Biography
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was born Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald on July 22, 1890 to Mary Josephine "Josie" (Hannon) and the future mayor of Boston, John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald. She grew up with several brothers and sisters and thanks to her father, the family was very well off. Rose went to a series of Catholic Schools in Boston, and when she graduated her father presented her diploma and their picture appeared in the newspaper. Rose wanted to go to Wellesley Collage, but during that time her father was in the middle of a scandal and needed the support of the Catholics of Boston and said no to her going to a WASP school. Instead she, her parents,and her sister went to Europe that summer so that the Fitzgeralds could get their daughters into a Catholic boarding school in Holland.
The stay in Holland was a very difficult time for Rose. It was very strict and English was not spoken, only French and German. She and her sister spent about a year there before going home. Shortly after she came home she re-met the son of one of her father's cronies, Joseph Patrick Kennedy. They fell in love, but it was not until Joe, as he was called, became a bank manager, did Honey Fitz (John Fitzgerald's nickname) allow her to marry. Joe and Rose were married on October 7, 1914 and soon got busy making babies. First was Joe, Jr. in 1915, then John Fitzgerald in 1917, Rosemary in 1918, Kathleen Agnes in 1920, Eunice in 1921, Patricia in 1924, Robert Francis in 1925, Jean in 1928, and Edward Moore in 1932. These years were far from easy for Rose. When she was very pregnant with Kathleen she left Joe and went to live with her parents for a while because she could not take it anymore. She went back shortly before the birth. Also during this time she had to contend with her absent husband. Joe was almost always away, either in California with his mistress Gloria Swanson, or in New York making money.
When the youngest of the Kennedy brood were young the family moved to New York, so that they could be closer to Joe. Also during this time Rose became the wife of the Ambassador to the Court of Saint James. Joe had gotten president Franklin Roosevelt to appoint him the ambassador to the Court of Saint James and soon had his family over to London in waves. Joe and Rose were only in London for a short time thought before World War Two began and Rose and the children went back to the United States. Shortly after, Joe wanted out and he gave a speech that said that Democracy might be gone in England and maybe in the United States, as well, that ended his political career. During this time Rose watched as her children helped in World War Two. Joe, Jr. was an aviator in England and was killed when his plane exploded in 1944. John (Jack) was on a boat in the Pacific, and Kathleen was a nurse for the red cross in London.
During the war, Rose had problems with Kathleen who was in London. Kathleen wanted to marry William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, a Protestant. Rose, a devout Catholic, was very upset at this and felt it was divine intervention when months after their marriage William died fighting in World War Two. She was also mad when she heard that Kathleen was set on marrying a not yet divorced Protestant in 1948 and also felt that it was divine intervention when the plane that they were in crashed killing everybody on board in May 1948.
After these tragedies Rose helped her family. She campaigned for her sons John and Robert and watched as her children married and had grandchildren. She was thrilled in 1961 when her son John became the 35th President of the United States and since John's wife Jacqueline had just given birth, Rose and her daughters Pat, and Eunice, as well as her daughter-in-law Ethel (the wife of Robert) helped host some of the events that were held at the White House.
While this was going on another tragedy happened. Joe had a stroke and was partially paralyzed. Then came November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated and the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy, as well as the 1969 scandal involving son Edward in Chappaquidick. Shortly after that scandal Joe died.
Rose spent the rest of her life in relative peace. She watched her grandchildren grow up, some getting married and giving her great grandchildren before dying at the ripe old age of 104 on January 22, 1995. Luckily she died before seeing the death and scandals associated with her grandchildren: JFK Jr, Michael Kennedy, and divorce scandal of Kerry Kennedy Cuomo.
