Rose Murphy Doyle

Rose is M.8.4.2. in the Murphy Book

Adapted from Byron Doyle’s “The Murphy Book”

Pat holding Rose, Maggie holding Margaret and Mary in th middle taken around 1893 Milltown,Polk County, Wisconsin. Note: I believe that Margaret is wearing a Baptism Dress. Our family has Leonard Murphy's baptism dress made by Maggie's sister Mary Rogers. It is very close in appearance but a little different.

Rose Ann Murphy was born on Wednesday, March 4, 1891 to her parent’s Pat and Maggie Murphy at the family farmhouse, which they called “Evergreen Farm” just a short distance from the town of Milltown, Wisconsin. Father Plant also baptized her at their home on March 8, 1891. Due to fire in the 1930’s there is no record of her birth or baptism at either the Polk County Courthouse or at Old St. Patrick’s Parish, now part of Lady of the Lakes Parish is Balsam Lake. When eligible for Social Security her only proof of birth was her mother’s prayer book in which family events were recorded. Her God parents, Henry Rogers and Rose Brady were brother and first cousin to her mother, Margaret (Maggie) Rogers Murphy. She must have been named to honor Rose Brady. It is of interest to note that Rose made her first Communion on July 24, 1904. She was already 13 years of age, quite different from today’s practice.

Rose Murphy, probably taken at her parent farm in Milltown. They called the farm "Evergreen Farm".

Rose's family were very close to the other Murphy relatives and friends of the Irish Catholic community of St Patrick’s and the community that they called Long Lake. Names like the Rogers were Maggie’s family line, and others like the Williams, Kelly’s, McDermott, Cosgrove, Lillis, Clancy, Hurley, Turner, Lynch and Walsh were a few of the many names of our family in the area and there were many more. Life was hard for these first Irish settlers and they worked hard to form the land into fields and to plant their crops and gaze their cows. They knew the meaning of work and they were proud at what they accomplished! But they did know how to have a good time also and their lives reflected this. And today our few relatives in the area still do the same as those before them. Rose's grandfather William Murphy had first come here in the early days with his sisters, Sarah, Bridget and Margaret and they settled in the Long Lake area. They were the first to clear the land and plow the fields and plant the first crops. And then their children started farms like them. Sons and daughters married into other families in the area and before you knew it so many were related in some way or other. This was a closely nit community and they work hard and enjoyed the family gatherings that happened all the time. They were there for each other in the good and the worse of times, and there were many of these. Rose would have be close to her family and friends, she was surrounded by family. The beauty of nature and a little creek to play by in back of the old house always surrounded her. God was never too far from their hearts who provided for their needs.

The old farm "Evergreen Farm" looking from the barn, south towards the house. Notice the horse and buggy in the driveway. This would be the north side of the house. Pat and Maggie's bedroom window is on the left and the Guest Parlor window is on the right of the first story of the house. The stain glass window that we see so often in pictures was in this room but on the front side of the house or the Westside. The road runs right in front of the house and barn and rums north and south. The two windows upstairs with the dormers are the upstairs bedrooms. And in the back of the house or eastside is the large kitchen and the creek is out in the back. On my trip to the area Gale and Shirley Glenna gave me one of the fancy house trim pieces from one of the dormers. The Glenna's had lived in the old house for almost 30 years before in burned down. They were able to save a few of the old house trim pieces after the fire. The old house was very dear to them and their two son's Chad and Tony who were raised in the house. I had a great visit with them and can't thank them enough for the kindness they showed me.

And as a little girl Rose would have had her fair share of the chores to do around the house for her mother Maggie, Bread was made almost every day with countless house duties, cooking, washing, dishes to wash, a lot of ironing due to the type of clothes worn at these times. And then outside helping her father Pat, cows needed care and milking and feed, eggs to gather, chickens to feed and helping with the crops. There was an endless amount of things to do to keep the farm going.

Rose Murphy Doyle and sister Margaret Murphy Sullivan, location looks like one of the family farms, but I'm not sure.

