Photo above, "courtesy of Author: David Richardson, Pig War Islands ©1990."
The following are obituary profiles courtesy of The San Juan Journal and provided by Eleanor Louise Boyce-Johnsom.
Alice Boyce and Joseph Sweeney
Former Pioneer Lady Summoned by Death Mrs. Alice Sweeney, age 83,
First White Child Born on San Juan
IslandFebruary 4, 1943
Funeral services for Mrs. Alice Sweeney, the first white child born on San Juan Island, were held at 1:00 o'clock Saturday afternoon of last week in Seattle with Rev. Sherman L. Divine, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian church officiating. Mrs. Sweeney passed away Tuesday at her home in the city.
Mrs. Sweeney's early life was spent on San Juan Island, and is well remembered by the older residents of the community. She and her husband, the late Joseph Sweeney, move to Seattle in 1906, to make their home after disposing of their mercantile business in Friday Harbor.
Her parents. The late Steven and Lucinda Boyce, arrived at Victoria, B.C., by sailing vessel in 1858 and two years later settled on San Juan Island in order to insure their American citizenship. Mrs. Sweeney was born there August 22, 1860. Her father helped build the first church on the Island.
Mrs. Sweeney was married in 1880 to the late Joseph Sweeney, pioneer San Juan merchant, who died in 1920. When the young couple moved to Friday Harbor there were only three other residents there.
Surviving are a son and two daughters in Seattle, Miss May Sweeney, Mrs. Joseph Turner and William Sweeney; a sister, Mrs. Grace Erickson, Friday Harbor, two brothers, Steven Boyce, Friday Harbor, and William Boyce, Seattle; three grand-children, Alice Turner, John Turner and Mrs. Katharine McCreedy, and a great-grand-daughter, Sharon McCreedy, all of Seattle.Former San Juan County Man Dies in Seattle Joseph Sweeney a Resident of County for 32 Years
August 12, 1920
Joseph Sweeney, a pioneer resident of San Juan Island for 32 years and of the State of Washington 52 years, died at his home in Seattle, August 6th, after a long illness following a paralytic stroke.
Mr. Sweeney was born in Petites Roches, New Brunswick, the son of Jeremiah Sweeney and Ellen (Driscoll) Sweeney, both natives of Ireland, on Dec. 9, 1841.
At the age of 20 he went to Wisconsin to engage in the lumber business, remaining there until 1868, when he crossed the Cascades and went to work as a logger in a camp owned by the Phinneys of Port Ludlow. He stayed in the camp until 1874, when he moved to Friday harbor and opened a general store. He lived in Friday Harbor for 32 years, holding the office of postmaster for 25 years and also acting as county commissioner for some time.
In 1906 he moved to Seattle and became a real estate broker, keeping up his business until he was stricken with paralysis last October.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Alice Sweeney of Seattle; one son, William Sweeney, Seattle; three daughters, Miss May Sweeney and Mrs. Theodore Tuner of Seattle and Mrs. Alice Drake of Oakland, California, one brother, William Sweeney of New Brunswick, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Doyle of Friday Harbor ad Mrs. Agnes Murphy of New Brunswick.
