THOMAS LEONARD from the "Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa"
====================================================================
USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing
         free information on the Internet, data may be used by
         non-commercial entities, as long as this message
         remains on all copied material. These electronic
         pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit
         or for presentation by other persons or organizations.

         Persons or organizations desiring to use this material
         for purposes other than stated above must obtain the
         written consent of the file contributor, or the legal 
         representative of the contributor, and contact the 
         listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.

         This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
         Archives by:    Sue Baker
                       < gonfishn@millcomm.com >
====================================================================

THOMAS LEONARD, a farmer of Hazel Dell Township, was born and reared  
in County Roscommon, Ireland, upon a farm.  At the age of seventeen or 
eighteen years he came to America, landing in Boston, where he resided 
fourteen or fifteen years.  In 1867 he came to Jackson County, Iowa, 
where he remained until 1875, when he came to Pottawattamie County.  
While in Boston he was engaged in the manufacture of brick, and in 
Jackson County, Iowa, he was a farmer; and he also afterward was 
engaged in farming at Silver City, Mills County, Iowa.  On coming to 
this county in 1875 he purchased a tract of 240 acres on section 15, 
Hazel Dell Township.  It was but partially improved, and he has 
devoted his earnest attention to the improvement of the place until 
he has made it one of the finest in that part of the county.  He has 
a good frame residence 20 x 30 and 18 x 30, also a fine barn 40 x 64, 
etc.  Every feature of his place evinces good taste as well as a great 
amount of labor.  In his political principles he is a thorough 
Democrat, casting his first vote for James Buchanan, and ever since 
then taking an active part in the political welfare of the county, 
State and nation.  He has been Township Trustee, and is now chairman 
of the Democratic Township Committee.  He has made all he owns by his 
industry, having had but fifty cents when he was first landed on 
American shores.

He was first married to Catherine Hoer, who died in 1864, in 
Massachusetts.  Of their six children two are living:  Thomas W., at 
home, and James, a resident of Neola Township.  Mr. Leonard was 
married, this time, to Mrs. Margaret Turner, the widow of Edward 
Turner and daughter of Mr. Magee, February 14, 1867; by her first 
marriage she was the mother of three children:  John, deceased; 
Patrick, a resident of Harrison County, Iowa, and Anna, the wife of 
Thomas M. Leonard, and the mother of one child, Mary E., born December 
24, 1889.  They are members of the Catholic Church.

====================================================================

If you would like more information about anyone mentioned in this
biography, please write to the Pottawattamie County Genealogical
Society at:

P.O. Box 394
Council Bluffs, IA 51502-0394

====================================================================