Rose Murphy graduation day at the Polk County Normal Training School St Croix Falls 1908

Rose attended the elementary grades at a one room school house just a mile from her home (Note: I believe this was the Pine Grove School located on the Unity School property, Balsam Lake, Wisconsin) Then, for High School she went to St. Croix Falls where she attended the Polk County Normal. Here they taught the first year of High School with extra teacher’s training. At St. Croix Falls she roomed with the Harvey Downs family and worked for part of her board. She went home on weekends. Rose spent 2 years of Polk County Normal and is pictured with the class of 1907-08, along with several of her Murphy line of cousins.

Rose Murphy and Maud Winger at the school at Lamar, Wisconsin. Notice on the right the children going into the school house.

In September of 1909 she took her first teaching assignment at Bone Lake, Wisconsin. During the time she taught at Bone Lake she boarded with the Theodore Nykreim family. The Nykreims were friends of her parents. She taught at Bone Lake for two years and then during the second summer returned to Superior and received enough credits to qualify to teach at an “In Town School” Note: I highly recommend Gloria Larsen’s book; “I HEARD THE SCHOOL BELLS RINGING” Gloria in her book writes about the History of Rural Schools in Polk County, Wisconsin.

Rose Murphy in her classroom at the school in Luck.

In September of 1911, Rose began teaching 1st and 2nd grade at the Luck, Wisconsin grade school, not to far from Milltown. Here, for the first time she was teaching in a “modern” school where there was more than one room. In this case there were 4 teachers for the 8 grades and each one was assigned an extra class once a week. Rose’s assignment was to teach Domestic Studies to the 7th and 8th grades. This consisted of simple sewing and cooking. Old records indicate that Rose taught at North Star School in Luck, Wisconsin during the 1914-1915 and 1915-1916 years. It was this group which many years later were to have a re-union with Rose in attendance.

Rose Murphy at the Teacher’s College at Superior, Wisconsin

In September of 1908 Rose enrolled at the Teachers State College in Superior, Wisconsin. By June of 1909 she had earned enough credits to teach in a “in town school”.

Rose Murphy in front of the old family farm looking down 155th Street north in the direction of Milltown, WI, Circa 1912. Today this road looks very different, gone mostly are the evergreens that filled the site of the house. Only a few mark the spot of the old house.

Rose’s social life during these years is known to us only through many photographs showing her in picnic groups, boating, motorcycling and sitting in, and on, early model automobiles. We have no information on her first meeting with her future husband, Dan Doyle. We can however reconstruct the circumstances. Rose’s uncle William Jr. (Willie M.8.3) Murphy her father’s brother had married Dan’s aunt, Margaret Carney. They lived on a farm south of William Murphy Senior’s home overlooking Long Lake and was apart of the old family homestead and often had weekend visits from Margaret’s nieces and nephews from Minneapolis.

But meet they did and soon Dan’s visits to Polk County became a “most every weekend” event. A July 1915 postcard from Rose to Dan has a picture of a group in front of St. Patrick’s Church at Long Lake and includes Dan in a suit and straw hat. Rose’s note comments on the picture and adds, “I gave Aunt Margaret a letter today to mail for me” Sounds a bit like Aunt Margaret was acting as match maker for the couple.

Daniel L Doyle and Rose A Murphy on their wedding day.

Front row: Daniel L Doyle and Rose A Murphy. Back row: John Doyle, Margaret Murphy Sullivan, Leonard Murphy and Helen Doyle Dyke, wedding day June 28, 1916.

Dan and Rose’s wedding at her parent’s farmhouse at Milltown on June 28 1916. Dan and Rose are in the center of the picture. Her father Pat is below Rose and her mother Maggie is below Dan. In this picture are also William Murphy senior, son Willie next to Maggie, Leonard Murphy sister Margaret and Mary, Dan’s family, the Turner, McDermott, Doyle, Sullivan, Lynch and so many other families of the Irish Community of St. Patrick’s at Long Lake. The grainery building and creek is to the right of the house. Behind the house is the garage and barn. It is sad that so many of the names of the faces are lost to our family today and there is very little trace of the old place anymore.

