From Memorial and Genealogical Record of Dodge and Jefferson Counties, Wisconsin, publ. 
1894 - Page 173-174
 
JOHN W. McELROY.  Prominent among the people of Dodge County, Wis., who have made for 
themselves honorable names, and who have acquired a competency of this world's goods largely 
through their own efforts, is the gentleman whose name forms the heading of this sketch.  A 
native of Port Hope, Canada West, he was born October 20, 1836, a son of Hon. James 
McELROY, who was born in Ireland in 1809 and there lived until he was eleven years of age, 
then emigrated with his parents, William McELROY and wife to Canada, where he grew to 
manhood and was married to Harriet E. TAYLOR, also a native of Canada West.  In 1848 they 
came to the State of Wisconsin and settled in Fond du Lac County, where they bought land and 
opened up a farm, which the father was engaged in tilling up to 1872.  He then located in 
Waupun, and here spent the last years of his life in retirement, dying April 7, 1892.  He was a 
prominent citizen of Fond du Lac County, held a number of responsible official positions there, 
and in 1863 served as a member of the State Legislature and was on several important 
committees.  His wife survived him about two years, dying in January 1894.  Her father was a 
Canadian by birth, and was a soldier in the War of 1812.  James McELROY and his wife were 
active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and socially he was a member of the A.F. & 
A.M. and the I.O.O.F., in the latter of which he held the rank of past grand, and represented his 
lodge in the Grand Lodge of the State.  Mrs. McElroy was a member of the Order of the 
Rebeccas.  John W. McELROY was one of a family of four children that grew to mature years; 
Eliza M. RONEY is a widow and resides in Waupun; Robert B. is a business man of Milwaukee 
and is a member of the Board of Trade; Allen T. is the owner of the old home farm, but resides in 
Waupun.  John W. McELROY grew to manhood in the town of Alto, and was given good 
educational advantages in both private and select schools.  He remained with his father on the 
home farm until he attained manhood, and in 1858 bought the east eighty acres of his present 
farm, and has since added eighty acres, and now has one of the best improved farms in Trenton 
Township.  He has a large, neat and substantial residence and has other excellent buildings, and 
all the improvements on the place are first-class.  This fine tract of land is located about six miles 
southwest of Waupun and is valuable and desirable property.  Mr. McELROY has tilled the soil for 
thirty-six years, and what he does not know about this branch of human endeavor is scarcely 
worth the knowing.  He was united in marriage in Fond du Lac County in January 1863, to Miss 
Betsey GRIDER, a native of New York, born in the city of Buffalo.  She was brought to Wisconsin 
at the age of seven years by her father, who was a Pennsylvanian by birth, and in Fond du Lac 
County was reared, educated and married.  Her father left the State of his birth at the age of ten 
years and went to New York where he married and lost his wife.
 
In 1843 he settled in Wisconsin and he married a second time, and eventually passed from life in 
1887.  To Mr. and Mrs. McELROY two sons have been given: Frank A. is a well-informed man, is 
married and resides in Trenton, and Charles I. who is at home and assists in carrying on the 
farm.  He is an intelligent young man of excellent habits and promises to become a substantial 
citizen.  Their eldest child, Martin A., died at about the age of four years.  Mr. McELROY has 
always been a stanch Republican in politics and his first presidential vote was cast for Abraham 
Lincoln in 1860, since which time he has voted for every Republican candidate.  As all public-
spirited citizens should do, he has taken an active interest in local politics and has held a number 
of official positions, such as member of the town board and a delegate to numerous county and 
congressional district conventions.  He was president of the Trenton Mutual Insurance Company 
for some fourteen years, and is the present official head of this company.  Mr. and Mrs. 
McELROY are members of the Waupun Methodist Episcopal Church, and are very highly 
regarded by the citizens of this and Fond du Lac Counties.  Mr. McELROY is of the stuff of which 
useful and substantial citizens are made, and all who know him are his friends, a fact which 
speaks eloquently as to his many noble traits of character.
 
Submitted by Carol