Joseph, Conway Jr., son of Joseph and Margaret Conway was born in County Clare Dec. 22, 1824 and died July 15, 1897. He came to America in 1846 sailing from Limerich on the Emma. He arrived in Oswege, N.Y. on August 20. In 1852 he came to Rock Island. The next February, with an ax on his shoulder, he walked to Preemption township, and commenced clearing land. In June of the following year he received the patent for his land signed by President Pierce. Joseph had landed in Oswege with a quarter in his pocket. When he came to Preemption township he had two hundred dollars. He eventually became the owner of 640 acres. On July 10, 1854 he married Bridget Ayers. She died Jan. 6, 1870 at the age of 39 leaving him with six children namely Thomas, Margaret, Joseph, Patrick, Mary Ann (later Sister Mary Vincent, RSM) and Martin W. Elizabeth had died at the age of 10 months. All are buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Preemption except S.M. Vincent, RSM.
  Joseph after acquiring enough money, sent back to Ireland and paid the transportation for his half-sisters Katherine O'Dea (Mrs. Dan Mack) and Margaret O'Dea (Mrs. Steve Kiniry) and his two nieces Margaret O'Connor (Mrs. James McManus), and Margaret O'Dea who later went to Brooklyn N.Y. They must have come to the U.S. early in 1860 as Katherine helped to care for Patrick Conway, Virginia and Vincent's father, when he was born Sept. 20, 1860. Katherine continued to live with her brother Joe until her marriage to Dan Mack after the Civil War. One granddaughter, Sister Mary Catherine O'Dea in Philadelphia, probably was the daughter of the Conway killed during the Civil War. The Brooklyn O'Dea's kept in touch with her while they were still living. The Dan Macks kept in touch with the family in New York. Lizzie Mack of Preemption gave the Tom Mack family a beautiful linen tablecloth they had received from an aunt living there.
  Joseph Conway Jr.'s sister, Mary Margaret Conway (1832-1883) also came to America. She married Francis M. Voris (1831-1897). They first settled in Garden Grove, Decatur County, Iowa in 1860. For lack of a Catholic Church, the children were raised Protestants. The children were Margaret Cordelia (Mrs. Joseph C. Rogers, Calif.), Francis M., John Archie, and Mary Etta (Mrs. Eastman). Mary Voris choked to death on a piece of steak. She and her husband Francis M. are buried in the Derby Cemetery, Derby Iowa, Lucas County.
  The Conways had lost track of Mary Margaret Voris (Conway). Virginia Conway and Sister Mary Janela spent time in libraries trying to trace her and her husband as Virginia needed the information for her family history. In 1980, the Voris granddaughters were trying to locate the Conways. On St. Patrick's Day the two families communicated. Later two of the granddaughters came to Aledo to meet Virginia and Sister Mary Janela. written by Sister Mary Janela