"Dr. C.J. Cooney is a native of Iowa and was born January 16, 1873, in Buchanan county, where his parents, Patrick and Honora (Costello) Cooney, settled as early as the year 1857. Both Patrick Cooney and wife wife were natives of county Clare, Ireland...The former came to America in 1846 and located first in Vermont, where he worked for some time on a farm...During his younger years hea was employed in railway construction in the Green Mountain state, thence worked westard trhough New York and Pennsylvania, and for a while was head blaster in the construction of the great tunnel through the mountains...Leaving Pennsylvania, Mr. Cooney went to Steubenville, Ohi, forn which place he went by boat to the Mississippi river, up which stream he proceeded to Dubuque, Iowa, the trip requiring six weeks. He located in the eastern part of Buchanan county, the nearest town being Dubuque, to which he would sometimes walk in one day, starting very early in the morning and arriving late at night... Mrs. Cooney... arrived in this country in 1847...Mr. and Mrs. Cooney still ive in Buchanan county, he having reached the age of eighty-four and she in her seventy-ninth year... Dr. C.J. Cooney is one of eleven children...all but one living and all except the Doctor residents of Buchanan county...[After practicing at Jessy[and Westgate] the Doctor, in 1904, moved to Oelwein... Doctor's Cooney's domestic life dates from 1897, when he [wed] Susan G. McSweeney, daughter of John and Bridget McSweeney...Doctor and Mrs. Cooney have five children, Rolla, Charles, Edmund, Paul, and Iona... The family are faithful members of the Catholic church..." pp. 1302-03 Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1910