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Welcome To McPherson County Nebraska

Page 488 James Franklin Doyle written by Matilda Doyle Haney, March 20, 1985

James Franklin Doyle was born in Hebron, Nebraska, December 21, 1972. He came to McCook, Nebraska with his parents and four sisters, where he grew up.
In 1898, he went to work for the Swiggart family near Hyannis, Nebraska where he met and married Jennie Agustus Calkins. They were married at the old hotel in Hyannis, Nebraska in 1899. The old hotel where they were wed still stands and is much the same in 1985.
The Doyles then took a quarter section of homestead land in District #29 in McPherson County. It was known as the Newberry District.
Their two children were born here. They were Vina Matilda Doyle, who was born July 7, 1900 and Danial Theodore Doyle who was born March 6, 1902.
Neighbors of the Doyles at the time were John Newberry, Preacher Payne and family, J.P. Johnson, and Frank Lilly and children, Charley and Bessie.
In 1905, Frank bought a relinquishment from Miss Ditmer, of 640 acres of land in District #22, which was located about four miles south and three miles west of Tryon, Nebraska. There was a tiny sod house on the land buit it was hardly liveable. There was a dug well and water was pulled up fromit with a spool with a rope and bucket.
Frank, at once, set to work to build a home complete with house, well house and chicken house, all laid up on virgin buffalo grass sod. He was an expert at sod building and every building was adequate and served its purpose well. They plowed a field and add on to it as the years went by. The fields contained about 165 acres which were planted mostly to corn with a bit of cane or millet along.
New buildings were erected as time went on. In 1911, a new barn with hay mow and cow shed were built. The carpenter was Frank Calkin, father-in-law to Frank.
In 1914, a new two story house was built. A neighbor, John Dahlin, Sr., was the carpenter. The lumber was hauled out from the Field Birge Lumber Company of North Platte with teams and wagons.
This is where the kids grew up and left home from. Frank lived here until 1944, when he moved into Tryon.
His daughter, Matilda Doyle Haney, then moved onto the Doyle ranch with her husband, Perry L. Haney, and daughter, Lois Joan Haney.
The Haney's older daughter, Ruth Viola Haney Allen, was married to Ray Allen by then and they were in the service at this time.
Lois Joan was born November 24, 1934 and Ruth Viola was born June 19, 1924.
The Haney family lived on the old Doyle ranch until 1966 when they moved into Tryon in the old Charles Haney house built in 1919.
In 1968 Perry became ill and in January 1970, he passed away at the age of 72 years. He is at rest in the Miller Cemetery east of Tryon, Nebraska.
Matilda has remained in her home in Tryon and still owns the Doyle ranch, where some of the family has been for 80 years.
Father Franklin Doyle passed away in January 1956 at the age of 84 years. He is at rest in the Miller cemetery. He was a brave, noble, and a generous man.