.
Mooney,
Thomas Sr.- (deceased), formerly of Medina Township, was born in county Louth,
Ireland, in 1788, and was the son of Thomas Mooney, who came to New York in
1798, in consequence of his connection with the troubles of that year in his
native country. He was raised in New York City, and there married, in
1812, Miss Helena Stagg, daughter of James Stagg, a native of New Jersey, by
whom he had six children: James, born Dec. 15, 1814; Thomas, born Jan. 31,
1820; Walter, born April 22, 1822, died March 8, 1875; William, born Sept. 16,
1824; Alfred, born Oct. 15, 1827, who died in New York when a child, and Mary,
born May 18, 1833. He engaged in Mercantile business in New York until
1835, when, with his whole family, he removed to the great and growing West,
settling in Medina Township, of Peoria county, where he remained until his death.
He settled on s.w. 1/4 of Sec. 2, which he had previously bought, and which
was, as that early date, in a state of pristine wildness, and with his boys
build a house upon it, and assiduously began its culture and improvement.
He died upon the old homestead, August 5, 1878, at the ripe old age of 90, and
was buried in the graveyard of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, in Medina
Township. He was a man who made few enemies and many friends, with a most
genial manner, and had always a kind word and a helping hand for all in
distress. He was universally beloved and respected, and had, at his
death, many sincere mourners outside the circle of his relatives. He was,
through life, a Catholic, and to his liberality and spirit, the Catholics of
the township are mainly indebted for the church building they now
possess. He was, in politics, a good and consistent Democrat, and was a
member of the last board of county commissioner of Peoria County, prior to the
adoption of the township organization. Three of his children still reside
in the township.
