Rooney Family Tree

Most of this narrative was from a June 7, 1937 interview of Margaret Murphy Rooney by Dorothy Hansmann:

Michael Rooney was born in Ireland. His mother died in Ireland while Michael was an infant. When he was three years of age his father, Thomas Rooney, and an Aunt, Katherine Rooney, brought him to Wakefield Township, Quebec, Canada. His father was employed in the woods near Ottawa, Canada for about seventeen years. He decided to take up farming and heard there was much land being given away in the United States and in 1855 he removed to New York City and a few years later to St. Anthony, MN where he was employed until about 1863 when they came to Stearns county and settled on a homestead in Raymond township.

[The 1900 and 1905 census say Michael arrived in the U.S. in 1867. This would be about the same time as the other Rooney's in Minnesota. The 1910 census says it was 1847, which makes no sense.]

Thomas Rooney and his son Michael Rooney took adjoining claims and during the winter Thomas Rooney went to live at the home of his son. A claim jumper came through the country and finding the log cabin unoccup ied moved his family in and laid claim to the property.

In 1872, the grasshoppers came and destroyed all the crops and Michael Rooney left his father on his homestead and went to Montana to hunt buffalo. The hides were worth $30 each and the government granted them permission to shoot a certain number.

In 1896, Michael Rooney and Margaret Murphy were united in marriage at the Assumption Church in Eden Valley. Margaret was born in Ottawa, Canada of a family of eight children. To Michael and Margaret were born four children that eventually lived on their own farms in Raymond township near Padua, MN.

The Rooney families were the first to settle in Raymond township. They erected a church and a school building in Padua. The original church structure was sold to Michael Rooney and a new church was erected in 1886. (This church burned down in 1943 and the present church was then built).

Michael Rooney served on the school board and as assessor for several years. He died in 1918, at age 74 years, and is buried in St. Anthony's cemetery at Padua.

Cause of death: Dyspepsia.

Geraldine, 4/29/2015:

When my Mom was doing Rooney family history in the '70s and 80s, she and I would go to the Pope Co Historical Museum in Glenwood and look for family obituaries. Hugh M. Rooney was one of those obits she sought out and took great delight in reading, especially about his time in Montana. She seemed to agree with everything in the obit ... she told me that Hugh and her Dad were such good friends, went to Montana together, etc. I'm not certain of the year but my grandfather did purchase various Lots of land in downtown Billings so I could probably trace it that way. My Mother was not certain how many times her Dad went to Montana ... there might have been several expeditions. There was one tintype of my grandfather, Michael Rooney (sitting), and Hugh M Rooney (standing). The tintype itself has gone missing but we have a print made from it [included in her email]. My Mother thought it was made during their Montana travels or could it have been just before they left?

Further notes I have, possibly from my visit with Ambrose Rooney in June 1975, shortly before he died: Michael arrived in the U.S. November 9, 1865, age 21. He was granted citizenship December 16, 1872. He purchased Montana land (near Billings, I believe) October 8, 1883 and had his Montana tax bills mailed to Minnesota in 1887. He got married on April 14, 1896 at the age of 52. Ambrose Rooney said his father used to return to Montana to shoot Buffalo to live on.