Rooney Family Tree

Patrick Killeen and his wife Catherine Rooney were natives of County Claire, Ireland and came to North America in about 1837, where were put ashore at Grosse Island, Canada. There were several immigrant Rooney families landed at that place and they moved farther inland and settled in Wakefield Township where they were employed in the timber lands.

When his work in Wakefield Township was finished, Patrick KIlleen removed his family to New York City where Michael was born in 1855. He returned to Canada but was not satisfied to stay there and as there was a big land boom in Minnesota just at that time he decided to locate there. He boarded a steam boat at Lake Superior and came to St. Paul by way of the Mississippi about 1863. He secured an ox team in St. Paul and made his way overland to Stearns County where he obtained 160 acres in Section 24, Raymond township. He hired Joe McDermatt, who had a team of horses and a plow, to put in his first crop which was 10 acres of wheat.

While Indians were always lurking around the lakes near the Killeen home they were never hostile. They stole everything they could, but did not attempt to harm the settlers bodily. One night, Catherine (Rooney) Killeen left her washing on the clothes line, thinking it would dry by morning and when she went out to get the clothing found that Indians had stolen it during the night. It was a very real loss to the Killeen's as they did not have an over abundance of clothing and nothing out of which to make more.

Although, there was a store at Sauk Centre at the time, the Killeens did most of their trading in St Cloud. Eggs were 8 cents per dozen and butter 5 cents per pound.