Remembering Aunt Eileen - Eileen Therese Doyle Barbarisi

 

Eileen Therese Doyle Barbarisi

Our dear Favorite Family Historian, Eileen Doyle Barbarisi has left us. After a few years of some difficult health struggles, she passed away quietly on February 28, 2021 with her daughter Andrea at her side, offering her words of love and comfort during her last moments on earth. A quiet funeral was held at Aunt Eileen's home parish of St. Patrick's Church in Largo, FL (I love the link ... Aunt Eileen was so proud of her Irish roots, and her funeral was held at a church named after the patron saint of Ireland! How perfect is that?). Andrea and her husband Allard brought her cremains up to Rochester, for a burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery on May 3, 2021. She was a dear Daughter, Mother, Sister, Sister-in-Law, and Aunt—and gave so much. Aunt Eileen started this blog at the age of 77! Pretty impressive! Most would've shied away from such an undertaking at that age! But, Aunt Eileen had spirit and was always willing to give it a go! And she left this beautiful treasure behind for all Doyle and extended Doyle family members to enjoy and learn from for generations to come.

Eileen Therese Doyle as a Young Girl

The set up for Aunt Eileen's Funeral

After the funeral, Andrea and Allard brought her cremains to Kentucky and kept them there until they could make the arrangements for a burial in NY. 

Aunt Eileen's Urn in Kentucky

I had just been thinking about Aunt Eileen's middle name: Therese, after St. Therese of Lisieux. Aunt Eileen had a special devotion to her patron saint! (They were both artistic, by the way!) Shortly after having had these thoughts, Andrea sent me a picture of Aunt Eileen's urn ... so lovely ... and with a rose on it! A sign from St. Therese, I'm sure!

Preparing for the Burial Service at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery

Andrea (who took such constant and attentive care of Aunt Eileen!)
next to my mother, Margie Doyle. (Andrea's husband Allard is in the background.)

L→R:
John & Jenn Barbarisi, John Doyle, Allard Robbins, Andrea Robbins

My brother John Doyle took a few videos from the burial prayer service ...

Burial Prayer Service - Responsorial Psalm 

The LORD is My Light and My Salvation

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, NY

Priest: Fr. Daniel Holland

May 3, 2021

Burial Prayer Service - Gospel Reading

The Persistent Widow

(Luke 18:1-8)

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, NY

Priest: Fr. Daniel Holland

May 3, 2021

A few weeks after Aunt Eileen's burial, my husband and I made a trip to Rochester and we stopped by to see Aunt Eileen's tomb. There was a sweet violet nearby, so I placed it on her stone.

Eileen Therese Doyle Barbarisi

Born: February 5, 1933 in Rochester, NY

Died: February 28, 2021 in Largo, FL 

Buried: May 3, 2021 in Rochester, NY   

Aunt Eileen's Tomb is the one to the far right. If you are ever in Rochester, you can find her tomb at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery: Section 26, Lot 180. You can also type in: 

Eileen Doyle Barbarisi

 ... in the search bar in the "Locate a Loved One" page of the Holy Sepulchre Website, and a nice map pops up. She is buried next to her parents and Uncle Mike Doyle. If you take about fifteen steps beyond the Doyle monument, you can see the Genesee River.

Visiting Aunt Eileen

She had been very dear to me in many ways over the years!

Some Photos of Aunt Eileen ...

The Three Oldest Doyle Siblings
L→R: Eileen, Greg, Lib

Eileen Therese Doyle

Eileen Therese on a Pony!

Aunt Eileen is Sitting on the Left Chair, with a Striped Top

The John Gordon & Mary Doyle Children
Aunt Eileen is to the far left in the dark suit.

My Last Visit With Aunt Eileen
March, 2014 - Largo, FL
L→R: Noah Nelson, Margie Doyle, Eileen Doyle Barbarisi, Greg Doyle, Theresa Doyle-Nelson

Some of the beautiful artwork created by Aunt Eileen ...

The Adorable Barbarisi Children:
Andrea, John, Marco

I loved these little rocks that Aunt Eileen had painted and had set about her house!

