Leo & Maggie Kipping

Maggie Duffy Kipping was born on April 19, 1857 in New Design precinct in Monroe County, Illinois.  She was the daughter of John Duffy and Margareth McCauley.  Maggie's given name was Margareth.  At the time of her marriage she listed her residence as New Design precinct in Monroe County.  It should be noted that on the marriage license in September 1879, she stated she would be 24 on her next birthday.  This would have made the year of her birth 1856.  However, on her death certificate the year of her birth is listed as 1857.  On the 1900 census the year of her birth is listed as 1855.

Leo and Maggie were married on September 22, 1879 in Madonnaville, Illinois at St. Mary's Catholic Church by Rev. Claus.  The September 25, 1879 issue of the Waterloo Dollar Advocate reported the marriage and carried this poem in the announcement:

May no Distracting thought Destroy 

The holy calm of sacred love

May all the hours he winged with joy

Which hover faithful hearts above.

At the time of his marriage, Leo listed his occupation as a miller and his residence as Waterloo, Illinois.  After their marriage, Leo reportedly owned a mill in Monroe City, Illinois, for a while before selling it and moving to St. Louis.  A St. Louis City directory listed Leo as living at Soulard and working as a miller in 1886, the year his daughter Cecelia was born.  Sometime afterwards, Leo and his family moved to Litchfield, Illinois, where he continued working as a miller for several years.  By 1897, he was back in St. Louis, as the proprietor of Heitkamps Hotel in the 900 block of S. Fourth Street. During this time Maggie was the cook at the hotel, apparently gaining some degree of notoriety when she made her specialty, Turtle Soup, which took several days to prepare.  The family story is told that when she began cooking the soup she would put a sign in the hotel window and on the night it was ready, people would be lined up waiting for it to be served.

In the 1900 census Leo and Maggie were listed as living in St. Louis, at 1601 S. 9^th Street.  In the St. Louis City Directory for 1902, Leo was listed as the owner of a saloon and by 1905, his occupation was listed as a bartender.  Sometime between 1900 and 1910, the couple separated.  It is thought that they never obtained a divorce as the 1910 census still listed Leo as being married.  He was living in a boarding house at the time of the 1910 census and listed his occupation as a laborer for the railroad.  Sometime after 1910, Leo apparently moved to Canada where he died in April or May of 1912.   His granddaughter, Janice Block remembers that the place of his death was Calgary, Canada.  His body was shipped back to St. Louis, and he was buried in Mt. Olive Cemetery in Afton, Missouri.  The family story is that Leo was a "very stern man".

After their separation Maggie reportedly moved back to Waterloo, Illinois, for a while where she worked in a shop in the downtown area.  Sometime after this she returned to St. Louis, where she worked at the City Hospital as a cook. Maggie died on June 28, 1937.  The cause of her death was listed as lobar pneumonia. She was buried in Mt. Olive Cemetery in Afton, Missouri. At the time of her death she was living at 1111 St. Ange Street in St. Louis.  Assuming that she was born in 1857, she was 80 years old at the time of her death.

Maggie's granddaughter, Janice Block remembers Maggie as having somewhat of an Irish brogue.  In as much as Maggie was born in Illinois, she must have picked up the brogue from her parents, both of whom were born in Ireland.  One of Maggie's favorite expressions was reported to be "Great Caesar's Ghost!"

In latter years Maggie had very little money.  What little she did have she frequently gave to her son, Stephen, who worked very "sparingly" throughout his life.

Leo Kipping	Maggie Kipping

Click the below links to view more data about this family.

Leo and Maggie Marrige License       Leo and Maggie Marriage License 2

Maggie Death Certificate

Submitted by Gene Block: Note Anyone related to these families is welcome to contact me at gsblock@linkline.com