REV. JAMES J. BYRNE.-The story of the life of this worthy, model citizen should be given to the public. It should be read by all our people, that they may profit by the example. Its lessons should be studied, and the good they inculcate be impressed upon the minds of the youth of our land. All may glean from them kernels of wisdom for present use and store up knowledge and information which will be of benefit in after life, for although he has but attained his prime, his life has been a useful one and well spent. Rev. James J. Byrne, pastor of St. Patrick's church at Parnell, parish of Grattan, was born in Kilcoo, county Down, Ireland, on the I9th of January, I850. The family consisted of eleven children born to John and Rose (Nulty) Byrne, of which James J. was the youngest. From early boyhood he aspired to become an educated classical gentleman and devotee of the priesthood. His education was begun in the parochial and national schools of his native land. At the age of seventeen he took up the study of the classics, Latin and Greek, under the direction of an old schoolmaster who had been trained for the priesthood, and proving his great determination to secure a classical education, he walked fourteen miles each day to the home of his tutor. After remaining under the instruction of this master for one year he entered St. Malachy's college at Belfast, Ireland, and remained there for four years as a student in mathematics and the classics., His course of education was completed when he was twenty-two years of age, having at that age graduated with the class of 1872. Rev. Byrne was confirmed at the age of eleven years by Rev. Dr. Danever, bishop of the diocese of Down and Connor. Subsequent to the completion of his collegiate course a desire developed in him to become a missionary in the United States of America, and he accordingly bade farewell to his native and loved land, sailed from Belfast to Liverpool, thence across the Atlantic to New York city, landing at that place in March of 1872. Until the fall of the same year he remained in New York and thence went to St. Michael's seminary at Pittsburg, Pa., where he was a student in philosophy for two years. He then took a three and a half years' course in theology at St. Vincent's college, LaTrobe, Pa. Here he received, in I875, the first minor orders of this college from Bishop Dominic, of Allegheny, Pa., and three years later received the major order of deacon and the sub deaconship from Bishop Tuigg of the Allegheny diocese. At Detroit, Mich., on June 29, I878, Rev. Byrne, together with Rev. Peter Slane and two other classmates, Frs. Dempsey and Doman of the Detroit diocese, was ordained priest at the bishop's chapel by Bishop Borgess. His first clergical work was in the capacity of assistant priest at the Holy Trinity church of Detroit, with Fr. Blindburgh, and he remained such for three years. Rev. Byrne was then given charge of St. Mary's parish at Williamston, Mich., and had two mission churches at Bunkerhill and Woodhill, which he left in a greatly improved state. In 1882 he was assigned to St. Mary's church at Midland, and there remained for a year and a half. To him is due much credit for the alteration and improvement of this church. He replaced the old pews with new ones, put in a new altar, and made a general overhauling and renewal at an expense of $I,000. At this time he had three churches over which to preside, keeping him very busy and necessitating a thirty miles' drive every Sunday. On account of the over taxation of his strength he was next assigned as assistant to Rev. Fr. Rafter at Bay City, Mich., where he was located for six years. His career here as a priest was a laborious one. He accomplished the mammoth undertaking of collecting funds for the erection of a $65,o0o church, and in addition to his work in the building of the church he was ever present with the sick and suffering. In accordance with the high regard and esteem the parish had for their priest, they presented him with a fine horse, buggy, sleigh, robes, etc., and the horse Rev. Byrne has in his possession this day. From Bay City Rev. Byrne was transferred to the cathedral of St. Andrew's at Grand Rapids in the year I890, and at this place became assistant pastor to Bishop Richter for a year and a half. At the same time he had. charge of two missions —at Cascade and Bowne-and he erected the priest's residence, barn, etc., of St. Mary's church in Cascade, at a cost of $3,000. He also frescoed the church, purchased three new altars, new pews, furnace, etc. At Bowne St. Patrick's church, he also made valuable improvements, and on February 12, I896, was made pastor of St. Patrick's church in Grattan township. He has here been the instrumental one in the furnishing and improvement. The school has an average attendance of eighty-five, the young ladies' sodality numbers eighty-five, the Sacred Heart 350 and the Altar society 120. The parish now contains about I40 families. St. Patrick's parish was organized in 1844 by thirty members, and the first church building erected at Parnell is now utilized as a blacksmith shop. The second edifice stood on land donated by Mr. Sullivan, was a large, handsome structure, but was destroyed by fire August I6, I868, during the pastorate of Father McManus. The next church was erected on the site of the present, on land also donated by Mr. Sullivan, and this was likewise destroyed by fire September 20, I876, when Father Quinn was pastor. The fourth, and present church edifice, was