Bio of O'Brien, John (b.1837) Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm and Carol Judge
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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.

O'Brien, John, farmer and stock-raiser, Lake City. Mr. O'Brien is but
another illustration of what industry, pluck and perseverance will
accomplish. He was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, in 1837, and is
a son of John and Jane O'Brien, both natives of Ireland, and, although of
the same name, no relation. They were married in St. Lawrence county, New
York, and there settled down on a farm and became the parents of nine
children, eight of whom are still living, six near the old home and two in
this county. The father died in 1880, and the mother still resides on the
old farm. Mr. O'Brien received a common school education as well as a
thorough training in the principles of economy and thrift during his early
youth on the farm. In the spring of 1857 he came to Lake City and at once
went to work at his trade (that of mason), following it three years. He
then bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of government land, in
the township of Lake, was married the same year to Miss Hannah Mahony, and
engaged in farming. After a ten years' residence on this farm he purchased
a smaller one in Lake City and removed to town, where his wife died in
February, 1871. His second marriage was in July, 1874, to Mrs. Sarah
Failing, formerly Miss Sarah Munger, a native of Syracuse, New York. He
has six children living, whose names in the order of their birth are: Mary
J., wife of John Steel, of La Crosse, Wisconsin; J. Sylvester, M. Frank
and James R., on the farm in Mount Pleasant, and Catharine B. by his
former wife, and George A. by his present. Mr. O'Brien now owns, besides a
small farm within the city limits, a fine farm of six hundred and twenty
acres in Lake and Mount Pleasant townships. In religion they are of the
Catholic faith. Politically he is independent, supporting the man rather
than the party.