After their marriage, Edward and Agnes moved to Savannah, IL where Earl
(Larry), Kathleen and Darrell were born. Ed worked for the Milwaukee RR,
and they lived briefly in Oxford Junction, Iowa, where Conan was born.
Later they moved to Calmar, Iowa, then in 1904 to Davenport where Agnita,
Donald and Dolores were born.
Remembering Agnes Doyle:
Moira remembers "Grandma Doyle"
My earliest memories of Grandma Doyle were during the early fifties
when she was 80 or older. After Dad graduated from Chiropody school we
came back to the Quad Cities. I was 3 and a half or 4, Jim was a baby.
We lived for a short time in the downstairs back bedroom of Grandma Doyle's
house before we got an apartment downtown over the Elks club. I think Grandma
Kathleen & Jack also lived there, and we certainly must have been crowding
them. At any rate, I visited with her upstairs one day. She told me that
when she was a little girl, they came to Iowa on a wagon. She said they
saw rattlesnakes, and she was very afraid of them. Also, she was very afraid
of Indians. They saw Indians too, but not in any frightening way. I was
supposed to not bother her or go upstairs to her apartment, so I have really
only this one memory. We got her TV after she died. The first one we had.
John Cosgrove says:
His grandmother was the "nicest woman", always taking care
of the family and doing for others. All the kids were big on the social
scene according to John. Don's wife's parents owned the Coliseum Ballroom,
the "Col", in Davenport. He was a bellhop there. They (Don & his wife)
ran away to get married, and Agnes found out later. Also Conan was secretly
married, in the rectory of the Cathedral, not a "Catholic" wedding.
John also remembers that Dolores could really do the Charleston.
Sheila Cosgrove Kautz remembers:
Grandma Doyle wanted a TV and so all the families chipped
in to get her one for Christmas. In those days they were 6" to 10". Hers
was supposed to be 8", but she wasn't sure it was. So we got a measuring
tape to make sure it was 8 inches. She loved to sit and watch TV when she
wasn't watching the activity of the neighbors out the window. (Moira's
note: Our family got the TV when Grandma Doyle died in '52--we were thrilled,
our first!)
She always baked her famous Ice Bar cookies and they were
in the cookie jar in the pantry and if one was quiet and didn't cause problems
at her house, she told you that you could go to the jar and take one cookie--she
rationed them out!! For awhile after we moved from Dover Court we rented
her downstairs apartment after Gallaghers moved to 1109 West 17th Street.
(Moira: When Dad finished Chiropody School in Chicago we lived there too
in a back bedroom of that same apartment for a couple of months--Jimmy
was a small baby. I don't remember the pantry, but I remember the back
stairs in that house. I always thought of it as a secret passage).
Jim Cosgrove remembers:
Grandma Doyle had a brother Will Burns (wife Mary)
from Phoenix who would come to visit. That part of the family came from
Northern Iowa. In June of 1912, Will and Mary moved to Phoenix because
he had been diagnosed with TB. When they got there, they lived in
a "shack". He recovered and sold real estate and also bought some during
Phoenix's phenomenal growth period, and was quite successful. His business
was Burns Investment Company. Agnita (his niece, Agnes' daughter) lived
with them when she had TB in the thirties.
Moira remembers:
We used to visit with Sr. Huberta at the motherhouse in Cedar
Rapids, maybe once with Carmela. Sister Carmela died first; Sister Huberta
retired to the motherhouse and died in the '50's. Sister Huberta was really
old at her last teaching assignment, somewhere I think in the Northwest.
The kids literally drove her crazy, I was told. They were both Sisters
of Mercy (?) Motherhouse in Cedar Rapids. My dad had met the bishop as
a young boy at family parties during the Depression when they would all
get together. It was years ago when he would tell me about those. Mostly
the Doyles got together, and the nuns Huberta and Carmela would wear regular
clothes. Once dad and his cousins knocked on the door, pretending to be
the bishop and the nuns had to scamper back and put on their habits...the
boys must have been successful at their trick because dad never forgot
it.
Ed Doyle was a switchman for the Milwaukee Railroad and, according
to Dad, drove a Model T coupe. He bought it in '21 or '22. Dad got to ride
in it--but not till he was 7 or 8. It had planetary gears, he recalled,
and three pedals. It would inch along, and you had to put gas in the tank
under the passenger seat. You had to crank to start the engine, and once
the engine backfired and broke Ed's wrist. Later he had an Olds Touring
Sedan that our Grandma Kathleen learned to drive (and her brothers did
too). It had an electric starter. . .He died at age 65 of a heart attack,
suffered at work. His son, Darrell, was with him when he died. Before
I was born, in their house on Iowa Street, Agnes kept priests as boarders--the
place was not far from the cathedral.
