Agnes Hengel

Agnes Ellen Hengel (nee Doyle)


Agnes was born in Pierre, S.D., on Feb. 17, 1921. Her parents, now deceased, were James Lawrence Doyle and Elizabeth Mary Doyle (nee Hackett).

Agnes was the eighth of 11 children and the fifth of seven daughters. Two additional siblings died in infancy.

Agnes grew up in a house in East Pierre, 1224 E. Dakota Ave. The house was a mile each way to school. She never minded the walk and no one owned a car. Spring and fall mornings were pure joy.

Growing up in Pierre, she loved to go swimming at the Municipal Pool near St. Mary's hospital. Agnes graduated from Pierre High School in 1938. Among her good friends: Patti Riechmann Campbell, Frances Hines, Gina Cochrane, Ruth Millar, Alice Hensen, Don Thoreson, Harry Jassman and others.

Agnes was mayor of her class in her senior year, first semester and was homecoming queen the same year. She sang alto in a singing group for three years, was in debate for three years, the dramatic club, captain of the cheerleading squad and commissioner of the class. A favorite place, where friends had steak cookouts was Farm Island, developed as part of President Roosevelt's CCCs.

After high school, Agnes worked at the home of Fred Vilas Sr., then as a waitress at the Vilas drug store at Capitol Avenue and Pierre Street for a year.

She worked at the Five & Dime store as a bookkeeper for several months.
In about 1940, Agnes became a secretary to Bob Riter in the attorney general's office and later followed him to his private practice, above the Tony Clothing Co., until the summer of 1942.

Agnes visited friend Virginia O'Reilly in California and decided to give her notice from California and stay there. Her dad told her to not bother coming home if she quit her job, but he later got over it.

She lived with Virginia for a few months, then moved to Clark Residence, at the urging of high school friend Clara "TooDee" Lumley. But the day she moved in, Toodee moved back home to be with her ill father.

Agnes landed a job at Bendix Aviation in the sales department, working the ditto machine with purple ink that ruined her clothes. She hated it.


She then worked for Bendix attorney, Leonard Comegys and patent attorney, Harry Brelsford.

Agnes belonged to the Hollywood Canteen, where Irene Dunne and other female stars volunteered. It was a lot of fun, talking and dancing with servicemen.

Agnes worked for Bendix until the end of the war in 1945. Her good friend Ruth Allen sketched children's clothing for catalogs and found Agnes a job in the clothing industry. Agnes lived with Ruth and her husband Red.

After the war, Agnes went back to Pierre and began working as a secretary in the Capitol building for Chief Gates, head of the South Dakota Motor Patrol, and began dating Mark.

While Mark was at Notre Dame, Agnes lived in New York for about one year. She lived six months with her sister Peg and husband Bernie at 267 Ovington Ave. in Bay Ridge Avenue area of Brooklyn. They frequented Lento's Bar and Grill, which had a lot of characters, good and bad.

She lived with her sister Mary on Long Island, in Freeport, N.Y. and in a basement apartment, but didn't like living alone.

Agnes loved New York, but never even thought about moving there to live permanently.

She worked at AMC, for the office general manager at 40th and Broadway, with good friend Sophie Goodman. It was Agnes's only job while in New York.

Agnes left New York and met Mark in Chicago at Christmas time 1949. She lived at home with her parents and worked at the capitol for Chief Gates again.

Mark and Agnes were married Sept. 4, 1950. Mark moved to Danville, Ill., before they were married, working for C&EI Railroad. Agnes joined Mark after the wedding and they lived in a small house in East Danville.

Agnes became a member of the League of Women Voters in East Danville. They were members of St. Paul's Catholic Church.

They moved to the second-floor of at 607 Bensyl Ave. and and later moved to 127 Oregon St. while Mark built a house and Agnes helped, sanding doors, etc.

They moved into 404 E. Raymond Ave. in June 1959. Neighbors were Jack and Alberta Gatterman, Ernie and Mary Weed, Ralph and Mary Ruth Berry, the Clanahans, Barriballs and Bettags. At St. Paul's CYC, they got to know the Hirts, Devines, Shields and Meyers. By then, the couple had six children, three boys, then three girls.

Agnes served as a den mother for the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scout Brownies. She enjoyed raising her six "hellions," as she called them.

After moving to St. Louis in 1967, living at 10285 Maebern Terrace, Agnes worked for Stix, Baer & Fuller department store in pre-teen girls from 1969 to 1981.

Agnes was on a weekly bowling league. She and her bowling girls, including Mary Lou Voges, won several trophies.

Agnes was a member of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Crestwood and later St. Justin's Church in Sappington.

Agnes was an avid reader, carting her book collection through all of her moves. She loved to dance and sing, musicals (she saw the movie "Chicago" many times) and jigsaw puzzles. She taught all of her grandchildren to play poker and played cards with them regularly.

Agnes was known for her put-together outfits her whole life, including her colorful and stylish scarves.

Agnes and Mark moved into Fountain View in South St. Louis County in January 2007 and to Aberdeen Village in Olathe, Kan., in February 2008 to be close to their son Jim and his wife Corleen. Agnes made many friends at both places.

Agnes finished her life Sept. 29, 2012, close to her family as always.