Bio of Disney, John (b.1803) Wabasha Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm and Carol Judge ========================================================================= This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1884. Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab1.htm There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some of the bios on her pages. Disney, John, (deceased) settled in Gillford in 1857, on the farm still owned by his widow. Thomas and Catharine Disney, his parents, emigrated from Ireland to New York city, where John was born March 17, 1803. Here the mother died in March, 1805, aged forty-four, and his father returning to his native land, and died there December, 1815, at the age of fifty-nine. This subject lived with a sister at Richmond, New York, till ten years old, when he ran away and joined the American army as a drummer. After knocking about the world for some time, he settled in this county as above related. In the fall of 1878 he bought a residence in Lake City, where he continued to dwell till his death, which occurred October 27, 1880. June 9, 1823, he was married to Lois Clark, who died March 15, 1848, leaving four children. Robert, John and William reside in Gillford. Mary is the wife of Edwin Brown, at Joliet Illinois. On June 23, 1849, Mr. Disney was a second time married to Mary Sweetman nee Wall, who bore him four children. By her first marriage Mrs. Disney had one daughter, Henrietta, now Mrs. Daniel Edwards, Lake City. The others are: Kate (Mrs. Albert Field), Zumbro Falls; Lois (Byron Miller), Mexico, New York; Charles, attorney, Hudson, Wisconsin; Alice (Colby), Lake City. Mr. Disney was a member of the Methodist church, and always supported republican principles. ========================================================================= This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1920. Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab3.htm There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some of the bios on her pages. Disney, John C. (page 493), a pioneer of Gillford Township, was born in New York City, March 17, 1803, son of John and Catharine Disney. The parents were natives of Ireland who had emigrated to this country in about the closing years of the eighteenth century. Mrs. Catharine Disney died in New York City in March, 1805, at the age of 44 years, and her husband then returned to his native land, where he died in December, 1815, at the age of fifty-nine. Their son John remained with a sister at Richmond, Va., till twelve years old, when he ran away and joined the American army as a drummer, taking part in the War of 1812-15 with Great Britain. He subsequently traveled about the country, residing for a while in various places, but regarding New York as his home. On June 9, 1823, he married Lola Clark, and they made their home in Utica, N. Y., till about 1850, when Mr. Disney with his family moved to Virginia, where for several years he found employment on a plantation. They then returned to New York, which state continued to be their home until 1857. A considerable emigration from the East to Minnesota and other parts of the Northwest had set in a year or two previously, and Mr. Disney resolved to seek his fortune in the promising territory, which was soon to become a state. In 1858, therefore, he arrived with his family in Gillford Township, Wabasha County. There he took land and developed a farm, on which he resided until the fall of 1878. He then retired and bought a residence in Lake City, where he subsequently made his home until his death, October 27, 1880. His wife, Lois Clark Disney, died March 15, 1848, leaving four children: Robert T., John C., William J. and Mary L., who became the wife of Edwin Bowen, of Joliet, Ill. All are now deceased except William J. On June 23, 1849, John C. Disney married for his second wife, Mary Sweetman, nee Wall, by whom he had four children: Kate, who married Albert Field, of Zumbro Falls; Louis, who married Byron Miller, and went to reside in Mexico, Oswego County, N. Y.; Charles, who became an attorney at Hudson, Wis.; and Alice, who married Charles Colby, of Lake City. By her first husband, Samuel Sweetman, Mrs. Mary Disney, had a daughter, Henrietta, who married Daniel Edwards, of Lake City. John C. Disney was a member of the Methodist church, and politically a Republican. The first school opened in the town of Gillford, was held in the kitchen of his house. All his sons by his first wife, served in the Civil and Indian Wars. He was a sturdy and patriotic America citizen who did his full share in the development and civilization of this region.