The Republican Trumpet, No. 42 - Tracy, Lyon County, Minnesota Friday, Dec. 16, 1904

Richard Walsh, father of Mrs. W. Dalton, died at the house of his daughter in Tracy on December 8, and was buried in the Catholic cemetery north of town. Mr. Walsh had not been sick long, and a few days previous to his death went to Rochester in search of medical aid, but the doctors there told him they could do nothing for him, and he returned to Tracy and lived but a few days after his return. Richard Walsh was born in Co. Clare, Ireland in 1825 and came to Minnesota in 1858 and settled in LeSueur County. He lived there until 1878 and came to Walnut Grove. One and a half years ago he came to Tracy. He leaves a wife, two daughters and a son. Mrs. W. Dalton, Tracy, Mrs. W. Boyle, Waseca, Joseph Walsh of Walnut Grove. Relatives from out of town who attended the funeral were Mrs. Dwyer, Mrs. Galvin, Mrs. Sweeney of Olewein, Iowa, Mr. Galvin of Sumner, Iowa, Mrs. McCabe and Miss Ida McCabe of St. Peter.


History of Redwood County - Compiled by Curtis Wedge, c. 1916, pp 866-867

P. Joseph Walsh, a progressive farmer of North Hero township, was born April 3, 1865 in Montgomery township, LeSueur county, Minnesota, son of Richard and Ann (McMahan) Walsh, both natives of County Clare, Ireland. Richard Walsh, born April 29, 1828 came to America in 1846 and located in Augusta, ME, where he was married, in October 1849 to Ann McMahan, who was born in 1826. In 1850 he moved to Detroit, Mich, where he lived six years, one year of this time being spent on the Great Lakes as a sailor. In 1856 he moved to LeSueur county, Minnesota, where he took a claim, the deed to which was signed by President Buchanan, and is now in the possession of his son, P. Joseph. Mr. Walsh voted for the first governor of the state of Minnesota. In 1879 he came to Redwood county and bought 172 acres of land in Section 18 in North Hero township, which he cultivated until 1901. He retired to Tracy, Minnesota where he died December 9, 1904. His wife died January 10, 1907.
In politics he was a Democrat and was actively interested in local public affairs. He served as county commissioner of LeSueur county for five years, and was superintendent of the county poor farm from 1867-1871. There were seven children in the family: James F., Mary I., now deceased, John, deceased, Elizabeth, now Mrs. Walter Dalton of New York, Augusta J. (Mrs Alfred Swoffer), deceased, Margaret T., who married W. H. Boyle of Waseca, Minnesota, and P. Joseph.
With the exception of two years, P. Joseph Walsh assisted his father with the farm work, and after his removal to Tracy took charge of the farm. He also took a homestead of 160 acres in Springdale township, which he proved up in 1892. He carries on general farming and stock raising, having Aberdeen Angus cattle, Shropshire and white-faced sheep, Poland China swine and Percheron horses. He is a stockholder in the Redwood County Rural Telephone Co. In politics Mr. Walsh is independent. He was on the Springdale Twp. Board in 1893, and on the North Hero Twp. Board in 1897. Fraternally he is identified with the A.O.U.W. lodge #249, of Walnut Grove. Mr. Walsh was married October 16, 1901, to Avilda Hanson, who was born November 20, 1876 at Copenhagen, Denmark and came to America with her parents in 1886, they settling in Brown County, Minnesota. In 1898 they moved to Redwood county and began farming in North Hero twp. Her mother died December 12, 1914, and her father now lives in Iowa. There were five children in the family: Lena, Mrs H.A. Ledenberg, Avilda, Karl L. of Phillips, S. Dakota, Jennie, who is Mrs. Walter Jensen of Independence, Iowa, and Oswald of Independence, Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. Walsh have seven children: Frances M., born September 8, 1903, Alva J., December 23, 1904, Richard L., January 10, 1906, Jennie J., April 20, 1908, Catherine P., January 12, 1911, Joseph P., May 7, 1913 and Connor J., August 20, 1914. The family faith is that of the Catholic church.