Mercy High School Senior Prom

Another lovely painting by Aunt Eileen.
The lady in blue at the bottom may likely represent Mary,
for Aunt Eileen had great devotion to the Blessed Mother.

A pretty sailboat scene.

Mother And Baby

Our Lady, Star of the Sea

Aunt Eileen painted this Our Lady, Star of the Sea using a fascinating technique ...

God’s Secret Designs Inside a Rock

- Take a rock, a little bit bigger than the size of a softball, and with a sledge hammer, break the rock in two. 
- Look at the two inside portions, wet them and study the design.  What do you see?  

- Take a 12 X 24 sheet of card stock and from the design in the rock, draw the interesting features and figures. 

- Take a 12 X 24 300 pound watercolor paper and place it on top of the drawn design. 

- Place the card stock drawings and water color paper on top of a light box and copy your design onto the watercolor paper. 

- Paint the design with watered down acrylic. Watering it down lets you see your design.  

A special painting Aunt Eileen made just for me and my family: The Marine Corps Guardian Angel!

It has traveled with us from Alabama to Italy to Rhode Island to San Diego to Texas ... it has always gotten a special place of honor in our various houses!

More On Aunt Eileen ... besides raising three beautiful children, Eileen was a pilot, a musician, an artist, a teacher of art, and spent many years as a counselor for those suffering from addiction. 

- Aunt Eileen was a very devout Catholic. She attended mass as often as she could and had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She kept a large, beautiful family heirloom framed print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a prominent spot in her home after her mother passed away. Once bound to a wheelchair, Eileen found enrichment and comfort watching various shows presented on EWTN.  

- Aunt Eileen was a go-to person for prayer. If anyone in the family, or a friend needed a prayer, they could be confident that Aunt Eileen would storm heaven. She was much like The Persistent Widow in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 18:1-8). With her framed print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus nearby and a rosary in her hand, heaven would no doubt hear her prayers! Now that she is on the other side of the veil, she is likely more than happy to continue to pray for anyone who asks.

- Eileen all but dropped everything in her life ... during the two bouts of leukemia her oldest child, Marco, suffered through. She went to the hospital daily and did all she could to comfort her son through the two difficult and long attacks. Her full focus was on Marco until he passed away in 1998 at the age of 38.  

- Aunt Eileen was a skilled artist ... and was generous with her work. Once (she was probably in her late 40s) she tried teaching a group of family members some basic skills in charcoal drawing. It was a little tricky when she noticed her brother making airplane designs out of his charcoaled thumb prints while another relative was doodling away, oblivious to the lesson. She gave a mildly exasperated sigh, but kept her cool and continued on with the lesson. 

- Teaching Art to Children ... A more attentive audience was in her retirement years, she gave private art lessons to children in her neighborhood. She was particularly fond of her art students with special needs. Parents remarked at how the art lessons brought out a new and happy dimension of their children who struggled in so many other areas in life. Eileen felt as blessed as the children when giving these special art lessons.

- Aunt Eileen was a Devoted Family Ancestry-Keeper ... She gathered together loads of family history information and organized it all, putting much of the information on this blog: The Doyle Dining Room. She especially felt a call to pray for all family members who had already passed away. 

- Eileen was an accomplished musician — and was often asked to play the piano at school events and family gatherings.

- Eileen Spent Many Years in the Rehabilitation Field – During the many years Eileen lived in Louisiana, she gave tirelessly to those who had succumbed to addiction in its variety of forms. She gave all she encountered hope, and the tools needed for renewed lives. Intriguingly, she was nicknamed “The White Shark” during this career segment of her life; those who attended her counseling sessions knew that they had to be upfront and honest with Eileen … nothing could get past her! 

- Eileen also worked hard to carefully educate many friends and family members along the way including her siblings, and her teenage and young adult nieces and nephews. Her knowledge of addiction tendencies and behaviors, and depth of information helped to shape and improve the lives of countless. (A personal note: I always felt like I had a mini Aunt Eileen on my shoulder all the way through college. I  often felt her presence with an extra strength every time a beer or glass of wine was offered to me. Her talks and guidance directly influenced my drinking choices while away at school. I am grateful for her timely instruction and researched-based advice.)

A Quick Summary of Aunt Eileen ...

