San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MARGARET FARRELL
A patriotic woman who may well be
proud of the record of her family in the late war is Mrs. Margaret Farrell,
enterprising and successful vineyardist and rancher, who lives about two miles west
of Acampo. She was born in San
Francisco, on July 26, 1864, the daughter of Patrick and Maria (Burke) Haley,
both natives of County Galway, Ireland, and substantial farmer-folk. Owing to conditions in that country, her
parents had little opportunity for education, and her father looked more
hopefully toward the future when he came to America in 1859. Her mother came several years earlier, with a
married sister. Mr. Haley and Miss Burke
were united in matrimony in New York on November 1, 1859. In that city they lived for a couple of
years, until they went to St. Louis; and then they engaged in farming in
Missouri. From the Iron State they came
to California in 1864, and settled in San Francisco, in which city Mr. Haley
was a laborer for a couple of years.
When they left the Bay City they went inland to Santa Clara County,
where they rented a part of the Martin Murphy ranch, east of Milpitas, and
engaged in farming.
In the fall of 1869 Mr. Haley
removed to San Joaquin County with his family, and for a year rented a ranch
near Waterloo; and then for three years they farmed west of Woodbridge. On October 31, 1874, Mr. Haley bought a farm
of 220 acres on the Mokelumne River two miles west of Acampo, which soon became
known as the Haley grain ranch; and a year or so later he purchased an
additional eighty acres, making in all some 300 acres. In 1900, he rented his ranch and retired; and
sixteen years later, a couple of days before Christmas, 1916, he passed away,
aged ninety-five years. Mrs. Haley, the
mother of our subject, had died on November 4, 1901, aged seventy-four, mourned
by a large circle of friends. Four of
the children of Mr. and Mrs. Haley died in infancy, and our subject was the
only one that grew to maturity.
Margaret Haley attended the school
at Woodbridge, and finished her education at St. Joseph’s Academy in
Sacramento. On February 15, 1885, she
was married to Edward Farrell, the son of John and Ann (Welch) Farrell, natives
of West Meath, Ireland, where Edward Farrell was also
born. His parents remained in their
native land, and died there; but Edward Farrell came to California as a boy and
settled in Sacramento. He went to school
there, and in time became identified with the Southern Pacific Railroad. After their marriage, Mr.
and Mrs. Farrell lived in Sacramento, making their home at the residence at
2115 M Street; and Mr. Farrell continued working in the Sacramento shops
until the time of his death at Sacramento on January 17, 1914, when he closed a
very useful life, the honored father of nine children. John E. is at Sacramento, in the employ of
the Southern Pacific; Thomas is a well-known lawyer in Sacramento, formerly
deputy district attorney of Sacramento County for seven years, and now in
private practice; Edward P. is a plumber of Sacramento; Joseph M. is with the
State Highway Commission in that city; James A. is farming and lives at home;
Frances died of the influenza November 4, 1918; Anna is at home; Leo William is
a medical student at St. Louis; and Winifred is at home.
After her husband’s death, Mrs.
Farrell continued to reside in Sacramento and also took charge of the ranch in
July, 1915; and now, out of her 300 acres, forty-two are in vineyard, and a
part is a young vineyard; and all are Tokay grapes. She also has a home in Sacramento, and thus
spends time both at her city residence and at the ranch dwelling. In national politics a Democrat, Mrs. Farrell
allows no partisanship to hinder her support of the best men and the best
measures affecting local interests.
Mrs. Farrell was privileged to have
four sons in the service, and when the Liberty Loan was floated in October,
1918, she marched with some 12,000 women, all dressed in white, in the parade
in Sacramento; and as the only woman bearing a four-star banner, she was the
recipient of an ovation such as might have been given with propriety to the
President of the United States. Edward
P. Farrell was a member of Company I, 363rd Infantry, 91st Division.
He trained with the division, went to France with them, and also
returned with them, a private in excellent standing. Joseph M. served in the 115th
Division of Engineers, and was in France from July, 1918, to July, 1919. Leo William was at Camp Pike, in Arkansas, in
the officers’ training school. At St.
Louis, in August, 1918, he enlisted and served until December of that year; and
then in February, 1919, he returned to the Medical School at St. Louis
University. James A. enlisted in the
service in September, 1917, and was sent to Camp Lewis, where he was placed in
Company M, 363rd Infantry, 91st
Division. He was there for four months,
and then was transferred to Company E, 58th Infantry, 54th
Division, and was sent to Camp Green in North Carolina. On May 18, 1918, he went to France, and on
July 18 he went into Chateau-Thierry, and later was in the Asine-Marne,
Vesle, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and the Toulon
offensives. He went over the top five
times, but had the miraculously good fortune never to be wounded. On August 13, 1919, he was discharged with
the rank of corporal, having returned to the United States on the first of
June. Mrs. Farrell is a member of the Y.
L. I. and the Catholic Ladies’ Relief.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
848-851. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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