Biography - Peter Fenity
DR. PETER FENITY is a native of the county of Roscommon, Ireland, and was
born March 15th, 1827. He is the third of a family of fourteen children of
John and Margaret Fenity. In 1840 Mr. Fenity emigrated, with his family, to
America, landing at Quebec July 1st of that year. He soon after settled in
the province of Ontario, and from thence removed to the state of New York,
where he spent the remainder of his life. Mrs. Fenity is yet living,
residing at Troy, New York.
The subject of this sketch, early in life, was thrown on his own resources,
and the rudiments of his education were obtained in Ireland. He came to
America with his parents at the above date, and soon after went to Ohio to
pursue his studies, and without any means except what he earned, entered, at
the age of nineteen, the Preparatory Department of Oberlin College, where he
spent one year, after which he came to Illinois, landing at Chicago in
August, 1847, with less than one dollar in his pocket. In September of that
year he entered the Collegiate Department of Knox College, Ill., graduating
in June, 1852. Dr. Fenity is most emphatically a self-made man. While most
of the other young men at college were supported by resources from their
parents, he on the contrary, had to earn by his own hands, the necessary m
money to pay his expenses. His vacations were spent in the harvest field, or
at such other farm labor as would enable him to earn an honest dollar. Those
efforts of his early youth are highly commendable and illustrative of that
energy that has characterized his career. After finishing his studies at
college he went to Jerseyville, Ill., where he taught a select school. In
the fall of 1853 he commenced the study
of medicine under the instruction of Dr. Charles A. Knapp. In the winter of
1855-6 he attended lectures at the St. Louis Medical College, and in the
spring of 1857 commenced practice at Kane, where he has since resided. In
the spring of 1859 he graduated at the St. Louis Medical College.
In the fall of 1857 Dr. Fenity was married to Miss Helen Elmira Cory,
daughter of Rev. David Cory (a brother of Dr. Luther Cory). The Rev. Mr.
Cory was born at Bridport, Addison county, Vermont, in December, 1797.
Madison county, New York, was the birthplace of Mrs. Fenity. They have had
eight children, seven of whom are yet living. Their eldest son, Frank
Fenity, is now a student at Shurtleff College. Dr. Fenity, wife, and son,
are members of the Baptist Church. Politically, he adheres to the democratic
party and during the late civil war remained a firm supporter of the country
of his adoption, believing in a vigorous and prompt suppression of the
rebellion. Dr. Fenity exhibits in his character some of the finest traits,
which are typical of the more cultivated portion of his nationality.
Pleasing
address, graceful manners, and sterling integrity, are a few of the
qualities that tend to make him popular as a physician and citizen.
Extracted 05 Jan 2017 & 06 Jun 2018 by Norma Hass from Atlas Map of Greene County Illinois, 1873, pages 35 and 38.
