Farley Family Tree: Farley

Farley Immigration History

Shared by Clea (Farley) Wilson on December 14, 2022

County Meath

Laurence Farley was born in County Meath, Ireland. He married Mary Goff and they lived in County Meath, about 20 miles from Dublin, where the first four of their five children were born: Anna, Patrick, James, and Mary Ann. Their youngest son, Lawrence, was born after they emigrated.

Known as the “Great Famine,” “Great Hunger,” and “Irish Potato Famine” – a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1949

Historical accounts show that "The Great Famine" began as the indispensable potato crops of Ireland failed everywhere due to a blight. As typhus followed the famine, vast numbers died. It became worse and more generally spread in 1847, making emigration the only means of escape. Despite aid from other countries, numerous people continued to flee, causing the Irish population to drop by 1,950,000 between 1845 and 1851. According to an oral account passed down by Laurence's grandson, James P. Farley, Laurence's family slipped out of Ireland "in the middle of the night" because of this Irish potato famine.

Between 1820 and 1860, the Irish constituted over one third of all immigrants to the United States. In the 1840s, they comprised nearly half of all immigrants to this nation. Irish immigrants in the 1840s and 1850s settled mainly in coastal states such as New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, but also in western states such as Illinois and Ohio.

On July 10, 1851, Mary and the children arrived in New York on the ship, Shannon. Records indicate that Laurence traveled separately through Canada. The family eventually reunited and made a home for themselves in Illinois.

Dakota Territory

The Homestead Act, enacted during the Civil War in 1862, provided that any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land. Claimants were required to live on and “improve” their plot by cultivating the land.

Mary and Laurence’s son Lawrence “Larry" Farley arrived in the Beresford area in 1875. In 1880, his father, Laurence filed on land in Section 10 of Prairie Township. In 1883, the younger Lawrence proved up on a homestead of his own in Prairie Township, three miles east of Beresford (now South Dakota).

Lawrence married Elizabeth O'Conner in 1887. They had eleven children, out of which nine reached adulthood. Most, if not all, of the Farley descendants still living in Beresford, South Dakota, today are descended from Larry and Elizabeth Farley.

Lawrence Farley Jr, was 29 and his mother, Elizabeth B. O'Connor, was 25 had Leonard Lawrence Farley (see picture above) on 20 February 1883, in Union, South Dakota, United States.

Leonard married Nora Gertrude Merrigan on 7 May 1913, in Spink Township, Union, South Dakota, United States. They were the parents of Delmar, Leonor, Phyllis, Earl and Gene. He lived in Prairie Township, Union, South Dakota, United States for about 45 years. He died on 4 November 1962, in Beresford, Union, South Dakota, United States, at the age of 79, and was buried in Emmet, Union, South Dakota, United States.

Where Did the Farleys Live?

Email from Mary Farley - December 16, 2022

Sioux City, Iowa 1940-1943

Mom and Dad met while living in Sioux City, Iowa. They were introduced by a mutual friend while taking the train from Sioux City to their home towns. Dad originally walked to Sioux City from Beresford (53 miles) on his way to making a fortune. He quickly ran out of money so this was not a common travel mode.

They married and lived in Sioux City, Iowa where Jim and I were born. Dad got a job with Burroughs Office Machine company. He had and exemption from being drafted because he was considered necessary for the war effort as the military was using the new computing machines and Rapid City was a big army base. Dad sold them to the units and taught them how to use them.

Rapid City, South Dakota 1953-1946

Jerry was born there. Mom got sick and needed hospitalization. WWII ended in September 1945 and Burroughs asked Dad to transfer to Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Fort Dodge, Iowa 1946- 1951

Dad continued to work for Burroughs. Kay and Jean were born there. He got recruited to work for LeFebure Office and Banking equipment and was asked to open a new territory in either San Francisco or Seattle. He choose Seattle.

Seattle, WA 1951-1953

We moved to Seattle in late summer of 1951 and went to school for one year; a catholic school for Jim, Jerry and me, and a local elementary school for Kay.

Bothell, WA 1953 -

Candy and Cathy were born while living here.

Marjorie Helen Orner Farley

Email from Mary Farley - December 29, 2022

Marjorie Helen Orner's family tree:

Great Grandfather - Simon Hughes born in Cavan County, Ireland in 1807

Great Grandmother - Margaret Boyle born in Sherburn Township, Cavan County, Ireland in ??

Grandfather - James Simon Hughes born in Cavan County, Ireland in 1844

Grandmother - Mary Ellen Keenan born in Altona, Pennsylvania in 1856

Mother - Agnes Elizabeth Hughes born January10, 1895 in LeMars, Iowa, and died July 16, 1964 in Seattle, WA

Father - LeRoy Orner born in ? in Iowa and died March 6, 1943 at the age of 51

Self - Marjorie Helen Orner Farley born March 22, 1916 in Parker, SD

Husband - Delmar Francis Farley born April 1914 in Beresford, SD

Notes and Timeline:

1847 - Potato Famine - 1 million people died in Ireland and 1 million people immigrated

1848 - Family immigrated to USA. James was 4 years old. They landed in Cleavland, Ohio and stayed there until they migrated to Iowa.

1854 - Family migrated to Jackson County, It was to a rural Irish Settlement of Garry Owen where they farmed for several years.

1873 - moved to Plymouth Count, Iowa ( between Sioux City and LeMars, Iowa ). Claimed their 160 acres and farmed.

1876 - James married Mary Ellen Keenan. They had 13 children. Our Grandmother, Agnes Elizabeth Hughes, was #10 born Jan 10, 1895

They were successful farmers in spite of dust storms and grasshopper invasions. Mr. Hughes acquired additional acres and worked them with his sons.

James, besides doing farm work and laboring on other farms, he taught school, having acquired more than an ordinary education in the days when young people did not have the facilities that are available to them now. Most boys left school at a young age to help on the farm. Mr. Hughes was very active in the community and the church, Catholic of course, and organized farmers around various issues. He was described in one obituary as big, brawny and brainy.

Mary Ellen Keenan, mother's grandmother was of Irish descent. She was born February 18, 1856 near Altona, Pennsylvania. Her father, Patrick Keenan came to the USA in ? and located in Pennsylvania where he worked on the railroads. A lot of Irish men and women worked building railroads in the eastern USA , with the Chinese laborers working from the western side of the USA.

In 1857 Ms. Keenan's family moved to Jackson County, Iowa. In 1873 they moved to Plymouth County, Iowa and bought 360 acres. The Keenans were good farmers and eventually owned 920 acres.

Mr. Orner was a barber and a very bad alcoholic. Grandma (Agnes) made him leave. She was running a small hotel and restaurant with her brother and a couple of employees. His barber shop was right next door. He died in Red Bluffs, California. Dad (Delmar) said they found him dead in some woods.

Mother (Marjorie) says she only saw him once after he left. He was supposed to come to her high school graduation but he did not come. His father wrote mother a letter, (It is here (Bothell home) somewhere, telling her he was sorry that LeRoy didn't come but he knew that he loved her.)

None of us knew our grandfather, as I (Mary) was born in 1942 and Jim in 1941. I have been hunting for the only photo I ever saw of him. Mother looks a lot like him, same big eyes and small nose.