Remembering Ed Doyle:
Pat Doyle remembers his grandfather:
Our great grandfather, Edward Doyle, sat me on his
lap in the living room of their two story house on 8th (sic) and Iowa streets.
He let me admire and touch his pipe collection on a small table next to
his chair; he let me fish in his coat pocket for the candied mint I found
there when I was four or five. He was tall, bony with a narrow face and
pointed chin and shock of hair, nearing his retirement age from the Rock
Island Lines railroad. He died of a heart attack without collecting a cent
of his pension, not payable to his widow. My dad was shaving for work when
the telephone call from his mother told him the news--1935, '37? He lay
in state in his living room for an evening when the family gathered for
the wake. Only a few candles around his coffin illuminated the room. Then
he was gone.
My dad [Darrell] told of how Grandpa could swim the Mississippi
River on his lunch hour and back from the Rock Island shore. (Once? One
summer, most of his years?) Grandpa had a passenger pass the family could
use for travel on the lines. Dad took advantage of it when he was scouting
for a job in his early years. (Did your Grandmother ever use it?) Dad showed
me a news clipping that described Grandpa's bout of sleeping sickness that
lasted nearly a month.
He also remembers family gatherings:
The Doyles, (including Gallaghers, Cosgroves and later
Pete Petersen, Agnita's husband), assembled at Grandma's [Doyle] for Thanksgiving,
Christmas and Fourth of July celebrations for several years. Larry, Esther,
Jerry, Patsy and Marilyn drove in from Chicago; Clinton Doyles, Marion
and Don, Steve, Bob, their sister, Donna and little Eddie; I don't recall
Conan but once with his wife (girlfriend?); Sisters Huberta and Carmella
from their Dubuque convent; the Phoenix Burns, Poppa and his girls occasionally.
I don't think we ever missed one of those free meals at Grandma's. Most
of the adults sipped a highball before dinner (including the Sisters--who
would tell Mother Superior?). No singular incidents occurred that I remember--no
posing for photos. Agnita usually played a few popular ballads (no lessons,
she played by ear). Larry often performed his monologue of rescuing little
Nell from the well, ad-libbing a different script each time. Larry played
for the Cincinnati Reds one season, and had been in the Army in WWI. My
dad was called up to report for induction on 11 November, 1918. Selective
Service was closed that day, celebrating the Armistice--his story.
When I began dating Ann it was important for me to get Grandma
Doyle's approval. She invited us to dinner (in her kitchen, not enough
of a crowd to set the dining room table). I believe she offered us a glass
of wine. I had alerted Ann to Grandma's custom of politely belching aloud
in a slight, rolling stutter. She was a pleasant companion and a gracious
hostess and gratefully refrained from any special advice. I liked Grandma.
Agnes & Ed's Family
Agnes and Ed Doyle had 7 children:
Kathleen Doyle (1895 - 1966) m. John Aloysius Cosgrove (1893 - 1966) in 1920.
Jim (Cosgrove) remembers:
Grandma taught Jack to drive on a 1928 Chevrolet 4 door sedan.
It was their first family car and had no heater. After that they had a
'33 then a '38 Chevy.
One summer Jack and Kathleen won a trip to French Lick (an
Indiana resort) and John and Jim stayed with Grandma Doyle. She took them
one day to the Palmer School (which is what we've always called Palmer
College of Chiropractic; she rented to Palmer students). Palmer had, and
still does, a garden with little Asian statues. A little guy with a Vandyke
beard--old--came out and took them through the "Little Bit of Heaven" and
bought them an ice cream cone, which at the time cost a dime. It was B.J.
Palmer.
Sheila Cosgrove Kautz remembers:
My earliest recollections are of when we lived on Dover Court
near Vanderveer Park. Mom & Dad frequently went to the Elks Club and
my brother Tom age 15 or 16 babysat with me and was always changing the
time on the clocks so he could get me to bed earlier. A cute girl lived
next door and he'd sneak over there and keep her company when she babysat
her younger brother. I remember several times that he hid in the bushes
and scratched the window--then she'd call him to come over and keep her
company--sometimes he'd bring me over and put me on the living room couch
to read and they'd go to the kitchen, play music on the radio and dance.
I spent many days at Mary Carroll's and her sister Winnie's
across the street playing with their cats, as I couldn't have pets because
of Mom's asthma.
Holidays were special--the Darrell Doyles, Gallaghers, Larry
& Esther (from Chicago), and Clinton Doyles all got together for big
dinners at Gallaghers' at 7th and Iowa. (They lived downstairs in an apartment.)
