Richard Kenny (New material added)
Richard Kenny was born on July 6, 1845 to the parents of Thomas and Ellen (Purcell) Kenny, in County Wexford, Ireland.
Richard's two older brothers, James and Bartholomew would have went to the little school just down the path.
Richard was just 6 years old when they left from New Ross, Wexford on April 15, 1851. It showed on their shipping manifest that they were residence of Motabower, County Wexford, which is just adjacent to Kennystown, County Wicklow. They arrived in Quebec, May 30th after a long journey across the Atlantic. Their family were part of the Lord Fitzwilliam estate, evictees. Immediately, the Thomas Kenny family traveled by water-route, to Smiths Falls, Ontario, where many other Fitzwilliam evictees ended up, including Thomas' sister, Sarah (Kenny) Balfe.
During Richard's childhood, he would have had some schooling in Smiths Falls, Ontario, but living on a farm, he learned how to farm. Later in his life, as far as my research finds, Richard was a farmer.
While in Smiths Falls, Richard met a girl that lived nearby and attended the same church, St. Francis de Salle. Her name was Elizabeth Lovely. Her parents, Edward and Bridget Lovely were old settlers, meaning that they came in the early years, around 1830. Richard married Eliza on February 27, 1865.
Richard and Eliza had two children in Smiths Falls and moved in early 1868. They were on the 1870 census in Door County, Wisconsin. They came to Nasewaupee, Door County, because of several siblings already living there. After Richard and Eliza lost their entire farm, house and tools in the Great Fire of 1871, they moved to Carroll County, Iowa. Many others, including Richard's brother, Bartholomew and another relative by marriage, the Mulvihill's, also lost all their property and farm to this fire.
According to the Index to Declaration of Intention for Door County, Wisconsin, his Date of "Intent" was filed on March 19th, 1868.
Richard and his wife Eliza, sold their land in Door County, section #34, township # 27, 120 acres, to William Wilke for $1200 on October 24, 1873.
Richard is in the "Military List" 1881-1889 in the books at Carroll Iowa - age 33
Age 35 in 1881, he was in the Washington Township, Carroll County, Iowa.
On Nov. 25, 1873, Richard bought 80 acres, 4-5 miles due south of Arcadia, for $640.00, then 40 more on May 14, 1874 for $320.00. Sold it all to Mary New on Sep 30, 1890 for $3720.00. It showed his residence was in Omaha. These documents are in my files, along with the Carroll County 1875, 1880 Census' and the
Omaha, Douglas Co. census of 1900 & 1910.
In the Carroll County 1875 Census, It shows the Lovely's in their own section as head of house, and it shows 4 male and 5 females in Richard Kenny's house.
While in Arcadia, Richard Farmed his
land and did well. But again tragedy stuck the Kennys during the winter of
1879-80 when they lost three of their children due to illness'. I am
uncertain of which illness took their lives, but in those days, anything from
Scarlet Fever, Influenza and Typhoid seemed to be the main child age killers.
The Kennys lost first, William, at the age of 10, on Nov. 17th, 1889. The
following day, the 18th, Bridget, age 6 and one of the twins dies, then
about a month and a half later, Elizabeth, just under 2 years old past away on
Jan 2, 1880.
On the grave stone in Arcadia, IA, it shows 3 separate burials on a pillar shape stone, on three sides. All three children were definitely Richard and Eliza's Kenny.
On this stone are Bridget, Elizabeth and William, and their name is
spelled KENNEY.
I also noted on Richards death certificate, it states, Richard Kenney. Now, on his wives death
cert., it indicates Eliza KENNY
In the obit, is states Richard KENNY.
Richard's parents, were
Thomas and Eleanor Kenny, and I can assume both were illiterate when they came over to North
America and never knew the difference in the spelling of their name.
In Omaha, Richard's family lived at 1402
Pinkney Street.
According to a Omaha, 1910 census, it shows Richard and Eliza having 12 children, with 7 alive in 1910.
Later, when Richard lived in Omaha at 2413 S. 18th, there was a 17 year old, Lizzy Lovely also living with him.
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In December, 1910, it seems that all the
Kenny siblings got together in Nasewaupee for
Christmas. Richard would have just lost his wife, in June of the same year.
The following articles were in the Door County paper:
"Mrs. Mary Hourigan of Smiths Falls, Ont. is revisiting this town after being absent of 39 years. She is a sister of Edward and James Kenny and Mrs. Phil Gillick, and will be
remembered by the older residence. Frank J. Hourigan and his wife of Carthage, NY, are also spending a week here, the first being a son of Mrs. Hourigan. He is an engineer on a NY railroad and expects to remain for a week."
In another article from the same paper, Dec. 29th, 1910, there was an article, " Richard Kenny of Omaha, Neb., is spending the holidays with his relatives and friends and a family reunion was held within the week, at which all the surviving members of the family were present."