Conaro, James

1824 - 1916  (91 years)

• Name	Conaro, James
  Born	15 Sep 1824	Schoharie County, New York, USA
  Gender	Male
  Died	22 Feb 1916	Denmark, Lee County, Iowa, USA
  Buried	Denmark Cemetery, Denmark, Lee County, Iowa, USA
  Person ID	I3599	Sackett
  Last Modified	25 Nov 2010

  
  

  Family	Sackett, Henrietta Lorinda,   b. 29 Mar 1838, Tallmadge, Summit County, Ohio, USA ,   d. 24 Feb 1911, Denmark, Lee County, Iowa, USA  (Age 72 years)
  Married	1900-1905	Lee County, Iowa, USA
  Last Modified	16 Sep 2009
  Family ID	F1522	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Load the map	Born - 15 Sep 1824 - Schoharie County, New York, USA Married - 1900-1905 - Lee County, Iowa, USA Died - 22 Feb 1916 - Denmark, Lee County, Iowa, USA Buried - - Denmark Cemetery, Denmark, Lee County, Iowa, USA  = Link to Google Earth
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• Notes

  Biographical Review of Lee County, Iowa; By Hobart Publishing Company; 1905; p. 225-227 JAMES CONARO. James Conaro, of Denmark, Iowa, one of the largest landowners and most widely known retired fanners of Lee county," was born September 15, 1824, in Schoharie county, New York, the son of Jacob Conaro, and was reared by his grandmother and by an uncle, his mother having died when he was but a small child in his seventh year. For six years he worked as a farm hand, first receiving nine dollars a month for eight months' work, and when he was about twenty-four years of age he went to Ashtabula, Ohio, and with his brother, conducted a dairy farm for two years, learning, during that time, the trade of cheesemaking, which he followed intermittently throughout the remainder of his active career. He next engaged in partnership with others in renting a large dairy farm, and in that enterprise he continued until 1855, when he decided to begin business independently, and after considering various locations, resolved to try his fortunes in the West, and accordingly came to Denmark township, where he purchased ninety acres of land at twenty dollars an acre; but, being at that time almost without resources, other than his individual strength and energy, he was compelled to depend upon his personal efforts to pay for the farm. This he was able to do after ten years of hard and faithful work and careful planning, although the scarcity of ready money in those days placed him under the necessity of paying ten per cent, interest upon his original indebtedness for about six years, when he got it reduced. Here in Iowa Mr. Conaro devoted his time to his trade of cheesemaking and to general farming, for the former business keeping a dairy of twenty-five to thirty cows and making up the milk and cheese on his own farm, selling in Burlington his entire product, for which he always received the highest current prices. He became probably one of the largest cheese manufacturers in this part of the state, and certainly one of the most successful, while on the other hand he displayed remarkable ability in the conduct of his agricultural interests, continuing to increase his original purchase until he now owns 350 acres of valuable land in a high state of improvement and cultivation, equipped with labor-saving appliances and many modern buildings. Thus he followed farming and dairying with great profit until 1884, when he purchased a pleasant home in the village of Denmark, and here he has since resided in retirement from active business, renting his lands to farmers. Mr. Conaro has been twice married, first in 1847, to Miss Emily Montgomery, who was a woman of beautiful Christian character and a faithful member of the Congregational church. She was the mother of two daughters, who survive her, the elder of these being Adella, wife of O. R. Lippet, of Duluth, Minnesota, who has six children: Chester, Walter, Dunbar, LeRoy, Fannie and .Agnes; and the younger Adelia. who now resides with her father, being the widow of George Humphrey, a soldier of the Civil War, who died three years after the close of that great conflict. Mr. Conaro's second marriage was to Mrs. Henrietta (Sackett) Wilder, who was first married in 1862 to Hermon D. Montgomery, brother of the first Mrs. Conaro, a farmer of Denmark township, whose death occurred in 1875, and she later became the wife of George Wilder, a native of Lemonington, Massachusetts, who, with his parents, was among the very earliest pioneers of Lee county and of Iowa. Mrs. Conaro is a daughter of Cassander and Henrietta (Beach) Sackett, the mother being a native of Connecticut and the father of Ohio, where they celebrated their marriage, and whence they came to Denmark in 1849 and engaged in farming. Both were active members of the Congregational church here, and here they passed the remainder of their lives, and were buried in the Denmark cemetery, survived by children, as follows: Mercy, since deceased, who was the wife of William Hornby; William Lloyd, who resides in California; George C, and Mrs. Conaro. Mr. and Mrs. Conaro are very active in the work of the Congregational church, at Denmark, of which Mr. Conaro is a trustee; are devoted to the doctrines and practice of the Christian faith, and have ever been generous in the support of charitable and benevolent movements. Mr. Conaro has made a study of most of the public questions which have agitated the nation during the past half century, and has taken considerable interest in matters of politics, acting with the Republican party, and has given much thought and effort to the upbuilding of his own immediate community, having been one of the prime movers in the organization ten years ago of the Lee County Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and having served as its president throughout the entire term of its existence. The company is in a highly flourishing condition, and for this much of the credit is conceded to its president, who has been very self-sacrificing in his efforts to bring the company to a level with the very best in the state. In fact, every enterprise of which he has had the exclusive management has been conducted with care, fidelity and large business ability, combined with the most scrupulous rectitude, and the success which he has achieved is the result of a rare union of qualities. His position has always been that of a leader, for which he is pre-eminently fitted by nature, and in all affairs affecting the public welfare which have been favored by his participation, his upright and honorable course has made him many friends and admirers, who will, without doubt, be interested in this modest review of his career. ------ http://iagenweb.org/census/lee/1905-ia-lee-denmark.txt 1905 State Census of Iowa, Lee County, Denmark Township - Census Register Census Year: 1905 - Census Register Microfilm Numbers: FHL# 1026499 State: IOWA County: Lee Township: Denmark Book: A 6 294 Conaro James Denmark Iowa Denmark 6 295 Conaro Henrietta Denmark Iowa Denmark ------ http://iagenweb.org/boards/lee/queries/index.cgi?read=148852 Re: Montgomery family 1860 Buried in the Denmark Cemetery, Lee Co., Iowa-- Mrs. Emily (Montgomery)Conaro born Nov 17, 1824, died Oct 20, 1894, buried Oct 23, 1894 aged 69 years. James Conaro, born Sept 15, 1824, died Feb 22, 1916 aged 92 years