All the aunts had their chores--Esther was in charge of peas, Dolores was
mashed potatoes, and Kathleen, gravy. My dad, Jack, always carved the bird!
At Thanksgiving, we always had turkey notes and the grandchildren made
these and we all had some good laughs--I still remember Dolores's favorite:
"Turkey neck, turkey heart, was it you who let the fart?"
Pat Doyle remembers:
It seems we made regular visits to the Cosgroves on Dover Court
for conversations or cards for the grownups while we rummaged upstairs
in Tommy's room, reviewing his comic book collection or playing tag in
their backyard. I remember Uncle Jack, usually in his undershirt, (barefooted
during the hot fall Sunday afternoons), listening to the Bears games on
the radio. There was usually a lot of laughing (at what?), amid whatever
gossip came to mind when we bothered to listen. I don't know of any other
families who enjoyed humor so much as those micks. Dolores and Agnita always
had a new joke to share while the menfolk sprinkled their reminiscences
with jests or salty language for amusing effect. Jack, Gallagher and Larry
were all salesmen who collected anecdotes to share with customers and family
alike.
Julie Gallagher Kraman remembers:
Although I can remember Kathleen, Jack, Tom and Sheila living
on Dover Court near Brady Street in Davenport, your Dad and John may have
been grown up and on their own by that time. I know that Jim was
my godfather. I don't recall much about him and your Mom until the
time when you and Jimmy were small and your family was living in downtown
Davenport. The next thing I recall is while I was at Marycrest, and
Sheila and Barry were engaged. I remember that your Mom was
at a bridal shower that Naomi gave for Sheila. Also, I know that
Mike and I are godparents to one of your brothers, but not sure which one,
perhaps Christopher. I'll have to ask Mike if he remembers.
Earl (Larry) m. Esther and had three children: Gerry, Patsy, and Marilyn. Gerry never married and was killed in a terrible traffic accident involving a cab he was driving and several other cars; several killed besides him. He was about 40. Once as kids he told his cousin, our Uncle John, that he didn't want to live past 35, as "you begin to go downhill after that." Esther died at a nursing home in Chicago about 10 years ago after battling Parkinsons. Larry died at age 63 of a heart attack.
Donald married Marian Barbara Kerker
(10/22/12- 8/7/62) in May 1934. and lived in Clinton; he was a chiropodist,
and encouraged Dad to take up that profession. He died before Dad was able
to take him up on an offer of partnership (maybe around 1949-50) His children
are Robert, Steve, Ed, Donna and Tom. Marian's parents owned the "Col"
Coliseum Ballroom in Davenport.
Conan died of Hodgkins disease as a
relatively young man. He was an attractive man, dressed well, and was kidded
a lot about being vain about his looks. Conan was married to "horse faced
" Frances Drury (this is direct from Dad); they had no children. He lived
in Tulsa.
Agnita married Maurice "Pete" Peterson and had no children. She suffered all her life from asthma (as did Kathleen), and fought TB as a young woman. She played the piano--a baby grand--in bands and in "five and dimes" (Dad again) Shown are Kathleen, Agnita, Dolores, Darrell and Pete.
Darrell married Esther Connolly in 1927, who died in 1954. In 1957, Darrell married Naoma Johnson (She was the widow of Barry Kautz's uncle Leo. It was through this connection that Sheila [Cosgrove, our aunt] and Barry [Kautz, her husband] met. Darrell and Esther and Naoma and her first husband, Leo, were good friends and socialized together. Both of the men worked for the paper in Davenport. Darrell was a sportswriter originally, later became copy editor and was quite prominent. He retired in 1967. Darrell had been a member of the 1920 class of St. Ambrose. Darrell and Naoma spent winters in Arizona. Naoma still lives in their apartment in Davenport. Darrell and Esther's children were Donald, Edward, Patrick, and Judy (Waters). Naoma had no children.
Dolores Huberta (after her aunt),
the youngest, married Jim Gallagher and had four children: Michael James
(1-27-40), Julie Kraman, Mary Boyd, and Dennis Paul (12-15-50). Her children
are all slightly older than Kathleen's oldest grandchildren, and they considered
themselves "cousins".
(Photo -- l.to r.: Dolores Doyle Gallagher,
Kathleen Doyle Cosgrove,
Sheila Cosgrove,
Naoma Doyle,
Darrell Doyle,
Jack Cosgrove,
Agnita Doyle Peterson)
Mom (Dolores) lived at the Kahl Home for about 8 years following a stroke.
Many of the residents there knew her and the Doyle family and took a special
interest in her. Although her speech was limited, she had a smile
for everyone. Denny entertained often at the Kahl Home when he was
in town.