Biographies from The History of Columbia County,
Wisconsin, 1880 


Contributed by Carol carolann612@charter.net
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm


From The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1880,
publ. by Western Historical Company, Chicago, Page 917

BRYAN MURPHY was born in County Carlow, Ireland; came
to America in the fall of 1865; located and engaged in
the fruit business in New York City; resided there
about ten years; removed to Richmond, Va., and
continued the same business; was in business for
himself six years; came to Portage, Wis. from
Richmond, August 1879; commenced the grocery business
in this place in November of the same year.  Mr.
MURPHY was married in Brooklyn, N.Y., Nov. 6, 1870, to
Catherine SHEEHAN, a native of County Limerick,
Ireland; they have had six children - Mary Ellen, born
July 13, 1876; an infant son, born March 8, 1880;
Edward Emmet, born Oct. 1, 1871; died Sept. 2, 1875;
John, born July 19, 1873, died Aug. 2, 1875; Bernard,
born Sept. 21, 1874, died Aug. 19, 1875; Annie, born
April 12, 1878, died Aug. 29, 1878.  Mr. and Mrs.
MURPHY are members of the Catholic Church.

HENRY NEEF, the subject of this brief sketch, was born
in the town of Black Rock, near the city of Buffalo,
N.Y., July 21, 1838; when he was 18 years of age, he
came to this county, locating in Marcellon, May 1856,
and engaged in farming; he commenced farming on his
own account in 1860.  He was married at Jefferson,
Wis., December 1861, to Helvetia L. REESE; they have
seven children - Clella R., William J.J., Carrie L.,
Della May, Henry Alden, John H., and Sarah.  During
his residence in Marcellon he was Town Clerk about
eleven years; he was elected County treasurer in the
fall of 1876 and re-elected in 1878.  Mr. N. enlisted
in March 1865 in Co. F. 194th O.V.I., and was mustered
out Oct. 24, 1865.  Is a member of Pardee Lodge, A.F.
& A.M.

DAVID M. NEILL was born in Perthshire, Scotland, Feb.
2, 1852; son of John and Margaret (MORELAND) NEILL,
who came to New York in 1859; remained there one year,
then removed to Caledonia, Wis., and located on Sec.
36, where they now live; when 10 years of age, he left
home; attended high school in Portage two years;
commenced clerking in the grocery store of John
FULTON, March 19, 1871; remained there until July of
the same year; Aug. 10, 1871, he entered the employ of
PURDY & MERRELL, druggists, in which store he has
remained ever since.  Mr. NEILL was married at Fox
Lake, May 20, 1875, to Alice A. PURDY, daughter of
Edmund and Harriet PURDY, born at Fox Lake; they have
one child - Edmund - born at Portage, July 26, 1877.
Mr. N. is a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge.

HENRY NEILL, County Superintendent of Schools; was
born in the parish of Kincardine, Perthshire,
Scotland, March 26, 1849; came with his parents, John
and Margaret MORELAND NEILL, to New York in 1859,
remained there one year; in the spring of 1860, they
located on Sec. 36 in the town of Caledonia, Columbia
Co., Wis.; engaged in farming until 21 years of age;
taught school until 23 years of age; spent three years
at Thayer College, in Kidder, Mo., from the spring of
1872 to June 1876; entered Beloit College, September
1876, graduating July 3, 1878, with degree of A. B.,
full classical course, he taught district school in
Caledonia in the winters of 1878 and 1879; commenced
teaching in the Portage High School in September 1879;
elected County Superintendent of Schools, November
1879; taught the high school until the holidays;
resigned his position in the school Dec. 24, 1879, to
assume the duties of the office which he now holds.
Mr. NEILL is a member of the I.O.O.F. lodge.

WILLIAM NIEMEYER was born in Hanover, Germany, Jan. 2,
1830; came to New York and engaged in tailoring in
1850, remained there one and a half years, then came
to Milwaukee; removed to Portage in 1854; carried on
the tailoring and clothing business until 1861, then
engaged in the grocery business, which he has carried
on ever since.  Mr. NIEMEYER was married in Portage,
July 11, 1857, to Caroline WENTZEL, a native of
Prussia; they have seven children - Albert J., Lizzie,
Charles, William, George, Henry, and Emma.  Mr. N. is
a member of the Lutheran Church, and of the I.O.O.F.
lodge.

JOHN J. O'KEEFE, born in North Hadley, March 29, 1852;
removed from there with his father, John C. O'KEEFE,
in May 1853, and came to Wisconsin, locating at
Pacific, near Portage, where he remained for about two
years, then moved to Portage, and has resided in this
vicinity ever since.  Mr. O'KEEFE engaged in
Government surveying for a number of years and
steamboating part of two years.  He was elected City
Clerk in the spring of 1878; re-elected in the spring
of 1880; member of the Board of Education from the
Third Ward.  Mr. O'KEEFE received his education in
Portage.

Submitted by Carol