Cyrus Kennedy

As printed in 1914

CYRUS KENNEDY.

Cyrus Kennedy, a well known citizen of Fort Madison, residing at No. 906 Fifth street, was born on the 12th of October, 1853, in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, which was also the birthplace of his parents, James and Jane (Wilson) Kennedy. His grandparents on both sides came from Ireland and were early settlers of the Keystone state. In 1864 his parents brought their family to Lee county, Iowa, and located in Pleasant Ridge township, but they spent their last years in Fort Madison, where the father died in 1893, the age of seventy-nine, and the mother in 1895, at the age of eighty. Throughout his active business life he had followed agricultural pursuits. In the family were four sons and six daughters, of whom one son and one daughter died in infancy. The others were: W. R., who died in this county in 1899; Mrs. Mary Macklin, who died in Pennsylvania; Amanda, who died in this county; Elizabeth, the wife of Stewart Valentine, of Missouri; Ellen, the wife of W. B. Braden, of Nebraska; Lila, the wife of S. W. Morow, of Nebraska; Hiram, who lives with our subject; and Cyrus.

The last named passed the first eleven years of his life in the county of his nativity and was then brought by his parents to- Iowa, remaining on the home farm until 1888, when he removed to Fort Madison. Here he engaged in contracting and building houses in partnership with his brother W. R. Kennedy for a short time. In 1 89 1 he was made a member of the police force, with which he has been connected at intervals for ten years, and in the meantime has served as a guard at the state penitentiary. His fidelity to duty has made him a most trustworthy official, and he has become quite prominent in the local ranks of the democratic party, being now a candidate for the office of county supervisor.

Mr. Kennedy married Miss Sarah A. Schantz, who was born in this county, January 16, 1853, a daughter of Peter and Anna (Roth) Schantz. Her father was a native of Germany and her mother of France. In 1837 they came to this county and here spent the remainder of their lives, the father being engaged in farming and also acting as a local preacher. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have three daughters: Victoria Nellie, who is a graduate of the high school of Fcrt Madison and the Iowa College at Grinnell and is now employed as a Latin teacher in Kewanee, Illinois; Delia May, the wife of H. A. Heil of Burlington, Iowa; and Edith Jane, the wife of Nathan Tucker of Wever, Iowa. The two younger daughters are graduates of the Fort Madison high school and also followed teaching prior to their marriage.

Since early boyhood Mr. Kennedy has been a consistent member of the Presbyterian church, and fraternally he is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Royal Neighbors and the Moose. His life has ever been such as to gain him the confidence and high regard of those with whom he is brought in contact, and he well merits the esteem in which he is held.

As printed in Story of Lee County, Iowa; (1914). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.