Rose is on the left holding the cup and Margaret Carney Murphy is on the right. Sitting on the running board of the car is William Murphy junior or Willie (his wife is Margaret Carney Murphy) and unknown man. Sitting on the ground are on the left Patrick Carney and unknown man.

Hazel Murphy and Cousin Rose Murphy. Hazel was Pat Murphy brother Edward's daughter. Dan was working at the Minneapolis Wholesale Drug Company at the time, but he had applied for a position on the Minneapolis Fire Department. On April 2, 1917 he got his appointment to the Fire Department and then, only 17 days later, a son, Byron was born at Asbury Hospital.

They lived in a four-plex at 3109 4th Ave, South. Over the next several years they lived at 3224 Bryant South and 1912 Clinton Ave, South.

While working at Minneapolis Wholesale Drug, Dan and purchased a lot at 4708 Xerxes Ave South. In 1921 they built a 2-bedroom semi-bungalow house there moved in. Of interest today is the cost of construction of their place, which was 7,500 dollars, and by contrast Dan’s salary was about 100.00 per month.

Dan’s unmarried and youngest brother Bill became a member of the family in 1923. He was to remain in the household for the next 17 years. In the 1920’s Rose was to undergo the first of many surgical operations which in the late years of her life led her grandchildren to refer to her as “the zipper” This first operation took away any hope of there being more than a one child family.

Soon the Depression Years arrived and aside from losing a good part of their saving in a bank failure this family fared better than most. Dan’s job was secure, although there were some “missed” or “partial” paydays.

Family vacations usually meant an auto trip in those days. Each one was dutifully recorded in a notebook by Rose included were such things as speedometer reading, time of departure and arrival, cost of meals, cost and name of “tourist cabins” rent for the night. One early 1930 trip was to Monroe, Louisiana to visit Dan’s sister and family, the Burgoynes.

Another favorite vacation trip was to the “North Shores” of Lake Superior. In Duluth, Rose and Byron would sleep at cousin, Winnie Laughlin’s apartment, while Dan would be a welcome overnight guest at a local firehouse, a courtesy extended to visiting firemen.

Rose and Dan were a perfect example of the “big and little decisions: story. At 5 feet and 2 inches she made 99 percent of the decisions from day to day, but at 6 feet Dan made 100 percent of the big decision. She the more emotional partner “tested” him from time to time but she intuitively knew where the limit was and seldom crossed that line. When she did it took only a few words from him to correct the situation. It was a solid, settled household and a comfortable one to be a part of.

Rose was also the daily disciplinarian for their child. Apparently no one told her “only” children were to be catered to and spoiled. She sternly set up daily and weekly chores around the house and monitored their completion. She insisted on high standards of cleanliness, morality and religious practice and monitored them also. All this was balanced by her generosity and open affections. Her daily prayer was that her son never becomes a victim of alcoholism. Apparently she had seen this problem in the extended family and greatly feared its curse on the life of anyone dear to her.

Dan and Rose's home at 4708 Xerxes Ave South An incident of great importance is the fire, which burned the family home in November of 1934. It was tragic but had its humorous side as well. For example the firemen chopped a big hole in the roof and then started throwing things out of the attic. One item, a steamer trunk held a treasure of old letters exchanged by Dan and Rose during their courting days. On hitting the ground the trunk burst and spilled its contents all over the yard. In short order the children had retrieved them and had taken them home. When the house was re-built and again occupied the neighbor ladies began to return the letters with absolute assurance that they hadn’t been read! Rose, determined to avoid any further embarrassment promptly burned the letters. What a loss! From a genealogical standpoint they would now be a real value.

After their home was re-built Rose had the fun of refurnishing the entire house and best of all it could be done with the insurance money.

In 1940 both Byron and Bill were married. Byron on May 30 and Bill in September. With the departure of her “two sons” Rose had quickly become bored and sought out new challenges. After a short search she went to work with the Dayton Company, the largest Department Store in Minneapolis. It was a good break for Rose but an even better on for Dayton’s. She soon became on of their better employees who considered herself responsible for their success and worked to assure it. Those few years of WW 2 when she was “needed” were most satisfying and the “problems at the office” often were a part of her conversion.

