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Mary Frances Joyce

 

Mary Joyce 1890

Born: 25 Dec 1868/1869, Mazomanie, Dane Co. Wisconsin

 

Parents: Michael Joyce/Joice and Katherine “Kate” O’Connor

 

Siblings: Margaret (died between 1863-8 in Kentucky), Hannah, Katherine “Kate”

 

Marriage: to Hugh Thomas Sweeney 1/28/1890 Edgerton, WI

 

Wedding Announcement from the Edgerton Tobacco Reporter 1/31/1890:
MARRIED
SWEENEY - JOICE -
In St. Joseph’s church, Edgerton, Jan. 28th, 1890, by Rev J.F. Bowe, Hugh Sweeney, of Porter, and Mary Joice, of Dunkirk.

Marriage announcement in Edgerton newspaper:
In St. Joseph’s Church, Edgerton, Jan. 8th, 1890, by the Rev. J.F. Bowe, Mr. Hugh Sweeney, of Porter and Miss Mary Joyce, of Stebbinsville were joined in the holy bonds of matrimony. Both bride and groom are well known and highly respected. Miss Katie Joyce, sister of the bride, filled the capacity of bridesmaid, while Mr. W.F. Flarity acted as best man. After the ceremony the happy couple was tendered a reception at the home of the bride’s parents. The occasion will long be remembered as a happy one, while all their friends unite in wishing them a long life of unalloyed happiness

        

 

Children: Hazel Agnes, George H., Paul E., Mary Magdaline (twin) , Katherine Elizabeth (twin), Miles Clement “Mick”, Alice Genevieve, Ruth Veronica, Anna Gwendolyn, Marie

Sweeney family circa 1908

Back row L-R: Paul, George, Miles                                  Front row: Hazel, Ruth, Hugh, Gwendolyn, Mary and Alice  (Marie not born yet)       

     

Death: 28 Oct 1937, Edgerton, WI. Buried St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetary

 

Obituary from the Edgerton Tobacco Reporter, 11/04/1937:

                          Mrs. Hugh Sweeney
   Mary Frances Joyce was born December 25th, 1869, in Mazomanie but has resided most of her lifetime in Rock County.
   On January 28, 1890, she was united in marriage to H.T. Sweeney. To this union were born ten children, two of whom died in infancy.  Mrs. Sweeney passed away last Thursday morning at 8:45 o’clock in her home in this city, following a long illness.
Surviving relatives include her husband, three sons, George and Paul, this city, and Miles, Evansville; five daughters, Mrs. Gene Harvey, Charleston W. Va; Mrs. Albert Dampman, Evanston, Ill., Mrs. Perry Fess and Miss Marie Sweeney, both of Madison, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Miller, Janesville.
 Funeral services were held Saturday morning at the Sweeney home and nine o’clock from St. Joseph’s Catholic church. Burial was made in St. Joseph’s cemetery with Father J.W. Berg officiating.

Death certificate on record Rock Co, Janesville, WI. Died of cancer of the vulva, spread to the groin. Duration of illness 3 1/2 years. Lived at 610 Washington in Edgerton at time of death.

 

Rememberances from youngest daughter Marie Sweeney Quisling:

Mary Frances Joyce Sweeney was the fourth child of Michael and Catherine O’Connor Joyce who were born in Ireland. Mary was born at Mazomanie, WI on December 25, 1868. There were two other children who had died, and it was an Irish custom to bring up the next child who survived dressed in white for 9 years. This was in honor of the Blessed Virgin and in dedication to the Glory of God. What a trial this must have been to keep the clothes clean and ironed in the days of the tub, wash board and stove heated irons. Mary had a wonderful capacity for love and compassion and she extended that even to people she barely knew. There was a woman in our area who, everytime she delivered (a baby), went out of her mind for a few days. The baby needed protecting from the mother, and mother would drive over there and take care of that situation everyday for a week. She also cared for her own mother and father, her sister Hannah JoyceMullowney in her widowhood, providing a home for two of her children as well. She took in an orphaned boy who had run away from an orphanage. His name was Francis Neary. There were so many things Mother did. She didn’t consider them anything, but to the recipient they were great, like sitting with a woman who’s alcoholic husband had been gone for days; taking a woman’s baby home with her because the mother was too ill to care for it, and listeneing to the many problems of her nieces and nephews.  When I look back at the number of times I was sent out to “feed the chickens”, or to “ride your pony”, there was a regular Ann Landers club in our home. She never repeated a confidence nor said anything bad about anyone, to my knowledge. She maintained that there’s always good in people so talk about that. I remember that she had several long talks with a cousin of mine who’s child had died from drinking cleaning fluid. She had left the cleaning fluid on the ironing board for a minute while she took the article of clothing outside to air out.  Mother told her we spend too much time trying to forget tragic things like death and heartbreak instead of finding ways to handle these difficult times. We should not and do not forget, but we can turn these events into something useful in our lives.

