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Margaret Alberta Doyle

1882-1969

 

 

      The second child born to Michael and Honora was Margaret Alberta, who joined the family on 1 Nov. 1882 at St. Thomas, Minnesota.

 

Beyond being listed as a member of the family in the 1885 and 1895 State censuses little is known of her early life. We can speculate that at about age 18 (1900) she went to Minneapolis to seek employment. The Minneaplis City directories of that period seem to confirm:

 

	1901-Margaret Doyle	1E 1Domestic7th
	1902-Margaret Doyle	400 OakDomestic
	1903-Margaret Doyle	Rms. 15 NClko. 6th S
	The directories for 1901 and 1902 also show a Mary Doyle as a domestic at the Holmes Hotel, 806 Hennepin Ave. This is most likely Margaret's sister Mary (Mayme)
	The May 1901 obituary of her aunt, Mary Carney Mosher, mentions Miss Maggie Doyle from Minneapolis as being one of those arriving for the funeral. (See pg. 171 of the appendix) reman, Aux.#3,

 

While working in Minneapolis, Margaret met a most eligible bachelor, William Attig Burgoyne, who was employed as a clerk for a Drug Co. Will had been born 4 Aug 1879 at Mingo Junction, Ohio to the marriage of Rufus J. Burgoyne and Martha Ann Attig.

 

The courtship of these two soft spoken, kind and gentle people led to a June wedding in Minneapolis on 24 June 1903. Margaret may have been the first child to marry though it is possible Mayme's wedding to Fred Mosher preceded this.

 

It is not clear what brought Will to Minneapolis, nor when. However, the city directories yield bits of information, as follows:

 

1900 thru 1902	- no W.A. Burgoyne,
1903	-W.A. Burgoyne,	Clk,	Lyman-Eliel Drug Co.	r	Rms. Flat #1, 94 Western Ave.
1904	-W.A. Burgoyne,	Clk,	Lyman-Eliel Drug Co.	r	526 So. 7th
1905	-W.A. Burgoyne,	Clk,	Eliel-Jerman Drug Co.	r	526 So. 7th
1906	-W.A. Burgoyne,	Clk,	Eliel-Jerman Drug Co	r	923 Hawthorne

 

  Early in their married life both Will and Margaret worked, he at the Drug Co. days,while she worked nights in a bakery. In 1904 a daughter, Evelyn, was born but was destined to live only 9 months. She died from smallpox at the Doyle family farm in St. Thomas, Minnesota. Will, employed at the Mpls. Drug Co., was desperately sending drugs for Evelyn and other members of the family. In Evelyn's case it was hopeless. She is believed to be buried in the family plot at St. Thomas, Minnesota.

 

On 23 Nov 1905 their first son, Samuel Everett, was born. He was followed on 25 Aug 1907 by son, Bert Rufus. Margaret, by her own admission, was quite proud. Happily, this was balanced by an ability to laugh at herself. An example is a story she often told on herself in later years, which took place in the 1906 era when the Burgoynes and the Mashers shared a duplex (923 Hawthorne). Margaret and Mayme took turns buying the wood. It seems that one time when it was Margaret's turn to go and make the purchase she didn’t have enough money to buy the usual amount. She went to the wood dealers to buy a smaller amount and, being proud, didn't want the dealer to know who she was.

 

He, however, recognized her and in a friendly manner asked if she was a Doyle girl. Margaret got flustered and replied, "No, but my sister is". When her children gather and get nostalgic, this story always gets lovingly re-told.

 

A Le Sueur Sentinel of 2 May 1908 reported "Miss (sic) Margaret Doyle came out Saturday to spend a week with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Doyle." Possibly this really was one of the other girls and the incorrect name got in the paper. However, Helen remembers Margaret coming out to the farm with the children for visits. It was about this time that a business opportunity for Will took the family to Lincoln, Nebraska. Daughter, Beatrice Mae, was born there on 14 Nov 1909. Margaret's sister, Catherine, went to Lincoln to help out when the new baby came home, but stayed only a short time.

 

A few years later another business opportunity took the family to Monroe, Louisiana where Will bought into a part ownership of the Monroe Wholesale Drug Co. Will remained in this business for the balance of his working career. The three children grew to adulthood in Monroe and were educated in Alabama and Louisiana schools. Bert attended the U of Minn. Medical School in the early 1930's. They all marrried lifel within a reasonable drive of their parents.

 

Will and Margaret exchanged visits with their Minneapolis Doyle clan, but most of the visits were in the Southward direction by the "Northern" relatives. It was always a delight for we "Yankees" to partake of the generous Southern hospitality shown by Will and Margaret. The writer recalls fondly, that Will and Margaret did journey to Minneapolis to attend his May 30, 1940 wedding. In another 10 days, Will and Margaret were home again and entertained the newlyweds in their Monroe home on our return trip from New Orleans.

 

Not too many years later, while stationed in Louisiana during World War II, the writer was again the house guest of Uncle Will and Aunt Margaret over the Christmas Holidays of 1945. Their many kindnesses will always be treasured. The memory of these visits brings back also the warm appreciation of the pleasure of being with Everett, Zora, Bert, Alice, Frank and Bea. Each in his or her own way made a special effort during my various visits to treat me as a valued cousin.

 

Will and Margaret enjoyed 44 years of married life·, the marriages of their children and the births of six of their eight grandchildren. (Two of the Looney children were born after Wills death.)

 

Will was the first to die, departing this life on 15 Oct 1947 at Lake Providence, La. at the age of 68. He is buried at Monroe, La.  Margaret, sometime after Will's death, moved to Shreveport, La. where she became a much loved member of the Looney household. Margaret survived Will by almost 22 years. On 17 Jul, 1969 in Shreveport, she went to her eternal reward, in her 87th year. She is buried next to Will in Monroe.

 

N.B. Since the time this biography was written the 1900 Census of the United States has been opened for use by Historians and Genealogists. This 1900 Census shows: Maggie Doyle, b. Nov 1881. (Note we show her birth year as 1882), age 18, living as a servant in the residence of the Frank H. Forbs Family, 3133 Calhoun Boulevard, Minneapolis, Minnesota.