History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, ed. by William Henry Perrin, O. L. Baskin & Co., Chicago, 1882. p. 490. [Bourbon County] [Paris City and Precinct] REV. J. S. SWEENEY, minister; P. O. Paris. Elder John S. Sweeney is a native of Kentucky, born of a family of preachers, and the great-grandson of Moses Sweeney, who emigrated from Ireland to this State, shortly after the advent of Daniel Boone, and settled in what is now Lincoln County, Kentucky. He was a farmer, but for several years was engaged in salt manufacture. He raised a family of seven children, six sons and one daughter. Job, one of his sons, was the grandfather of our subject; he married Sallie Edwards, who bore him nine children, among whom was Guirn, the father of the above, who was one of the pioneer ministers of the Reformed, or Christian Church; he was born in Lincoln Co. in 1807, and proclaimed the doctrine embraced by the church, almost a score of years before Alexander Campbell joined its standard. Guirn Sweeney married Talitha Campbell, daughter of John, who came from Scotland. Nine children crowned this union, four of whom are ministers of the same church as their father. William G. is a minister in Dubuque, Iowa; George W., pastor at Terre Haute, Indiana; Zach. T. has charge of a church in Augusta, Georgia. The Sweeney family are strong and robust in constitution, and long-lived, some of whom closely verged upon centenarians. John S. early in life had a desire to attain a knowledge of the law, and commenced reading at eighteen years, which he pursued some length of time. At the age of twenty-two he entered the ministry, and began his labors in Green County, Ills., laboring in that State about fourteen years; five years he was pastor of the First Christian Church, on Wabash Avenue, in Chicago. In 1870 he came to this place and had charge of the church at this place since that period. Elder Sweeney is well known as one of the ablest divines and worthy exponents of the doctrine of his church, in the North or South, having very ably and most successfully measured lances on the forum and elsewhere, with the best talent that could be arrayed against him. He was first married in 1860 to Mary Coons, daughter of James and Mary (Cheatham) Coons. Mrs. Sweeney died 1873, leaving two daughters, Alla and Daisey. His present wife was Alice Monin, by whom he has three sons: John M., William E. and Babe. Sweeney Edwards Campbell Coons Monin = Lincoln-KY Green-IL Ireland Scotland IA IN GA http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/bourbon/sweeney.js.txt