This quality she had must have been inborn. On the spur of the moment she would come up with a solution. One day in anger at her not letting me go someplace with an older sister, I cut a hole in the front of her purple floral Sunday dress. Mother put it on and we were leaving for mass. I stood the silence as long as I could then blurted out that I’d done it because of anger and professed my sorrow. She said, “your being sorry is good, but you see the hole is still in my dress and I have to wear it to church, as it’s the only one I have.”  I just couldn’t imagine her going into church that way. My embarrassment and guilt were awful. She hadn’t told me that she had a cape in the car and intended to wear that into church. Not a single word was said about it and never again was revenge a solution to anything for me.

Mother let Gwen and me paper our bedroom. Of course we couldn’t come to any agreement about color or pattern. “Well, each take half the wall space and put up what you like, but remember it has to stay up until next papering time. No more arguing and get to it.”  We had a lot of fun doing that and learned how to paper by the time the last strip was hung. The room looked terrible and we didn’t like the way it looked, and decided we’d compromise the next time. Her letting us make decisions was good because we had to live with them. It wasn’t expensive as the paper was that discontinued stuff. Gwen and I still like to wallpaper and will admit we’re good at it.

In raising the drop leaf of a table, the catch didn’t hold and a beautiful hand-painted shortcake plate went crashing to the floor. I was in tears as I knew she liked that plate a lot. She said, “Marie, don’t ever cry over the loss of material things.”

Margaret Monney, who lived near us in Edgerton told me that Mary Joyce had “a voice like a bell.” Margaret and my mother sang in the choir at the church on Lord St. and on “the Prairie”. She told me that mother was a very good dancer and enjoyed it very much but that Hugh wasn’t very good at it. He’d come sit in the back of of the church under the choir loft and listen to Mary sing. Mrs. Mooney was always going to give me some pictures she had of Mary and she, but somehow time got away from us and the pictures couldn’t be found after Margaret died.

Mary was a good cook and each year when the church supper was held in the library hall, she’d be called on to furnish pressed chicken loaf and pies. That must have been a tedious task. I remember that she always went along with Hugh when this precious food was delivered to assure its safe arrival at the Library Hall Bazaar. She liked social things and music. There was always someone playing the piano at these affairs. She taught us how to sing and dance the polka, waltz and Irish Reel and to set a pretty table. Before Mother and Dad married she learned from Miss Brazel in Janesville how to make a dress pattern and then went to work for Mrs. Peck at Fort Atkinson as a dressmaker. She was 15 or 16 then.  When I was in high school she tried to show me how to draft a pattern, but I wasn’t a bit interested in learning that. How stupid of me! She taught us to sew, knit and to embroider. The latter took too long and I had no patience for it except for needle point.

It must have taken a lot of  organization to find time for these things with such a large family.  With a family of eight and farm help to feed, mother did a lot of her work after we were in bed. Those large breakfasts were on the table at 6 a.m.  So much of that was prepared the night before. There were 5 girls and 3 boys in the family. Twins, identical girls, died at 6 weeks of age from cholera infantum. Back then milk was considered indigestible for babies if boiled. The babies were just not getting enough breast milk and she was to supplement with fresh cows milk, and they became ill and died almost one week apart. Mother said it was an exceptionally hot July. 

Mother said that it was very convenient having a sister who was a midwife. Her sister Kate Joyce Graves  took care of hundreds of mothers during their lying in period. She worked in the Janesville-Edgerton area as well as Stoughton and Madison. She would only call the doctor if she thought there might be trouble. Mother said Kate didn’t seem to have difficulties, or at least she only spoke of a few.  Aunt Kate went to the home one week before the expected delivery and set up an area for the birth. It was always off the kitchen, close to the heat and water.  She brought her own set of sheets and cotton blankets and night gowns for the mother. I remember laughing at those funny-looking things which looked like a man’s short nightgown and had a slit for convenience for nursing.  When she left to go to the next baby everything was boiled and wrapped in the clean cotton sheets. She had her own uniforms which looked like a jumper over a short sleeved blouse, and a tie-on long apron. I remember Dad saying “that woman is scrub brush crazy!”.  I remember she and her other sister, aunt Hannah Mullowney would speak Gaelic and laugh a lot. Then too she’d say “Don’t worry about pleasing people; you please God, and they can’t help liking you. You are the only you and that makes you very special.” 

Mother was in one of the sheds on their farm on June 7, 1911, picking up eggs,  when she heard a train rushing down on her through the shed walls (there was no nearby train). She looked all around but could not see any train. She told husband Hugh about it and how she felt a terrible cold chill while “hearing the train”, and that it sounded like it was crashing through something. Dad told her to forget it.  That night there was a call from Edgerton saying her father, Michael Joyce, had been killed by the 5 o’clock train at Mellowney’s crossing near the Augustine farm. He was hauling water for the tobacco planting. Mother said she had other premonitions but never told them so as not to worry people. Strange things we remember about people after they are gone.

 

Small building is chicken coop where Mary heard the train.

