
harvests. He maintains his dwelling
in the town of Kellogg. Mr. Boyle was
married in 1875 to Anna McGuire, who was born in New York City in 1858, the
daughter of Patrick McGuire, who was born in Donegal, Ireland, in 1828, and who
died some ten years ago at the age of seventy-two years. Five children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Boyle, four sons and one daughter, namely: Earl, Jay, Charles, Harry and Bessie. Politically, Mr. Boyle is a Democrat, and a member of the Masonic order and Woodmen lodge. He is a worthy member of the Catholic Church. Past and
Present of Jasper County Iowa, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, B.F.
Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912, page 1074. |
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