• She was a graduate of Nazareth College, having majored in business
• She learned to speak French and Italian as a military wife in these two countries
• She earned a pilot’s license
• She was an immensely talented piano player
• She was a tremendously efficacious rehab counselor
• She was a talented artist and art teacher
• She was a remarkable Family Ancestry Keeper (The DoyleDiningRoom.blogspot.com)
• She was a resolute Prayer Warrior

A Note From Her Brother Leo Doyle, from California (the last surviving sibling) after Aunt Eileen passed away:

In 1940, my dear sister Eileen was instrumental in raising me from the time I was a baby. Our Mom had really just started with the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis and was unable to lift me. So, Eileen was called into service. She must have done a great job because I never had a complaint. The one thing that happened that we often reminisced about was when she accidentally swallowed a diaper pin she was using to change my diaper. It caused quite a commotion—fortunately the pin was locked closed. She did have to go to be X-rayed, and eventually the diaper pin found its way out naturally. She was always the greatest sister to me and I loved her very much. I miss her now and I will always miss her.

Aunt Eileen was predeceased ... by her son Marco Barbarisi; her parents: John Gordon Doyle & Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle; and four siblings: Elizabeth Doyle Judge, J. Gregory Doyle, Patricia Doyle McCooey, and Michael Doyle.

Aunt Eileen is survived ... by her daughter and son-in-law: Andrea & Allard; her son and daughter-in-law: John & Jenn; her bother and sister-in-law: Leo & Vicki; her sisters-in-law: Margie and Susan; and many, many nieces and nephews.

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John Albert Doyle - Featured in Flynn's Weekly

Years ago there was a popular Detective magazine called Flynn's Weekly. In the May 22, 1926 issue, a story featuring one of our ancestors, John Albert Doyle—the founder of Doyle Detective Bureau—was included. Click on the link below the images and you will be able to access the whole article!

Flynn's Weekly   (cover)

Detective Fiction with the Thrill of Truth

May 22, 1926

10 Cents

The First Page of:
"Some Tangled Trails"
Featuring John Albert Doyle

Click Here To Read The Rest Of:

Some Tangled Trails

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A YouTube video showing various clips of John A. Doyle

See the whole video with more family members here.

prologue

Aunt Lizzie Moore & A Visit from The Little Flower

Aunt Lizzie

Aunt Lizzie (Elizabeth Moore) - August, 1930

Lizzie Moore - A Loving  Aunt and Great-Aunt
Growing up, I often heard stories about Aunt Lizzie Moore.  She was a maternal aunt of my Grandmother, Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle and actually played a big part in raising my Grandmother, for her mother died when Grandma was a child.  Aunt Lizzie did not stop with raising my grandmother.  Later on, she continued on by helping to care for Grandma's children as well ... Lib Doyle Judge, Eileen Doyle Barbarisi, Greg Doyle (my father), and Patricia Doyle McCooey.  Leo Doyle was about five years old when Aunt Lizzie died and has only a few vague memories of this sweet great-aunt.    The youngest of the family, Mike Doyle, was born after Aunt Lizzie's death.  Aunt Lizzie was probably born between the late 1850s and early 1870s in Bolivar, NY.



1930s - Eileen, Greg, And Lib Doyle
Some Of The Children Aunt Lizzie Helped To Raise

A Second Home And Lots Of Sleepovers
Aunt Lizzie shared a home on 160 Sawyer Street in Rochester with her niece Catherine "Kate" Daley and nephew Andrew Daley.  All three of these relatives never married:  Great-Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Andy.  However, they treated my father and his siblings like their own children.  Their house was not far from where the Mary and Jack Doyle family lived and nieces and nephews were welcome to the Sawyer St. house at any time ... where they found endless love, warmth, and comfort.

One of Aunt Lizzie's Rosaries

If you look  closely, you can see that the bead close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus medal has some indentations. It seems likely that this was a bead where Aunt Lizzie's fingers spent some extra time. 

Perhaps during in between times of rosary praying, Aunt Lizzie unconsciously clasped and pressed upon this particular bead; maybe during times of extra contemplation and meditation.

