From the book History of Walworth County Wisconsin, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 682 - 684
 
WILLIAM EDGAR MASSEY.  "Earn they reward; the gods give naught to sloth," said 
the old Greek sage, Epicharmus, and the truth of the admonition has been 
verified in human affairs in all the ages which have rolled their course since 
his day.  William Edgar MASSEY, farmer of Linn township and scion of one of the 
worthy old families of Walworth county, has, by ceaseless toil and endeavor, 
attained a large degree of success in his chosen calling and has gained the 
respect and confidence of men.
 
Mr. MASSEY was born near his present home on February 2, 1869.  He is the son 
of William and Mary (DELANEY) MASSEY, the father born near Cork, in the county 
Limerick, Ireland.  When about eighteen years old he and his three brothers, 
George, Charles and John, and their mother emigrated to America, the father 
having died in Ireland.  The mother and her four sons first spent a few years 
in New York and other points in the East, then William MASSEY came to Linn 
township, Walworth county, Wisconsin, and have worked nine years for General 
BOYD, being about twenty-two years old when he came here.  After nine years he 
purchased a farm of eighty acres, later buying sixty acres additional, and made 
his permanent home near the center of Linn township.  He was married in 1861 to 
Mary DELANEY, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (BROWN) DELANDEY, both born in 
Ireland, Thomas DELANEY being from county Kilkenney and his wife from Munster.  
Elizabeth BROWN came to America when twelve years old with her parents, George 
and Ann BROWN, this family settling in Lyons township, this county, being among 
the pioneers.  The BROWNS and DELANEYS both came to America in the thirties and 
located first in Michigan, where they spent two or three years, and there 
Thomas DELANEY and Ann BROWN were married.  Then Thomas DELANEY and his brother-
in-law, John BROWN, and James CURRAN, another brother-in-law of DELANEY's, came 
to Wisconsin on a prospecting tour and located in Walworth county.  Thomas 
DELANEY entering two hundred acres from the govenernment in section 33, Lyons 
township, in 1840, his land being located three miles east of Geneva.  Mr. 
CURRAN entered land near there also, and the BROWNS entered land three miles 
farther east.
 
The family of Thomas DELANEY consisted of the following children: George, Ann, 
Mary, Margaret, John, William, Thomas, Jane, Dennis, Elizabeth, Patrick Henry, 
James, and Valentine.
 
Thomas DELANEY and wife spent the rest of their lives on the land they first 
secured here and there reared their large family and died there, and there Mary 
lived until she married William MASSEY.  After his marriage William MASSEY 
purchased his farm in Linn township, and there spent most of his life and 
reared his family of nine children, who were named as follows: Elizabeth, 
Ellen, George, Martha, Gertrude, Cecily, William, Frank, and Emma (not named in 
the order of birth).
 
In 1904 William MASSEY retired from farming and he and his wife moved to 
Chicago where his death occurred in 1906.  Mrs. MASSEY now makes her home with 
her daughter, Ellen, wife of George BOYDEN, an electrician; Elizabeth is the 
wife of Thomas W. SLAVN, of Geneva township; George married Margaret DOYLE and 
has a good farm in Linn township; William Edgar is the subject of this sketch; 
Frank married Frances REILLEY, of Chicago, and lives on the farm left by his 
father; Emma married George KENNEY and lives at Janesville, Wisconsin; Martha 
is a Sister of Mercy in a convent in Milwaukee; Gertrude lives in Colorado; 
Cecily married Arthur MOYNIHAN.
 
William E. MASSEY grew to manhood on his father's farm in Linn township and was 
educated in the local schools.  On February 22, 1898, he was united in marriage 
with Mary TULLEY, daughter of Andrew and Mary (QUINCANNON) TULLEY.  She was 
born in Delavan and lived in Lake Geneva most of her life. Her parents were 
natives of Ireland.  Mary QUINCANNON was the daughter of Michael and Bridget 
QUINCANNON, very early settlers near Lake Geneva. Mrs. MASSEY's  mother died 
when she as five years old.  Her father is still living near Delavan, where he 
is engaged in farming.  William E. MASSEY and wife have three children, namely: 
Earl William Joseph, born March 12, 1889; Mary Genevieve, born February 6, 
1901; Katherine Evelyne, born April 28, 1903.
 
For four years after their marriage William E. MASSEY and wife lived on the 
farm now owned by George MASSEY in section 21.  After four years there he 
bought the farm where he now lives in the northeast quarter of section 21, Linn 
township, adjoining the brother's farm, where he had rented before buying a 
farm of his own.  He has been very successful as a general farmer and stock 
raiser. The subject and family belong to the Catholic church at Lake Geneva, 
and fraternally he belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)