Rosemary Doyle

Rosemary Ann Doyle was born July 31, 1941 to N.B. and Bessie Santhuff near the town of Ellington, Missouri in the Ozark hills that she loved.

Her father was a cattle farmer, timber worker, carpenter, and a jack of all trades. Her mother was a housewife and an excellent grade-school teacher both in small country schools and the consolidated school at Ellington. Rosemary had one brother younger, Charley, and they roamed the hills near their home.

During the Spring of 1963, Rosemary met Donald Doyle through her brother Charley; they were roommates at University of Missouri. Rosemary was attending college at Southeast Missouri State University. They were married that following Dec. 21, 1963 at the Santhuff home with the Doyle and Santhuff families and personal friends attending. During the next nine months, they were busy with teaching and working.

In the Fall of 1964, they moved north near Jefferson City, Missouri. Rosemary taught at New Bloomfield Schools, and Don went to Mizzou for an M.S. in Agriculture. Rosemary became a social studies teacher and taught there 12 years. Don worked for the Missouri Department of Agriculture in Jefferson City. During the 12 years, their two boys, Gene and Ethan, were growing up in the small town New Bloomfield.

In 1976, Don wanted to farm near his hometown of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. They bought a house and 40 acres south of town in the flat lands. It was different, but she grew to love it. Rosemary started teaching social studies at Holcomb High School, and Don taught Veterans Agriculture night school at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff. Rosemary taught at Holcomb until she retired. Most of her students were country kids, and she preferred them.

Don taught the Veterans Agriculture Class until it ended (six years), and by this time he had gotten started farming. He grew corn, milo, soybeans, rice, and registered Yorkshire Hogs. By this time Gene was married and gone, and Ethan was helping on the farm a lot. Ethan left for college and was married after that. Rosemary and Don were soon farming by themselves.

When Rosemary retired from teaching, she helped Don in every way. She drove tractors, trucks, cooked excellent meals, kept records, and kept everything organized and running smoothly. She also helped Don’s mother constantly. With her help, Don’s Mom lived to be 101. The Doyle family will be forever indebted to Rosemary for that.

In Don’s later years of farming, he and Ethan farmed together with more land until Don retired. Rosemary kept the books, cooked, and organized. It was a good time for a farm family.

Rosemary and Don made many lifetime friends everywhere they lived, played, and worked: Jefferson City, Poplar Bluff, Ellington, Holcomb, Fagus, Qulin, and Piggott, Arkansas to name a few. They had special friends near Doniphan as well. The Beal and Richmond families were like kinfolk to them.

Rosemary was a good Christian woman. She and Don attended and were members of the Osborn General Baptist Church near Qulin, Missouri for approximately 25 years - Country church, country folks, good people, and a pleasant place to worship. Rosemary loved that church. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there. Don’s Mother also attended the same church.

Sadly, Rosemary passed away Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at Cedargate Healthcare under Hospice care. She received excellent care at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and at the Cedargate facility. The Doyle family thanks everyone who assisted her during Rosemary’s illness.

She is survived by her husband: Donald F. Doyle; children: Ray Eugene (Sandra) Doyle and Ethan Stuart (Stacy) Doyle; grandchildren: Rachel (Eric) Massey, Stuart Doyle, Kaleb (Christin) Doyle, Haley (Zachary) Doyle; great-grandchildren: Hunter Massey, Hope Massey, Nicholas Massey, Nathan Massey, Matthew Pittala, Jaden Massey, Evan Doyle, David Doyle, Ava McClure, Dawson Doyle; brother: Charles L. (Carol) Santhuff; sisters-in-law: Sue Hyde and Patsy (Tom) Suttles; nieces: Jody Opheim, Emily Guffey, Melissa Bailey, Melanie Smith, Christy Bazzell.

Visitation will be held at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Qulin, Missouri on Sunday, July 2, 2023. Family time will be 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A gravesite ceremony will be held at Santhuff Cemetery near Ellington, Missouri at 10 a.m. Monday, July 3, 2023 for family and close friends. The Rev. Mark Book will officiate.

Condolences: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com.