The Kaney family of Bear Valley originated with Patrick Kaney, who was born in Ireland in 1811. He married Rose Croal, daughter of John and Catherine Clinton Croal who came to America from County Leitrim, Ireland in 1851. Rose Croal Kaney was born in 1833. The Kaneys came to Croal Hollow in northern Bear Valley where they erected a log cabin and broke up the soil for farming. They were the parents of at least six children: James F., born in 1854, who married Mary Byrne; John, who was a lawyer and assemblyman in Milwaukee; Joseph M., who married Frances (Fannie) McCarville and lived in Bear Valley, and three daughters who were nuns. Patrick Kaney died in 1901 and Rose Croal Kaney died in 1909. They are buried at St. Kilian's Cemetery. Joseph and Fannie Kaney lived on the farm west of the Brown Church on the south side of County B. They also lived on the Winterburn farm, now known as the Grauvogl farm, for some time. Frances McCarville Kaney was the daughter of James and Julia Phelan McCarville of northern Bear Valley. Joseph and Fannie McCarville Kaney were the parents of seven children: Alaque, who married Dirk Kooiman; Marcella, who married Albert Greenheck; James Acquinas, who never married; Cyril, who never married; John D., who married Ann Bloss of Boscobel; Francis, who never married; and Katherine I. who died at the age of 15. James F. Kaney, the oldest son of Patrick and Rose Croal Kaney, also lived in Croal Hollow. He married Mary Byrne, and they were the parents of thirteen chidren. John Kaney (1885-1973) was unmarried. William H. Kaney (1887-1969) was also unmarried; Albert C. (1898-1965) married Wenonah Sherwood; Emmett, born in 1901, married Katherine Day; Wilfred married Madolyn Dorow; Hubert, about whom nothing is known; James, who died in the 1918 flu epidemic, unmarried; Anna, who married Matt Ballweg, a railroad engineer in Chicago, Florence, who married George Johnson; Mae, who married a professional golfer, Frank Adams; Kate; Nellie, who married John Niemann of Loganville and Lucille who married a man named Twombley. Alaque Kaney and Dirk Kooiman lived in South Dakota for awhile, and then returned to Bear Valley. Their son, Paul Kooiman lives on the former Kick Carswell farm in lower Bear Valley. He and his wife, the former Janet Savacool are the parents of Joseph, Barbara, Christopher, Karl, Laura and Tom. Dirk Kooiman lives across the road in a home remodeled out of the old Carswell Cheese Factory.
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"Patrick Kaney, a resident of this county for 47 years and one of the most successful farmers of this county died at his home in Bear Valley, Monday, October 21. Mr. Kaney was born in Ireland in 1809 and came to America and located in New York in 1847. Three years later he came to Whitewater, this state, where he remained until 1854 when he moved onto a farm in Bear Valley which was his home until his death. He raised a family of eight children, four sons and four daughters. The daughters are all residents of New York. The sons are James, who lives in Sauk County; P. H. of Kimbal, S.D., Joe who lives on the home farm, and Joh S, an attorney, of Milwaukee. He is survived by his entire family, his aged wife, a companion for more than fifty years, remains to mourn the loss of a kind and devoted husband."
"Registration of Death for Patrick Kaney. No. 156. Age: 91 years. Birthplace of father: Ireland. Married. Date of Death: 21 October 1901. Residence at time of death. Bear Valley, Dixon PO. Cause of Death: (primary) Endo eafiditis. (secondary) Chronic bronchitis. Place of death: Dixon. Duration of disease: 15 years. Was deceased a soldier/sailor: No. Place of burial: St. Kilians Church. Date of certificate 21 Oct 1901. Recorded 4 Nov 1901."