My Genealogy Hound

Roger Ward is the owner of a grain and stock farm of three hundred acres situated on section 7, Lincoln township, and its well improved appearance indicates his careful management and progressive methods. A native of Illinois, he was born at Aurora, Kane county, on the 22d of February, 1858, his parents being Edward and Mary (Flynn) Ward, both of whom were natives of Ireland, the former born in Tipperary and the latter in Limerick. In 1848 Edward Ward crossed the Atlantic to New York and later made his way westward to Aurora, Illinois, where he worked on the construction of a railroad for a time. Subsequently he turned his attention to farming, spending his last days in this county, where he died February 21, 1888, at the age of fifty-six years. The lady who became his wife made the voyage to the United States about four years after the arrival of Mr. Ward in company with her brothers and sisters. She died in the same locality, March 6, 1880, at the age of forty-eight years. They were the parents of four children: Roger; John, who is now living in Spaulding township; Edward, whose home is in Nebraska; and Julia, the wife of William Hawks, of Lincoln township.

Roger Ward spent the first three years of his life in the county of his nativity and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Kendall county, Illinois, while four years later they removed to Will county, that state, where ten years were passed. They then came to Union county, Iowa, where Roger Ward has made his home continuously since the 11th of April, 1875. His father settled on a farm in Lincoln township and Roger Ward assisted in the development and improvement of the fields. His entire life has been devoted to general agricultural pursuits and he has lived on his present place on section 7, Lincoln township, for twenty years. Here he owns three hundred acres of rich and productive land, upon which he has erected good buildings while the place is further improved with fine shade and fruit trees, all of which have been planted by Mr. Ward. He raises both grain and stock, has a hundred head of cattle on the place and also a large number of horses. In his work he is thoroughly practical, systematic and methodical and his labors have constituted the basis on which he has built his present prosperity.

On the 21st of August, 1889, Roger Ward was married to Miss Mary E. Downey, who was born in Rock Island, Illinois, on the 22d of April, 1862, and came here with her parents in October, 1872, and she is a daughter of Timothy and Mary (Buckley) Downey, natives of County Kerry, Ireland, who were married, however, in Rock Island, Illinois. Both the father and mother died in Union county, the former in 1901 at the age of seventy-one years and the latter in 1904 at the age of seventh years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ward have been born six children: Josephine, who is now a bookkeeper at the electric light plant in Creston; John Francis, Arthur Edward, William Raymond, Irene Mabel and Ethel Dreda M. The eldest daughter is a graduate of the Creston business college.

Mr. Ward exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the democracy and has served as school director for three years but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. He belongs to the North Side Catholic church. His life has been exemplary in many respects and he has the esteem of his friends and the confidence of those who have had business relations with him. In his business life he has persevered in the pursuit of a persistent purpose and gained a satisfactory reward.