The Saint Dominic stained glass window is inscribed, “Donated by Thomas Doyle”. Thomas F. Doyle was born in 1847 and married Ellen A. Melody in 1870.  Ellen was born in 1842 here in Lake Forest and is the daughter of Patrick Melody, who boarded the construction workers on his farm that built our first permanent church structure between 1853 and 1855.  Ellen’s niece was Sarah Atkinson who donated the St. Margaret Mary window in memory of her husband, Mathew Atkinson.

 

Thomas Doyle’s father was John Doyle who was born 1808 in County Carlow, Ireland and his mother was Margaret Kennedy Doyle who was born in 1820.  John Doyle was one of the early settlers of the area.  John Doyle left Ireland in 1823 at the age of 24 years old.  First landing in Canada then to Joliet, Illinois where he worked on the Illinois and Michigan Canal.  In 1840 he arrived in Lake County where he secured 160 acres of land for farming eventually owning 380 acres.  John and Margaret Doyle had six children including Thomas.

 

Thomas Doyle was appointed Postmaster of the local post office, which also doubled as a saloon, on May 13th, 1870; a position he held for 4 years.  

 

Thomas Doyle passed away on June 12, 1912 at the age of 64.  His wife, Ellen survived him 27 years and died on March 3, 1939 at the age of 97. Thomas and Ellen Doyle are interred in St. Patrick Cemetery.