Then disaster stuck, in the spring of 1947, Dan suffered a stroke. Rose left Dayton’s at this time. By the fall Dan had made a good recovery, so they drove to Los Angeles for the winter and returning home in the spring of 1948.

Dan’s stroke, while a shock may have been a blessing in disguise as it forced them to start a new life, one of leisure and travel which both enjoyed for a few years. In November 1949 they again drove to Los Angeles and spent the winter. In December 1950 they drove to St. Petersburg, Florida and came back in May 1951. In November of 1951 they again went to Florida and stayed until April 1952. They had rented their home out that winter, so when they came back they rented a cottage for the summer at the Silver Bay Resort, Chisago City, Minneapolis on Green Lake.

Worthy of mention is the pleasure these trips brought to Rose and Dan. Each Fall they looked forward to their trip and the renewing of friendships with other” Snow Birds” from all over the United States. Many humorous stories were related and for lack of space on will have to suffice.

St. Petersburg, each winter had a large supply of senior citizens and the windows greatly outnumbered the widowers. As a result the widows had become quite aggressive. The downtown sidewalks had many benches for the seniors and one day Rose suggested that Dan sit on a bench while she went into a store for a small purchase. Dan was hardly seated when a widow “cozied” up to him. She made small talk and Dan was having a quiet laugh to himself. Rose came out, walked up and said to Dan, “come on”. The widow jumped up shouting “You get out of here, I saw him first” Rose’s response is unrecorded but Dan was quickly removed from the area!

Dan and Rose's home at 6714 First Ave South in Richfield, Minnesota In 1952, son Byron and his family were transferred to Des Moines, Iowa and were about to put their 5year old home in Richfield on the market. Dan and Rose liked the house and their renters on Xerxes Ave wanted to purchase that house. Here was an opportunity to leave a 30 year old home for one only 5 years old and to move into a block where they already knew and liked one and all. In September they sold their house on Xerxes for 10,000 dollars and moved to 6714 First Ave South in Richfield, Minnesota. Five more years of happiness were spent together here.

On July 7 1957, Dan suffered a heart attack and died later at St. Mary’s Hospital. Rose, while grief stricken was quick to adapt to her new situation. It should be recorded that happily Dan’s fear for were unfounded. He always worried that her lack of thrift would have her quickly destitute if he died first. By contrast the minute the responsibility was hers she proved quite adept at handling her finances and died with money in the bank, after 19 years of widowhood, independence and gracious living. Dan had provided well and Rose maintained it well!

For 9 years she stayed in the friendly neighborhood of First Avenue, then on August 1, 1966 Rose sold the Richfield house and moved into an apartment at 3808 Blaisdell, Apt. 212 in Minneapolis, there she quickly made friends. There was much visiting, bridge, dinners out and parties in the building. Also a joy was the short, one and a half block walk to Incarnation Church where there was daily Mass.

One of these walking trips to Mass in January 1970 resulted in a fall on the ice and a broken hip. After a long hospitalization Rose came home to her apartment and completed her recovery. While she recovered physically, she now began to think of the next stage of her life when she would be less independent. Any suggestion that she move to Stamford, Connecticut to be near her son Byron and family was quickly rejected with” Why move there? I don’t know anyone and anyway, you will soon be in Seattle and I’ll have to move again”. Why don’t I just move to Seattle where I’ll have my grandchildren around me?

At Christmas in 1974, we all assembled in Seattle and began to seriously look for a new home for “Gram”. One day we set out for a highly recommended spot, The DePaul Retirement Home, run by the Sisters of Providence. On the way there Rose was pretty glum. She entered the building quite dependent on a grandchild and a cane for assistance. In short order she was impressed with this very modern, clean place to live with a beautiful view in all directions. During the opening interview she was advised that there was a waiting list and that they did not accept anyone totally dependent on a cane.

