John A. Downey made his ;homestead entry for the SE 1/4 of Section 14, Township 18, North Range 22 West at the North Platte, Nebr. Land Office on the 24th of February, 1882. John A. born April 6, 1811, and his wife, Ellen Sweeney, born 1811, were natives of Tipperary County, Ireland, where their marriage on Sept. 15, 1834 was solemnized. In 1849 they came to America. John A. was a coal miner by vocation and followed that line of work in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and (Webster County)Iowa until the early 1880's when they came to Custer County. Three of their children and their families, John J. and wife, Mary Ann; Bridget Couhig and husband, William; and Johanna McCarty and husband Robert, had all homesteaded in June 1880 in Dale Valley northwest of Merna, Nebraska. All of their homesteads adjoined each other. John A. and Ellen had 12 children but only five of the children reached maturity. John A. died on March 7, 1882 at his home in Dale, Nebraska. He was remembered as an easy going man who sat on the sunny side of the sod house and smoked his pipe. His wife, Ellen, continued to reside on the homestead and received the final homestead receipt on May 28, 1887 from the United States. Ellen signed the homestead documents with an X (her mark). She did not know how to write her name. Homestead improvements in 1887 included a 22X46 foot sod house, 20X56 foot stable, corn crib, sod corral, well, pump, windmill and household furniture. In October of 1892, Ellen Downey deeded her homestead to her son, John J. and Mary Ann Downey. Ellen died on September 16, 1896.
John was buried about 1/4 mile straight north of the house under a tree until the St. Andrews Cemetery was opened in 1886. At that time several caskets were moved to their final resting place. Until a few years ago you could see the indentations in the ground from the former graves.
Information found on Ancestry.com