erected by the citizens on nearly the same plan as its predecessor, and has a seating capacity for 800 persons. The pastors of St. Patrick's have succeeded each other in the following order: Father Vizoskey, who was also the first priest of St. Andrew's; Frs. Van Erb, De Cunick, Kilroy, Quigley, Staley, Rivers; Frs. McManus, six years; Lynch, one year; Tierney, three years; Quinn, three years; Savage, three years; Flannery, three years; Crumley, thirteen years, and Byrne, the present incumbent. The career of Rev. Byrne in Grattan has been a delightful one. He holds the esteem and love of all because of his affability, genial nature and cordiality. John Byrne, was born in Washtenaw county, Mich., April I, 1839, and died on the 31st day of August, I896, in Grattan township, Kent county. He learned the vocation of an agriculturist in early life, was for some time in association with his brother, Thomas Byrne, late of Grand Rapids, and also spent five or six years at lumbering in Roscommon county. Persistent and industrious, he became very popular and well thought of, though the emoluments of public office were never attractive to him. Throughout his years he was a devout Catholic and gave liberally and aided very materially in the erection of the St. Patrick churches, especially the last beautiful edifice erected in 1877 at a cost of $20,000. At his death he was mourned by many, for he was an esteemed and honored man. William Byrne, father of John Byrne, was born in county Carlow, or Kildare, Ireland. He married Ann Moran, later came to America, and for some years lived in Canada. He came to Grattan township, Kent county, Mich., in 1845 or 1846, to work on the Michigan Central railroad. In course of time, through industry and frugality, he secured a large farm east of Round lake, where he made some changes on the farm, that had first been improved by his son Michael. He was one of the thirty persons to organize St. Patrick's church, and retained his membership of the congregation throughout life, and was always a liberal contributor to the church. To the marriage of William Byrne were born six sons and seven daughters, in the following order: Mary, who was married to John Kenna, but is now deceased; Thomas; John; Michael, of Grattan; William, who lives near the old homestead; Kate, married to Michael Boylen, but died at twenty-three years of age; Ann, now Mrs. Cornelius Boylon, of Grand Rapids; Ellen, who was married to William Jones, died when thirty-seven years old; Margaret is the wife of William Heffron, of Grattan; Theresa was married to Ambrose Weeks and died at the age of forty-three; Lizzie is the wife of R. A. Weeks, of Grattan, and George died at the age of thirty-seven years. William Byrne, the father of the above-named family, died November 22, I882, aged seventy-two years, and his wife expired May 5, I891, at the age of eighty. Mrs. Mary A. Byrne, widow of John Byrne, was born in Sylvan township, Washtenaw county, Mich., December 25, 1845, and is one of eleven children born to John P. and Phoebe (Beakes) Weeks, seven of which family are now living, viz: Margaret, the widow of Henry Lessiter, and a resident of Grattan; Mrs. Byrne; Henrietta, the wife of Peter McCauley, a farmer of Oakfield; Ambrose, a traveling salesman, resident of Grand Rapids; Romanzo A., a mechanic by trade now in the southern states, though his home is in Grattan; John I., one of the prosperous farmers of Grattan; and Celestia, the wife of Horace Jakeway, a resident of Montcalm county, Mich. John P. Weeks was born on Long Island, N. Y. His record is fully presented as deceased father of Mrs. Margaret A. Lessiter in the latter's biography. Mrs. Byrne was but a small child when she was removed to Kent county, Mich., and located in Grattan. There her father took up 240 acres of land, almost all forest, wherein were deer and bears, and upon which was built their first home, a little log cabin, I6 x 20 feet. There was neither a school-house nor a church in the vicinity where he settled, and St. Patrick's church, although long-standing, was not then built. Mrs. Weeks was a native of New York state and both her parents died in Kent county. Mrs. Byrne spent her youthful days in Grattan township, where she attended and for some time taught school. On September 20, i866, she married John Byrne and the union was blessed with the birth of ten children, eight of whom now live, viz: Mattia A., a highly educated lady, who passed through the common school and spent some time as a student of St. Mary's Catholic academy at Windsor, Canada, taking at that institution a course in literature and music, and of late married to Daniel Howard, a resident of Grattan; Edgar, who was educated at Notre Dame, and the business college at Grand Rapids, and is now a resident of Chicago in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad company; Irma E., the wife of James Doran, advertising manager of the Grand Rapids Democrat; Phoebe M., wife of Thomas Malone, an agriculturist of Cannon; J. Percy, educated in the common schools and at Clarkesville academy, of Ionia county, and now residing with his mother; Melvin, of late a student of a St. Louis business college; Frank, and DeLos, who are attending the public schools. The success of Mr. and Mrs. Byrne-for they were truly successful in life-was due only to their industry and economy. They began life on a farm of I60 acres, and at the time of Mr. Byrne's death the estate comprised 460 acres of finely cultivated and improved land.