A Closer View of the Irregular-looking Bead

Always Praying, Always Praying ...
Aunt Lizzie is remembered as being a very prayerful person.  Both Dad and Aunt Eileen have shared memories of her frequently praying the rosary.  She seemed to be praying constantly—often while sitting on her rocking chair with rosary in hand. She also managed to pray in the midst of making lunch for her nieces and nephews.



St. Thérèse - The Little Flower

A Vision Of The Little Flower
Besides having a strong devotion to the rosary, Aunt Lizzie also felt drawn to St. Thérèse, who at that time was a new-ish saint (St. Thérèse died in 1897 and was canonized in 1925).  Often, when my Dad (J. Gregory Doyle) went over to visit Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Andy on Sawyer Street, his eyes fell upon a painting of St. Thérèse of Lisieux at the bottom of the stairway, near the entryway.  When Aunt Lizzie was close to death, Dad asked his mother about the painting and she told him that Aunt Lizzie had a great devotion to the Little Flower and had had at least one apparition of St. Thérèse.  My father was about 8 or 9 when Aunt Lizzie died and this story, as well as Aunt Lizzie's great piety really stuck with him.

 

 

A Firstborn Namesake ...

Aunt Lib (Elizabeth) Doyle Judge (1932-ish - 2010) With Her Family c. 1980s
Aunt Lib was the oldest of Mary Bernadine and Jack Doyle's children and named after Aunt Lizzie.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

 



Aunt Lizzie Moore At The Wedding Of The Niece She Raised
- Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle (my grandmother).
Rochester, NY - August, 1930
Aunt Lizzie is sitting in the first row behind the children. 
She is the third from the left with a dark dress and corsage.

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Uncle Andy Daley (1896-1958) ~ A Kind And Gentle Man

John Gordon Doyle (L) and Andrew W. Daley (R)
At The Wedding of John Gordon Doyle & Mary Bernadine Daley
August, 1930 - Rochester, NY

Aunt Eileen, our awesome family historian, has allowed me to add a thing or two to The Doyle Dining Room blog.  My information is more random and less sequential, but I hope you will still find my contribution(s) at least a little bit intriguing. 

Uncle Andy Daley

I heard so many wonderful comments about this kind man while growing up.  He was so good, so patient, so considerate, so pleasant to have around.  Even though he died the year before I was born, I still felt his wonderful spirit.

A World War I Vet - Uncle Andy was on older brother to my grandmother, Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle, by about 9 years.  He served in World War I and one story tells that he was commanded to cross enemy lines to get two buckets of beans.  While returning with the beans, one bucket was shot out of his hand.  He bravely turned back to get another bucket of beans; on his way back the second time, he was shot himself, but still able to get the much needed food to his fellow  soldiers.  Thankfully, Uncle Andy survived the injury and came home after his war duty.  Like so many war veterans, he rarely spoke of his time in the war, but discreetly shared a few bits with my grandmother.

Uncle Andy With Aunt Lib Doyle (later Judge) circa 1942

A Generous Bachelor Uncle - Back in NY, Uncle Andy never married.  However, from what I have been told, he gave greatly of himself to his sister's family and was a tremendous uncle to my father and his siblings (including Aunt Eileen).  Even as his nieces and nephews grew, Uncle Andy was still in the picture, still kind-hearted.  When my mother married into the family, she was very impressed with the humility of Uncle Andy. 

Uncle Andy's Buttermilk Pancakes - Another story tells that on many Saturday mornings, Uncle Andy would go out to get some fresh buttermilk and then make a batch of from-scratch buttermilk pancakes for his nieces and nephews.  My mother must have asked for Uncle Andy's recipe at some point, for while growing up, every now and then I would enjoy looking through her recipe box and the recipe entitled, "Uncle Andy's Pancakes" would always catch my eye.   



All Of The Groomsmen For Grandma and Grandpa Doyle's Wedding - 1930
The Groom, John Gordon Doyle is in the center with the lighter-colored suit.
His new brother-in-law, Andrew Daley, is standing just in front of him, to the right.

