Robert Andrew Park, 1881–1950

Born in Staunton, Illinois, on 6 November 1881 and baptized at St. Michael the Archangel in Staunton on 11 December 1881, Robert Andrew was the seventh child of Irish immigrants, John Park and Bridget O’Brien. The family originally settled in St Louis, moving to Staunton after their first two children died in infancy. By 1891, the family was back in St. Louis, listed in the city directory at 1519 Clinton. His father was a cooper and older sisters Lizzie and Sara were working in a shoe factory.

As an adult, Robert seemed embarrassed by his rural Illinois roots, often telling people he had been born in New York City. My mom remembers him as being very particular about how he dressed, always white shirts and starched collars. Educated, well-spoken, and a dapper looking fellow as we see in this photo, I’m sure the New York story seemed to fit.

In the 1910 census, Robert was living with his mom and working as a salesman in a store. Around that time, he meet Mary Agnes O’Hair. Almost ten years younger, separated from her husband, and with ties to the Egan Rats, we can only guess what “Robbie’s” mom thought of his new girlfriend. In April 1915, pregnant with Robert’s child, Agnes filed for divorce from John O’Hair. It took more than a year to locate the elusive Mr. O’Hair, but eventually the divorce went through and on 20 February 1917, Robert married Mary Agnes Bruen-O’Hair at St Teresa’s of Avila Catholic Church. In September of 1918 he registered for the draft but didn’t have to serve.

Robert and Agnes had five children: Florence, Beatrice, Catherine, Dorothy, and Robert. Their relationship with his family remained strained and when their second child was born she was given the name Bridget Elizabeth, after Robert’s mother. Apparently that still didn’t win them much approval from the Park clan, and after a few years little Bridget Elizabeth became Beatrice.

Over the years, Robert worked at various occupations—stitcher in a shoe factory, clerk at a produce market, and hand coloring prints for a photographer, but none really seemed to catch on. The family finances were never very stable and when the Depression hit, they were in trouble. Though they never had much, often not even enough to eat, my mom has many fond memories of her dad as a nurturing parent, often washing and ironing the kids’ clothes, preparing meals, and caring for the children when they were sick. I never really knew my grandfather; he died when I was just a toddler, but listening to my mother’s stories it seems he was quite a guy.

Robert Andrew Park died on 22 August 1950 at age sixty-eight, with burial on 25 August 1950 at Calvary Cemetery. His parents and siblings were buried together under a beautiful marker inscribed with the Park name, but they excluded Robert even in death. Robert lies next to Agnes in a plot donated by a family friend. The marker reads Vandament-Schnur.

Submitted by Michelle Pearce
January 2020

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