| Biography* | | Marie K. Madden McHugh Phillips Lavoie, 1896-1974:
Marie Kathryn was the eldest of at least ten children and was probably born on the family farm in Viola township, Olmsted County, Minnesota. Both her parents were first generation Irish-Americans. In 1900 they owned their farm free of mortgage. By 1920, the parents had retired from farming and were living in a house they owned at 1022 Center Street West in Rochester's second ward. In 1921 Marie was living with her parents and teaching at Northrop School. In August of that year she married William McHugh and by 1924 Marie and William were living at 509 Fifth in Huron, South Dakota. By 1930, they were renting, for $50/month, at 416 Sixth Street in the second ward of Wahpeton, Richland County, North Dakota. (Marie's parents were living in a $10,000 house they owned at 922 Center Street West in Rochester. By 1940 the parents were renting, for $55/month, at 225 Fourth Avenue SouthWest in Rochester.) In 1942, when William McHugh registered for the World War II draft, he and Marie were living in the 922 Center Street West house (where Marie's parents lived in 1930). In 1947 they were living at 1109 First North in Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minnesota. William died in 1949 when they were living at 1536 Seventh Street South in Saint Cloud. In 1952, Marie was married for the second time to Guy Phillips, a widower and World War I veteran. Afterwards they lived in Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin. Guy died in 1954 and Marie moved back to 924 Center Street West in Rochester where she worked as a saleswoman for Sears & Roebuck Company. In 1955, she applied to the Veterans Administration for a grave marker for Guy which she signed "Marie McHugh Phillips". In 1957, Marie was married for the third time to Joseph Lavoie, another widower and veteran of World War I. In 1971, when her brother James Madden died, Marie and Joseph were living in Sebring, Highlands County, Florida.
Marie, 77, died on a Saturday at her home in Sebring after a long illness. She was survived by her third husband Joseph. A rosary service was held on Monday at the Warren Funeral Home Chapel. The remains were transported to Rochester, Minnesota and buried next to her parents on Wednesday. |