The younger sister of Uncle Andrew W. Daley:
Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle (1907-1991)

Just Some Of The Children That Uncle Andy Was So Good To
One Nephew And Three Nieces (1937):
John Gregory Doyle, Patricia Doyle McCooey, Elizabeth Doyle Judge, Eileen Doyle
(Leo Doyle and Michael Andrew Doyle would be born some years later.)


Uncle Andy's Pancakes
2 1/2 C. Flour
2 TBS Sugar
1 scant TBS Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
4 Eggs
1 Quart Buttermilk
3 TBS Melted Butter

Mix together the Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt in one bowl.
Mix together the Egg, Buttermilk, and Melted Butter in a separate bowl.
Pour the Egg-Buttermilk-Butter mixture into the Flour mixture and stir.
Cook pancakes on a frying pan until golden brown.


A Few Uncle Andy Namesakes

My Uncle Michael Andrew Doyle (also my Godfather!) - he was born in 1944 and is the youngest of Mary Bernadine and John Gordon's six children.  Uncle Mike was about 14 years old when his Uncle Andy died.  (Photo taken with his wife, Susan, in March, 2014 in Seminole, FL.)

Andrea Barbarisi Robbins, the daughter of our family historian, Eileen, and my wonderful and so very sweet cousin.  Andrea was born in 1966 in Maine - eight years after Uncle Andy's death.  Aunt Eileen felt inspired to name her youngest child after her beloved Uncle Andy.  This photo was taken on Andrea's wedding day.  She married Allard Robbins in 2011.

Noah Chad Andrew Nelson

Confirmed by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller

April, 2013 - Bandera, TX

Noah Chad Andrew Nelson - About 55 years after the death of Uncle Andy, his Great-Great-Nephew (my son), Noah Nelson, chose the name Andrew for his Confirmation name.  Although Noah was far enough removed from the stories of Uncle Andy, and maybe only had a very vague sense of who Uncle Andy was, I still like the fact that he chose this name.  

Andrew Michael Engh
Fairport, NY

Andrew Michael Engh - A precious new addition to the family, born on November 29, 2019.  He is the son of Emily Doyle Engh and Derek Engh, and the brother of Annabelle Engh.  Emily had a special affection for her Great Uncle Michael Andrew Doyle (see above) who was named after Uncle Andy.  Little Andrew is a Great-Great-Great-Nephew of Uncle Andrew Daley. 

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JOHN ALBERT DOYLE MARRIES FLORENCE BATES OCTOBER 1901

JOHN ALBERT DOYLE

MARRIES

 FLORENCE BATES

Grandparents will be in bright blue

In Canandaigua, New York, through research, we were able to determine the arrival of the first family that would spearhead the union of John and Florence. This family was John and Saphrona Akins who eventually had six children, all having a direct influence in the raising of Florence Bates.

The second family to arrive would be Francis and Nancy McCormick, master ice harvesters. They arrived around 1850 from

Sacketts Harbor by way of Rochester, New York.

As you read from the beginning of this family history, circumstances came together miraculously.  We are the descendants of John and Florence and all the other Grandparents listed back as far as 1200.  All these people contributed to our birth and survival and that makes us unique to the tapestry of life. 

They are now gone to the other side but we have reason to believe they are cheering us on to do what is right, be responsible, decent people with our goal to spend eternity with them in heaven. 

                            

                                        

John and Florence were both born in 1864, John in January and Florence in May.  Their paths crossed in school and they would have been in the same grade.  Exactly when John A. picked Florence to be his girl is unknown but it would have had to be before they were 16. 

                                 Florence Bates Doyle at 13   

   

According to Hazel Cloyes, daughter of Nellie Bradfield Cloyes, our Aikin/Bradfield Family historian, Florence was the belle of Canandaigua.  She was an accomplished musician having learned how to play the banjo and piano very well.  Her Uncle John Aikin (note: John changed spelling to Aiken) was noted for his expertise in playing the banjo and had many virtuosos study under him. He is the one who taught the instrument to Florence.  Aunt Gertrude gave the banjo that belonged to Great Uncle John Aiken to Florence after John died in 1904. Wouldn't you love to know what happened to that treasure? It is lost in antiquity.  Another talent Florence had was her ability to do the cakewalk. For those of you younger than I, the Cakewalk dance was developed from a "Prize Walk" done in the days of slavery, generally at get-togethers on plantations in the South. Thereafter it was performed in minstrel shows, exclusively by men until the 1890s. The young people picked it up and incorporated it into their regular dance routines. 