From that point on , especially during the tour of the place she allowed no one to assist her and practically discarded the cane. On the return trip to granddaughter, Mary Lee’s house Rose was very excited about being accepted and wondered how long she would have to wait. She insisted that the application be completed and mailed at once.

On March 1, 1975 Rose moved from Minneapolis after 59 years of residence there. Because of the anticipation of the new home and surroundings, she left with few expressions of sorrow. She, as ever, quickly made many friends at DePaul among the residents and Nuns. Most of all she enjoyed her four grand children who included her in all the gatherings as the “Queen and Matriarch”. Also, they were readily available for shopping trips, trips to the Doctor, dinner out or whatever was needed or desired. They were given a critical eye and or remark if they were not on time. They and their spouses catered to her every wish and desire and enjoyed doing it. They have a laugh or two at every “gathering of the clan” over some memory of how she wheeled them into agreeing to something she wanted.

The clan gathered in Seattle at Christmas 1975 for the usual good time. In January, 1976 Rose became ill and had to be hospitalized where she suffered a long series of tests. On Friday, January 30, the diagnosis of a brain tumor was given to the family and the prognosis was for several months of progressively worse pain followed by death. Mercifully, early the following morning she suffered a heart attack and died in a very few minutes.

A wake and Funeral Mass took place in Seattle followed by her last plane flight to Minneapolis. There another wake was held for her Minneapolis friends and relatives. She was buried alongside her husband Dan at “Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota, Minn. Left behind were a son, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren who will always treasure their memories of “Gram Doyle”.

It would be a shame not to include a few anecdotes about her adaptability, aggressiveness, sociability, “leadership” and generosity.

Adaptability: Her comment to Mary Lee, “I can’t see why Byron get so upset with all the changes in the Church. I just continue to go along with them”

On being informed her grandson was marrying a lovely young women, Cathy, who just happened to be Black, Rose refused to make a “big deal” of it. She had a wonderful time at the wedding as well as at the family party in the bride’s home. Two years and a half later, when Rose was in the hospital it was Cathy who came to the hospital each day to help feed “Gram”. Rose became so fond of Cathy that it was to her that she left her sterling silver.

Aggressiveness: Rose had a built in desire to be first at everything. For example, when taking a plane trip she would always be on of the first 2 or 3 in the line for the seat selection. In her last years she always arranged to arrive in a wheelchair and be taken on the plane before the general public. She took a real delight in this!

Sociability: She loved a party or any gathering, including an “Old Fashion” wake. Bridge was a favorite game and she played it well. She was not averse to “having a drink” but always limited herself to two.

Leadership: We, charitably use that word to describe the way Rose arranged to manipulate us all. The grandchildren all have memories of being someplace with her, in her last years and being given directives, accompanied by emphatic pointing of her raised cane. She usually was the shortest person in the area but would be “in command” most of the time.

Generosity: To the last, she always paid more than her share of any expenses involved. At the same time she never passed up a bargain. She spent years completing a sterling silver set for her granddaughter. At each gift time, Mary Lee and Denny were presented with a silver fork, knife or spoon. Years ago she recognized that silver prices were rising so she bought all the pieces to complete the set. However, the gifts continued at the same pace and quantity. At her death only a few pieces remained in her strong box distribution. Today the complete set is worth many times the price Rose paid and hopefully, will remain a reminder of “Gram” among her descendants.

We could go on with many stories and memories of Rose, however, space prevents us from doing so. Possible one of the younger generation will add to this some future time.

Written by Rose’s Loving son, Byron Doyle.

I my April 2008 trip to do family research I stopped by to visit Rose and Dan. It felt good just to visit with them for a while and pay my respect. Rose was Pat and Maggie Murphy’s second children to be borne.

Rose Murphy Doyle Section No 4, Block 10, Lot 3, plot 1 and 2
Resurrection Cemetery
2101 S. Lexington Ave
Mendota Hghts, MN 55120
651 454 5072

Click on the Murphy Family Homepage link:

Murphy Family of Polk County Wisconsin