Transcribed by Larry Fearneyhough
Page 105
Michael Dwyer is a native of Ireland. He was born in County Tipperary, March 17, 1825. Fifteen years later he came to this country, landing at New Orleans. From there he came to St. Louis and then to Alton, and the first work he did was in a construction gang, between Alton and Springfield, on what is now the Chicago and Alton railroad. He worked at this some two or three months and then secured work as a farm laborer. June 9, 1853, he was married to Miss Margaret Casy at Springfield, Illinois, and then moved to Winchester, when he purchased a forty acre farm three and a half miles south of town, here he has lived and by hard work has increased his land holdings to 260 acres. To Mr. and Mrs. Dwyer nine children were born. One son died in infancy and two sons, Michael and William, were taken to early manhood. The six remaining children are: Mrs. Johanna Robinson of Manchester, Illinois, Cornelius Dwyer of Springfield, Illinois, Mrs. Ellen Tarzwell and T.C. Dwyer of Jacksonville, Illinois, and Misses Nora and Margaret Dwyer, who reside with their father upon the farm. Mrs. Dwyer was called to her eternal home, July 9, 1897. Mr. Dwyer is a devout Catholic, and staunch democrat, has been an industrious gentleman - has prospered - and is one of the honored citizens of the county.