Bios of Foley, John Robert (b.1890) 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 ========================================================================= 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. Foley, John Robert (page 662), county attorney for Wabasha county, and a man who has established a high record as a useful and patriotic citizen, was born at Barry, Traverse County, Minn., November 1, 1890, son of Daniel and Ellen (Dunn) Foley. He belongs to that sturdy Hibernian race which has taken so prominent a part in the development and progress of the United States and the British colonies along professional, business and industrial lines, and which has always maintained its faith and hope for the future in spite of oppression and unjust restrictions upon its natural ambitions. The father, Daniel Foley, who was born in Ireland about 1850, emigrated to the United States at the age of 29 years, leaving his native land April 29, 1879, landing at New York, and reaching St. Paul, Minn., May 12. There he found employment in the Great Northern Railway shops, and several years later, on April 1, 1883, was married to Ellen Dunn, who was born in Ireland about 1858, and had come to this country. While in the employ of the railroad Mr. Foley assisted in building the Milwaukee Short Line railway between St. Paul and Minneapolis, In 1883 he moved to Traverse County, Minn., and homesteaded 160 acres of unbroken prairie land three miles north of the village of Barry, which tract he subsequently developed, erecting good buildings, raising chiefly grain, and becoming one of the most successful farmers in that country. By 1908, he had accumulated 800 acres, all under good cultivation. On his retirement in that year he took up his residence in Graceville, where he is still living. His wife, Ellen, died on the home farm near Barry, October 25, 1893, and on April 7, 1896, he married for his second wife Mary Wall of De Graff, Minn. The family are Catholic in religious faith, and Mr. Foley is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. All his children were by his first wife, and were as follows: Thomas and Michael (twins), born February 1, 1884, of whom Thomas is now a resident of Graceville and Michael of Minneapolis; Patrick, born September 23, 1885, who is unmarried and lives at Billings, Mont.; Daniel, born August 1, 1887, who died August 18, 1889; John R., the direct subject of this sketch, born November 1, 1890; and Agnes, born August 18, 1892, who is a teacher in the Morris (Minn.) Public schools. John R. Foley, after attending the country schools and the common school in Barry, Minn., up to the age of 12 years, entered St. Thomas Military College at St. Paul, Minn., where he received an academic and military training, remaining there six and a half years, and being graduated June 11, 1909. At the time of his graduation he held the rank of Lieutenant-adjutant. In the fall of 1909 he entered the law department of Minnesota University, where he was graduated in the spring of 1912, and on June 14 the same year he was admitted to the bar of the state. He at once entered the law office of Mathias Baldwin and Joseph Murphy in Minneapolis, and was with them until March 1, 1913, after which he was associated for over a year with Thomas C. Daggett of St. Paul. On May 13, 1914, Mr. Foley came to Wabasha, where on the following day he opened an office. Her he has since remained and has built up an extensive practice, being now one of the leading attorneys in the county. In May, 1916, he was appointed city attorney of Wabasha, and held that office until January 7, 1919. In May, 1918, he became a candidate for the office of county attorney, to which he was subsequently elected, entering upon its duties January 7, 1919. His record in this office is one of earnest work and honorable achievement, and, among other things, has resulted in the breaking up of a formidable gang of automobile thieves operating between Chicago and the Twin Cities, the glory of which Mr. Foley shares with Sheriff Ed. Fitzgerald. Confronted with the ring of clever manipulators, who managed for a long time to cover up their tracks, and hampered at times by numerous obstacles that seemed at times well nigh insuperable, County Attorney Foley and Sheriff Fitzgerald accomplished that which was said could never be done and precipitated the collapse at Chicago of the notorious auto ring which kept the authorities of many states on the jump for years. With grim determination and fearless aggressiveness these two officials tackled the big job, undaunted by repeated failures, until they finally succeeded and won the admiration, not only of the people of Wabasha County, but of the officials of other places who assisted them in the difficult task. As a result, three men are now serving sentences in this state and nine other persons, including one woman, have recently been indicted in Chicago. A thoroughly patriotic American, Mr. Foley took an active and effective part in home war work. He served as county publicity chairman of all Liberty Loan drives, and local member of all Liberty Loan and War Savings Stamp drives; also as county chairman of the Christmas Red Cross drive of 1917; as draft board, and as one of the "four-minute men," making a great many war addresses throughout the state. His fraternal society affiliations are with the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Kellogg, Minn.; the Knights of Columbus, of Wabasha, in which order he has served as grand knight, two terms as district deputy, and as delegate in 1916 to the supreme council at Davenport, Iowa, and delegate in 1918 to the supreme council at New York City. On June 23, 1915, Mr. Foley was united in marriage with Ellen M. Brennan of Centralia, Penna. He and his wife are the parents of four children: Ellen Mary, born April 11, 1916; John R., born October 16, 1917; Robert Langdon, born February 17, 1919; and Catherine Langdon, born April 15, 1920. The family are members of St. Felix parish of the Catholic church in Wabasha.