This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Ahern, Geary, Sullivan, Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/TMB.2ACI/3294 Message Board Post: History of SE Missouri, Goodspeed Publishing 1888 Biographical Appendix, page 820 PATRICK AHERN Patrick Ahern was born in Ireland in 1834 and is a son of James and Catherine (Geary) Ahern. James Ahern was born in Ireland in 1806, and early learned the coopers trade, at which he worked until his death in 1874. His wife was also a native of Ireland, born in 1803. She died in her native country in 1878. They were the parents of six children. Patrick was reared at the home of his parents and attended school until his fourteenth year, when he began learning the coopers trade under the direction of his father. In 1857, he immigrated to America, after which he worked at his trade in nearly all of the large cities of the United States and at one time was foreman of Fairbank’s Coopershop at St. Louis. In 1862, he enlisted in the Federal army, joining Company C. Ninetieth Illinois Infantry. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg,, battles of Jackson, Miss.; La Grange, Tenn.; Lookout Mountain and the Atlanta campaign. In the assault on Fort McAllister, he was ! wounded through the shoulder. He was with his regiment at the front when Gen. Johnson surrendered to Gen. Sherman, and was discharged at Washington, D.C., in June, 1865. After the war he resumed work at his trade, and in 1872 was united in marriage with Anna Sullivan of Osage Mission, Kas. They located on a farm in Kansas, but in 1879, removed to Bollinger County, Mo., and located on their present farm. Mr. And Mrs. Ahern’s marriage has been blessed by the birth of six children viz.: James, Patrick, Bartholomew, John, Mary, and Anna.