The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-09-29
MARTIN CONROY IS
CALLED BY DEATH
PIONEER RESIDENT cOUN-
TY PASSED AWAY
HERE IN INDIAN DAYS
Was Member of Minute Men Or
ganized To Protect Whites
From Savages

Martin Conroy, ninety I'VE years
Of age, and an old settler Of Blue
Earth county, died last night 81
| Il 80. etele0f Il - 81 his
daughter in Law. mrs. b coBroy.
security Flats. He leaves to mourn
his loss, i've children who are !.
James and Edward Of Cheyenne
Wells, Colo. Mrs. John Gamer OF
st. Cloud, Mrs. Walter Caven and
Mrs. H. j. Graham of Mankato. Al
so fourteen grandchildren and three
great grandchildren.
Near the shores of the Atlantic
ocean, in county Galway. Ireland,
Martin Conroy was born October 8.
1928, being son of James and Cath
in Ireland. At an early age he de-
cided that the new world offered
him greater opportunities than the
old, and in 1S48 he crossed the ocean
in sailing vessel, which cast an
Choir at New York City. After a
short sojourn there he went to Gin
ton, Mass, where he secured en-
ployment at SO per month. His next
work was in the woods near Man
chester, N. H. He next was en-
ployed in cotton factory at Frank
lin, N. H, whence he removed to
Suncock in the same state. Later
for three years he worked fo- the
governor of New Hampshire in brick
yards in the northern part of the
state. The year 1855 found him a
pioneer in the then unsettled regions
of Minnesota, where he took up a
claim in Winona county.
Obliged To Mortgage Home.
To buy a yoke of oxen to work
his claim he was obliged to mort
gage his new made home and pay
forty per cent interest The load
proved too heavy and he was forced
to abandon all to the, money lender.
During 1857 he came to Blue Earth
county and took up homestead
near Vernon Center. During 1868
he removed to Lyra township and
settled on a farm, to the improve.
ment of which he gave many active
years. By dint of unremitting eff
forts and patient industry he &C
uuired two hundred and fifteen acres
of land, but eventually he gave some
of the property to his SONS, and up
on retiring from farm activities he
rented the balance.
The marriage of Mr.. Con-ay which
occurred at Suncock, N. H., Novem-
Der, 1872, united him with Elizabeth
Farmer, daughter of Thomas and
Rose Farmer, who were born. and
reared in the north of Ireland, Inn
migrated to the United States, set
tied in New Hampshire, and there
remained until death. Eleven chill
dren were born to Mr.. and Mrs.
Conroy, FIVE of which survive their
father. The family hold membership
with the Irish Catholic church, in
which faith Mr.. Conroy was reared
in the old Irish home. For fifteen
years he held school office and al
ways has maintained warm inter-
est in educational movements.
Few White Men Preceded Him.
More than one half century has
brought its varying changes to the
commonwealth of Minnesota since
first Mr.. Conroy landed in this then
frontier of the northwest. Few white
men had preceded him as permanent
settlers, but the, tide of emigration
had begun to turn hither and each
year brought its influx of sturdy pi-
onee-s bent upon the conquest of
the soil. Indians still roamed over
the prairies and the light of their
campfres was often the only indica-
ton of human life visible to the eye
as the gaze of the stranger rested
anxiously upon the unbroken stretch
es of primeval soil. While at times
the red men were friendly history
records that they were hostile to
TIE taking up of land by the whites
and at times their hostility found
expression in the most cruel forms.
notably the murder Of the Jewett
IFonfinued On papa