BIOGRAPHY - THOMAS NUGENT
Thomas Nugent, proprietor of the Cabery House and a merchant of the village of Cabery, is well known as a man of energy and determination, who has placed his dependence upon the substantial qualities of diligence and perseverance for the acquirement of success. He was born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, January 28, 1868, but when about a year and a half old was brought to the United States by his parents. He is a son of Nicholas Nugent, who was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, and crossed the Atlantic to Canada when a young man. There he acted as baggage-master on the Great Western Railroad for four years and following his marriage removed with his family to Illinois, settling in Will county, where he lived for one year. He then removed to Essex township, Kankakee county, where he owned and operated a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, his time and energies being devoted to its further development and improvement until he laid aside the more active cares of business life. In early manhood he wedded Sarah Magher, a native of County Kilkenny, Ireland, who came to Canada with two brothers, Thomas and Patrick Magher. The death of Nicholas Nugent occurred on the 19th of May, 1901, when he had reached the age of seventy-eight years, while his wife survived until the 6th of November, 1907, and was eighty-five years of age at the time of her death.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Nugent were born seven children, of whom Garrett, the eldest, is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. The others are: Michael, a retired farmer of Essex township, Kankakee county; Mrs. Bridget Hayes, of Sibley, Ford county, Illinois; Richard E., who resides on the home farm in Essex township, Kankakee county; Nicholas, who follows agricultural pursuits in Essex township; Thomas, of this review; and Mrs. Margaret A. Mulligan, who also resides on the old homestead in Essex township.
Thomas Nugent was reared to farm life, his boyhood days being devoted to the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the home farm. His father trained him to the work of the fields and lessons of industry and honesty were early instilled into his mind. He remained with his parents until June 1896, when he came to Cabery and here engaged in the grain business with George Carson under the firm name of Carson & Nugent. Two and a half years later Mr. Carson sold his interest in the business to Garrett Nugent, and the enterprise was then conducted under the firm name of Nugent Brothers for about three years, when Thomas Nugent sold out to his brother and removed to Saunemin, Illinois. There he conducted a livery stable for a year, after which he sold out and returned to Cabery, where he opened his present restaurant and hotel business, conducted under the name of the Cabery house. In connection with the hotel he conducts a confectionery and ice cream parlor, and likewise sells cigars and tobacco. He does a good business as a merchant and also as hotel proprietor, and is one of the leading, representative and progressive business men of Cabery.
On the 16th of February, 1898, Mr. Nugent was married to Miss Nellie M. Carey, whose birth occurred at Sullivan Center, Livingston county, Illinois, on the 14th of March, 1876, a daughter of Frank and Mary (Clark) Carey, the former a native of the state of New York, and the latter of Livingston county. They are now residents of Kempton, this state. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Nugent have been born two daughters and a son, Mary Frances, James Ambrose and Genevieve Katherine. The family is prominent in this locality, Mr. and Mrs. Nugent occupying an enviable position in social circles. His political allegiance is given to the democracy, and he is now serving as deputy sheriff of the county, in which position he discharges his duties with promptness and fidelity. Almost his entire life has been passed in this part of the state, and he is a typical Illinoisan, alert and enterprising, who recognizes the fact that upon individual effort depends success and is therefore laboring earnestly to advance to the goal of prosperity.
Extracted 17 Oct 2016 by Norma Hass from History of Ford County, Illinois, From Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, author E. A. Gardner, Volume 2, pages 858-860.
