James Ryan, died at his home Saturday morning, May 9, after an illness of 11 days. He was taken sick on the afternon of April 8 and had to quit his work at the shop and was taken home, where he soon lapsed into unconsciousness and from which he never rallied, except for a brief interval. It is supposed he suffered from a hemorrhage of the brain and there could be but little done for his relief, although there was hope for several days.
He was born in Ireland May 14, 1840 and therfore lacked but five days of being sixty-eight years of age. He came to America with his parents when four years of age and settled in Canada, where he lived until he was seventeen, when the family moved to the State of New York. Here, he enlisted as a private in Co. F 14th New York Volunteer Infantry, in the early part of 1861 and served with his regment in many of the important engagements of the Army of the Potomac. He participated in the siege of Yorktown, the Peninsular, Seven Days Eight, Antiietam, Fredricksburg and Chancellarsville.
He was married to his now bereaved widow, Miss Mary Woodwock, a native of New York, after completing his army service on October 14, 1863. They moved to Kansas in 1869 and located at Emporia where he followed his trade as a blacksmith. As the railroad was pushed farther west, he followed it and in 1871 he located in Halstead township, having purchased the relinquishment of the claim of John Corgan, the farm now owned by George Hauschildt, at the west edge of town. A few years later, he sold out and later bought the Wenban place northeast of town from where he moved to the city to permanently engage at his trade.
He took an active interest in things. was treasurer of Halstead township, served as a Justice of the Piece 1875 to 1880, also Police Judge. In the fall of 1886 he was elected Sheriff of Harvey County, serving two terms. He was a Past President of the Old Settler' organization and at the time of his death, was truant officer for Halstead Public schools and a member of the Republician county Central Committee.
Services were held from the Catholic Church Monday morning. Burial was in the Halstead Cemetery.