She often complained to her Aunt Libby and Aunt Nellie that she was very unhappy living with John and Gertrude. It is reported that they were very strict and gave her little freedom.  What freedom she had, she stole.  A plus for living with them was that Gertrude was a beautiful seamstress and made gorgeous dresses for Florence.  It is reported that the color salmon was her accent color and it brought out her beautiful brown eyes.

We never heard our Grandmother play the banjo or the piano.  She became quite deaf early on in the marriage and it became progressively worse so that we would have to yell, loud, for her to understand what we were saying.  None of her children learned to play the Banjo. My father, John G. was the only one of his siblings that played the piano well. I remember her always sitting at a small cottage table in the kitchen where she could keep track of the ebb and flow of the family. You could hear the conversations in the kitchen throughout the house because everyone was speaking in loud voices so Grandma could be a part of the group.  Lib and I picked up on all the family gossip and would review it when we went to bed that evening.  Uncle Bob, being the youngest did not come into the conversation until he started dating and then Grandma had plenty to say about the girls he would bring home. He was her baby and no girl was good enough.  Aunt Betty won his heart, they were married and had many children. Now back to the story.

When it became apparent that Florence and John were a couple, they were forbidden to see each other.  It was not unusual for mid teens to date and marry early so the age was factored into the mix by both families.  What the objections were by the Aikins, Bradfields and Bates are as follows: John A. was an Irish Catholic, the family lived on the wrong side of Main Street, the Irish were not considered very smart or capable of academic achievements therefore John would always be a common laborer or at best a fireman.  Irish Catholics were held in disdain and there was a blatant segregation imposed upon them among the 'gentry'. 

Meanwhile, The Doyles and McCormicks objected to their dating because they wanted John to find a nice Catholic girl. They did not associate with the Protestant elite and Great Uncle John certainly was in that class. He was a presbyter in the Presbyterian Church and a high degree Mason.  He had already picked two young up and coming men for Florence.  One was being groomed to be President of a local Bank, and the other was a Dental Surgeon who eventually became Chief of Dental Surgery at Strong Memorial Medical School. So, Florence and John A. had their marching orders and that would be in the opposite direction.  Nancy McCormick also put her two cents in letting John know she did not want to lose her "non Catholic" customers. With Nancy, family was very important but then business was business and she was not ready to end the ice business or the barge traffic or being pier mistress although she was aging and considering her options for selling out and moving to Rochester with her son William and family.

As Mrs. Fennick told my brother Leo and I in 1974, the rebel couple met in secret and of course fell in love. John does not show up on the 1900 census with Owen and Emma and family.  We do know he went to Rochester for a while, probably lived with his brother Frank who was a fireman by now.  In all likelihood, he checked out the requirements for applying for a job with the Rochester Fire Department and also the Rochester Police Department.  He returned to Canandaigua had many jobs was quite able to take care of himself. In 1900, John A. was 16 years old. He observed the protestant work ethic and put it into practice.  An example was his ability to be friendly and helpful even in very trying situations.  People liked him right away, especially the business men.  John was full of life and made many friends with the help of his Irish humor and a bit of the blarney thrown in. He was also shrewd in his business dealings.  No job was too menial.  He could convert it into something special, making it look like the job was just a step below the President of the Company. He learned early that being nice to everyone always paid off in the future. He was a twin and his twin James died in early infancy but I have observed that when this happens, the twin remaining on earth receives a double portion of everything such as talent, good looks, ability and success.  Once you met John A., you never forgot him because he made you feel so very special. I was often stopped by strangers who wanted me to know how much they loved John A. This happened up to 1954.  These people were from a wide variety of the work force in downtown Rochester.  

