"Rose" Mary Agnes Ryan and William G. Batchelor

Five of the nine children born to James Hugh and Rose Ryan were girls. Margaret Mary "Agnes" died when she was almost 8 of scarlet fever and pneumonia. Mary Julia Cecilia was born September 7, 1890. She married J.J. Gill of Chicago, IL on October 18, 1918. In less than two years (October 8, 1918) she was dead. As she died before my Aunt Evelyn or Uncle Jim were born, I've not been able to find anyone who remembers her story.

Three sisters lived long lives: Rose Batchelor, Bea Lammert, and Florence Ryan. This post will discuss Rose.

"Rose" Mary Agnes Ryan was born on May 18, 1892 in Louisville, KY.  This is a mystery to me because I am not aware that the family every lived in Louisville.

On May 8, 1913 Rose became the wife of William (Bill) G. Batchelor.  This was less than six months before Rose's father, James Hugh, died of pneumonia. Rose had "guts".  Her husband, Bill, had been raised an Episcopalian.  I'm sure that she rightly assumed that her parents would not look favorably on a marriage to a "non-Catholic", so she and Bill eloped.

My cousin, Mike Ryan, and his wife, Doloures, met with Rose and took notes on her "story".  Rose told them that she and Bill met at a Cigar Shop that was located at 5th and Walnut.  At the time he worked in a theater and was a "shipper of film".  She told them that she and Bill caught a train at Pearl and Butler Streets and traveled to Maysville, KY.  They were married there by Judge Rice.

I can just imagine how "thrilled" her parents were when she returned.  They were soon "remarried" by Fr. Flynn in the library of St. Xavier Church downtown.  Bill eventually converted and became a Catholic shortly before he died.

Bill continued to work in movie theaters as a projectionist.  The technology looks so primitive by today's standards.  I wonder what Bill would think about our capability to watch movies on our cell phones or computers?

Rose and Bill became the parents of one son -- William Batchelor.  Rose enjoyed painting and a few of her pieces are still placed with various relatives.  Aunt Evelyn also told me that Rose raised and sold bull dogs.

Rose cared for her mother in her home for the last 17 years of her life. I understand that that was difficult as she had to be in a hospital bed and it was a challenge to move her.  Hopefully, I will be able to learn a little more about Rose and Bill and add to their story.


P.S.  Both Aunt Evelyn and my brother, Tom, called to remind me that Rose and Bill had a summer home on the Ohio River out in New Richmond.  Tom says he remembers going out there and that although the house was not right on the river, it had a big wrap-around deck from which you could see the river.  In his travels, Tom has tried to identify where the house might have been.  He speculates that when they built the new dam system and almost doubled the pool stage of the river that perhaps the area did not survive.  I wish I could remember.

Update:  Jim Ryan, Jr. wrote with this update today:  Kath, I do know the true story about Uncle Bill Batchelor.  Before he turned Catholic, they had a summer home in Moscow, OH.  One year they left the summer home to come home to Cincinnati.  Then in February that year, the river flooded and it was his job to bring in the statue of the Blessed Virgin.  He had to go back to Moscow to put the Blessed Virgin in the house. 

When he came home, he told Aunt rose that there was about two inches of water on the ground, but around the statue, it was dry.  I have his statue!


Thanks for the story, Jim.