Mother was ill only once that I remember and that was when we lived in Edgerton. She had bronchial pneumonia. She was in bed 10 days and she didn’t like having to be waited on. That same year she had a very severe reaction to some beautiful beads that were an Easter gift. She had fallen asleep on the divan and when she perspired, the dye from those beads was absorbed by her system. She was sick to her stomach and edematous. Dr. Summers came over, he lived next door, and gave her a shot of adrenalin and Sal hepetica (product by Bristol-Meyers-Squibb used as laxative, among other things from about 1910-1950’s). Next day she was OK, but the beads were a very delicate shade of pink instead of purple and she never wore them again.

In 1937 she went to see Dr. Chorlog and he told her that she had an ulcer on the vulva which she should have cauterized. He advised her to see Dr. Pohle, which she did.  Dad told the Dr. that she was not to be worried by being told if it should be cancer, which it turned out to be. We all went along with his wishes. Well, one day a dear friend of Mary’s came to call, and not thinking she was revealing anything, said that she’d had a cancer of the breast 35 years ago and it had never come back after surgery, so Mary shouldn’t think about hers at all. It would be OK. It doesn’t pay to try to hide the facts from people. I’m certain mother would rather have heard of her condition from Dad or from one of us if he couldn’t tell her. The cancer went into the glands in the groin and she had surgery in late August of 1937.  She developed a cellulitis from an infection she got in the wound while in the hospital. There wasn’t much of anything that would stop it’s progress, sulfa was the new thing then, but it was not good enough, and on October 28, 1937 she died at her home in Edgerton.  Her first born had arrived on this date in 1891. Her death was a welcome release from her suffering. She was beautiful even in death.

 

Census:

1930 U.S Census, Rock Co, Edgerton, Fulton Township:

Hugh T., head, owned home, value 3300, does not live on farm; white male, age 61, married, married at age 21, able to read and write. Born WI, father and mother born Irish Free State. Employed as laborer at “job warehouse”, not a veteran. Mary F., wife, white female, age 61, married at age 21, able to read and write. Born WI, mother and father born Irish Free State. Marie, daughter, age 19, single, attended school in last year. Born WI, not currently employed.
Ruth E., daughter, age 21, single, attended school within past year, born WI. Not employed.

 

1920 U.S. Census, Dane Co, Albion Township (listed as Sweeny, not Sweeney): (enumerated 1/1/1920)
Hugh T., head, owns home with mortgage, white male age 50, married, farmer on “general” farm (owns).
Mary E. wife, age 50, Paul E., son age 22; Miles G, son, age 14; Alice G, daughter, age 17; Ruth B. daughter, age 14; Ana G daughter, age 11; Marie J. daughter, age 9.

 

1910 U.S Census, Dane Co, Albion Township: (April 27th)
Hugh T. Sweeney, head of house, married, white male, age 43. Married 20 years. Born WI, both parents born Ireland. Tobacco dealer. Owns home, no mortgage.
Mary F., wife, age 41, 9 children born, 7 alive. Born WI, parents born in Ireland. George H., son, 18 years old, single.; Hazel A., daughter, age 16; Paul E. son, age 14; Miles C., son age 10; Alice G. daughter, age 7, Ruth, daughter, age 5, Anna G., daughter, age 2
Kathreen Joyce, mother-in-law, age 85, born Irish free state, 5 children born, 3 alive, emigrated 1865, blind

 

1900 U.S. census, Dane Co, Township of Dunkirk: (6/1/1900)
Hugh Sweeney, head, born April 1867, age 33, married 10 years, born WI, parents born Ireland, farmer, can read and write, owns farm with mortgage. Mary, wife, born Dec 1869, age 30, married 10 years, 6 children born with 4 living, born WI, parents born Ireland; George, son born Oct 1891, age 8 born Wi; Hazel daughter born Mar 1894, age 6; Paul son, born Feb 1896, age 4; Miles son, born Mar 1900, age 2 months; Kate Joice, in-law, female born Jan 1840, age 60, married 36 years, 4 children born, 3 alive. Born in Ireland, both parents born in Ireland. 3 servants.

 

1890 destroyed by fire

 

1880 Census Rock Co, WI, Janesville:
Michael Joyce, age 48, married, labourer, born in Ireland; Kate, wife age 47, born Ireland; Hannah, daughter age 19, helping mother, On the day of the census she reported ‘general complaints” regarding her health and was listed under the category of Maimed, crippled, bedridden or otherwise disabled, born in Ireland, cannot write; Mary age 12, at school, born WI; Kate age 6, at school, born Wi.

 

1870 Census, Dane Co, Springfield:
Michael Joyce, age 35, farm labourer, born Ireland, both parents foreign born, unable to read and write; Kate age 35 wife, born Ireland, unable to read and write; Annie age 10, born Ireland, Mary age 2, born WI

 

Mary Joyce Sweeney, date of photograph unknown

Daughter Anna Gwendolyn bore a very strong resemblance to her mother

 

 

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