In late September, 1901, Florence found out she was pregnant.  According to Mrs. Fennick it was the talk of the town which made the problem even worse. Then the lines were drawn by both families. They wanted nothing to do with either one of them.  Mrs. Fennick's sister, Miss Hogan, was a close friend of John and Florence.  She ran into the Hogan house, according to Mrs Fennick, crying uncontrollably. She told the family that no one in the village would marry them and the families stopped talking to them.  Hazel's mother Nellie (Florence's Aunt Nellie Bradfield Cloyes), the only relative to come to aid of the couple, and Mrs. Fennick and her sister met to look into the available options. Aunt Nellie remembered trying to elope when she was 16 but was caught and prevented from marrying the man she loved. This is why she came to the aid of the troubled couple.  A Justice of the Peace was found, his name was J. Wallace Webb and he solemnized the marriage. It was on October 24, 1901. For the next few months there was plenty of gossip especially when Great Uncle John Aiken was admitted to the Rochester State Hospital where he died 4 years later.  The abuse from his father and the devastation he felt over losing his Ward took its toll on him, God rest his soul. Gertrude did keep in touch with Florence.  We believe Gertrude made the dress Florence is wearing in the picture of her at the opening of this Chapter.

John and Florence were married and took up residence in Canandaigua.  John worked hard at many jobs always networking towards a goal he had since he was very young.  That goal was to be a detective.  His second goal was to have the marriage blessed in the Catholic Church.  When this happened we do not know since many records were destroyed in a fire at the Church Office. We do know that they were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Canandaigua according to many family members and I would guess it was just before Uncle Arlington was born in 1902 or soon after.  They remained in Canandaigua until after the birth of  Uncle Ken in 1904, their second child.  John was thrilled to have two healthy sons. By this time, both sides of the Main Street wanted to spend time with their new relatives.  It is said that Aunt Mary Aikins had a say in naming the children as they were born.  The past animosity was put behind the families and forgiveness reigned.

John A.'s great grandson, John G. Doyle III, published a book GENERATIONS OF SUCCESS...CORPORATE HISTORY OF THE DOYLE GROUP, INC...1914 TO 1994. The following history are excerpts from this book.

"When still in my kindergarten 

 days, I got hold of detective stories

 and studied them as hard as a

 youngster knows how.

I was determined two be as

capable in the detective line

as the heroes of those books always were ..."

                              written by John A. Doyle

During the years of 1890 and 1900, it is important to note that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories of Sherlock Holmes were published in a famous magazine, THE STRAND, and became immensely popular with Americans.  John A. would definitely have had access to these stories and especially the books written by Sir Arthur.  But the man who most impressed and influenced him, was without a doubt, one of Arthur's teachers, Dr. Joseph Bell. The good doctor was a master at observation, logic, deduction, and diagnosis. All these qualities were later to be found in the persona of the celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes. Through medical school Arthur was chosen to be Dr. Bell's lab clerk.  It was during this time that Arthur became intriqued with the ability to use forensic science in the Medical Field and applied this knowlege to his short stories which of course are now classics.
                                                    

Another talent that John A. picked up early was the ability to network.  He was able to carry this talent into his adult life and became very well known and liked among the Rochester gentry considering he was an Irish Catholic from a small provincial town. Remember, his in-laws saw him as nothing more than a common laborer. Those that lived long enough had to rescind their opinions.

And so we continue......

Their first home in Rochester was at 34 Almeroth Street in 1910. This date was taken from the 1910 census.  They no doubt lived on Almeroth Street for at least five years. With John and Flo were Arlington and Ken.  The next one to be born was John Gordon (my father) in 1907. Please note we do not know where they lived prior to 1910. The last address was in Canandaigua, New York. We believe the twin boys were born some time in this period but so far we have not been able to verify proof of twin birth except for verbal stories.  After moving to 31 Sycamore Street circa 1914, John and Florence with  sons and a daughter Dorothy, settled down To help you keep track of the births and deaths, here is the list to help.  Some information is missing like month of birth, marriages and grandchildren.  If you send me information that will help fill in the blanks, I will be happy to insert them and thank you for your help.

John, at age 19, with only an eighth grade education, worked as a deliveryman and meat cutter for the Burkhalter market on Front Street. In 1908, after John Gordon was born he passed the police examination and was assigned to the position of patrolman for the Rochester Police Department.

His brother Frank was already established in the Rochester Fire Department and that, no doubt helped John A. to receive consideration for the Police Department. 

