J. F. FLYNN.
J. F. Flynn, farmer, resides on the old Flynn homestead in Mt. Pleasant township, Atchison county, of which he is the owner and upon which his father settled in March. 1855. Mr. Flynn was born on this farm, October 8, 1855, and has lived all of his sixty years of life on the place. During this time he has simply grown up with Atchison county, and his earliest recollections were of the vast stretches of prairie in Atchison county, which were awaiting the homesteaders and settlers who have since transformed the unpeopled wilderness into a land of homes and plenty. His father was Jeremiah Flynn, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, and left his native land when a young man and immigrated to America, locating after a time in Kentucky, where he met Julia Sullivan, who was born in his own native county in Ireland. The acquaintance ripened into love and culminated in their marriage at Frankfort, Ky., September 24, 1854. In March, 1855, they came to Kansas and settled on a tract of part prairie and part timber in Mt. Pleasant township where both lived and died.
J. F. Flynn was the first born of ten children of Jeremiah and Julia Flynn. He received a common school education, supplemented with a course in bookkeeping at St. Patrick’s common school, district No. 14, after which he settled down to farming the home place, coming into possession of the homestead by inheritance and purchase after his father’s demise. For several years he was a successful fruit grower, but of late has devoted all of his time and activities to general farming.
Mr. Flynn was married March 31, 1880, to Mary Desmond, of Missouri, and to this union have been born five children: Kathrine, wife of John Begley, of Kansas City, Kan.; John E., at home, assisting his father in the farm work; Joseph J., in Kansas City, Mo.; Julia and Mary, at home with their parents.
Mr. Flynn is a Democrat in national politics, but is inclined to be an independent voter who votes for the best man who seems qualified for the office regardless of his political affiliations. He and all of his family are members of the Catholic church, which was the faith of his parents.