He did very well at solving crimes and soon gained a reputation for being an Ace Detective. His will to get ahead led him swiftly through the ranks and within three years, John A. was promoted to the Detective Division where his boyhood dream was becoming a reality. By this time it was 1911 and John was 27 years old.  His Captain was William H. Whaley.  They became kindred spirits and both possessed extraordinary abilities to solve crimes.

John had a way to make everyone feel exceptional and I never heard of one person who did not like him. During the 40's and 50's I was often stopped on Main Street or in the Department Stores by strangers telling me their story of knowing my Grandfather and what a marvelous person he was.  In particular there was an elevator operator that stopped me as we approached my floor and related a story of how "Mr. Doyle" as he respectfully called him, had helped him financially and obtained that job for him.  He knew I had to be a Doyle because the resemblance was so great.   

John A. and his brother Frank had their pictures taken in uniform in 1908. John A. is on the left and Uncle Frank is on the right. John A. looks like his father Owen and Frank looks like his mother Emma McCormick Doyle.

                                                                          

Meanwhile back on Sycamore, John Gordon was born in 1907 and in 1909 Dorothy was born.  Dorothy lived until she was three years of age and she died in 1912. We do not know who was born in this three year time period, we do know from hand me down stories that twins were born but did not live. As yet we have not found the birth notice of the twins being born. It may have been a miscarriage. Uncle Leo was born in 1913.  The family was growing and John and Florence made plans to expand their dream for themselves and the five children. They would soon move into a newer, bigger house on Mount Vernon Avenue.

  John Albert Doyle, Rochester Police Department

John Albert and Florence Doyle

John and Flo 1901 in their first house in Canandaigua.  Arlington has been born,
            

Since the last posting of this Doyle family history, I, unfortunately experienced the worst case scenario...the total crash and loss of my computer and its contents including the accumulation of family pictures.  It has taken a year to retrieve at least some of them from Margie Frazer and other relatives.  What happened created an impossibility to blog until many of the issues were resolved.  So, here I am, December 10, 2013 with a new beginning.  My blog editor was taken down because there was no activity and Google may have thought of everything but they did not think to notify me and give me an opportunity to get back into the Doyle Dining Room
With this said, let's continue with the John A. Family History.Our last entry brought us up to the birth of Leo in 1913. With four sons, it was time to have some daughters. This was also the time for John A. to be honing his skills as the most renowned Detective to ever work for the Rochester Police Department.  John was transfered to the Detective Division under the watchful eye of Chief Detective Whaley.

CHILDREN OF JOHN A. AND FLORENCE

Arlington T.       Born: 5/24/1902  Died: 11/20/1970

Kenneth V.         Born: 6/1/1905   Died:1/18/1968

John Gordon      Born:  6/18/1907  Died: 9/18/1966

Marie Dorothy: born on July 26, 1909 and baptized on August 15, 1909 by Father Connor at Blessed Sacrament Church. Dorothy died April 9, 1912  Death notice: Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York) ·  Wed, Apr 10, 1912 ·  Page 13.  We do not know the cause of death but we do know there were two epidemics at the time and all the Doyle Children were in the hospital.  The epidemics were Whooping Cough and Scarlet Fever.

Leo W. Doyle   Born: 3/12/1912  Died: 3/4/1935

      Baptized: 4/19/1912 in a private ceremony

      Formal Baptism: Blessed Sacrament  Church 6/27/12

      Godparent: Arlington Doyle, age 11, and Francis Murphy

Marjorie A.   Born:  4/26/1913  Died:  2/25/1982

Florence R.   Born: 6/13/1915   Died:  7/22/1991

 (nicknamed Honey) 

Rosemary T.         Born: 10/30/1918   Died: 1/31/1992

William Joseph  Born: 4/25/1917  Died: 4/5/1918

       Baptized: 5/20/1917 by Fr. Conner

       Godparents: Arlington Doyle, age 16 and Mary Huck

Rosemary T.         Born: 10/30/1918   Died: 1/31/1992

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 Marian Dorothy

Robert E.     Born: 11/19/1921  Died: 6/5/1976

                              May they all Rest in Peace with The Sacred Heart