Celebrating National Historic Districts & Places That Matter

The Legacy of Jo Kilbane: A Life of Service in Joplin

Women’s History Month featuring Mary Joanne Kilbane

Were you delivered by Dr. Irvin Kilbane either at home or in a hospital? Do you know the story about the woman behind the doctor? 

In commemoration of Women’s History Month, Historic Murphysburg Preservation, Inc. presents the life and work of Mary Joanne “Jo” Booher Kilbane, also known to the Joplin community as Dr. Irvin Kilbane’s wife, nurse, and assistant.  Jo was born in Cerro Gordo, Illinois in 1927.  She claimed to have been born in the same bed in which her mother was born.  She attended high school in Peoria, Illinois.  Jo married Bernard Rosenak in 1945 and they moved to Joplin in 1952.

According to Joplin City Directories, Jo worked at Reserve Life Insurance in 1963.  When Joplin General Hospital at 521 W. 4th Street closed in 1963, Dr. Kilbane moved his medical practice to his house at 420 S. Byers Avenue.  In 1964 Jo started as a laboratory technician at Dr. Kilbane’s office, and in 1965 her job was listed as a receptionist.  Jo and Irv were married on September 8, 1966.  She completed her education and received her License Practical Nursing certification and license from the Missouri State Board of Nursing in 1971.  Jo assisted her husband in his medical practice until he retired in 2003.  Irv was born in 1915 and passed away in 2005.

Lori and Jeremy Haun, current owners of the Kilbane’s former house and medical office, proudly display the doctor’s sign in the house.

Jo brought five children to the marriage and Irv brought three, but through the years, the couple fostered many children.  In a Joplin Globe interview published on July 21, 2002, Jo tells the following story: “Irv delivered the baby, a girl.  The mother was single and white. [The baby’s father was African American.] She was dealing with some family issues and felt she couldn’t cope with raising a baby.  She and the baby stayed with us for a while.”  When the mother decided to join the military, she left the baby with the Kilbanes.  “We had her for seven years and felt like she was ours.  We were in the process of trying to adopt her when the mother came home and decided to take her back.”

Irv never converted to the Jewish faith, but because he was a member of a Jewish family, he is buried with Jo in the Jewish section at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, and both of their names were placed on the “In Memoriam” plaque at the temple in Joplin.

Jo was active in the United Hebrew Congregation and the Temple Aid Sisterhood.  The Sisterhood sponsored bake sales, cookbook sales, and food fairs.  Jo was particularly known for her homemade cheesecakes, making around 50 cakes every year for friends, family, and bake sales.  Often times the cheesecakes were garnished with pansies from her yard.

The Kilbanes were also considered an “interfaith couple”— Jo was Jewish and Irv was a Methodist.  What would have been a major challenge for any blended family, Jo and Irv made it work with a sophisticated schedule.  According to a Joplin Globe interview with Jo printed on June 22, 1997, she said Irv attended temple (United Hebrew Congregation Temple at 702 S. Sergeant) with her on Friday evenings when he wasn’t delivering babies. On Sunday, he dropped her children off at temple for Hebrew lessons, then took his children to St. James Methodist Church for Sunday school.  Irv then returned home for Jo and she accompanied him to Sunday church services.  The Kilbanes celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah while their children were young.

The former Oak Hill Hospital in Joplin—where Dr. Kilbane served as chief of staff—also benefited from Jo’s volunteer service through the hospital’s auxiliary.  The auxiliary staffed a gift shop, held ham and bean suppers, spaghetti-chili dinners, bazaars, art auctions, bake sales, ice cream socials, and made tray favors for patients.  The money raised by the auxiliary funded the purchase of medical and educational equipment and supplies needed at the hospital.        

In 1979 the Newburger building was razed and the City built a new structure that stands today.  Carver School eventually closed in 2004 due to the lack of sufficient income and the expansion of the Head Start program.   

For many years she was a volunteer and board member of George Washington Carver Memorial Nursery School, formerly located at 520 S. School Avenue in Joplin’s Ewert Park.  The school was formed for children of working Black families.  The mission was eventually expanded to include all children.  According to a Joplin Globe article on May 4, 1952 when the school moved into the Newburger Community House, the concept of the school started around 1926 on the “…dreams and hopes of the Negro citizens…”  Prior to the donation of land and money by Viola Newman Newburger and her late husband, Gabe Newburger, the school was held in a pavilion at Ewert Park. 

Another example of Jo’s commitment to education was as a board member of Women in Community Service, Inc. (WICS).  WICS was started in Joplin in June 1966 by the National Councils of Church Women United to serve as Job Corps recruiters to help find jobs for underprivileged girls 16 to 21 years old.  Jo represented the Council of Jewish Women on the WICS board.  Also on the board was Minnie Hackney representing the Council of Negro Women.  Girls attending Job Corps training centers were given transportation, room and board, some clothing, medical and dental expenses and $30 a month.  Girls were accepted for the Job Corps who had completed high school, but who had not obtained job skills, or who had dropped out of school.  Girls in the centers who had not completed high school could acquire an equivalent to a high school diploma.

Amber Ashby grew up at 419 S. Moffet, across the alley to the west of the Kilbane home and office.  She worked for Dr. Kilbane for over 18 years up to his retirement.  Her sister, Deanna Doss also worked for the doctor.  When interviewed for this story, Amber said, “Jo was a one-of-a-kind lady, very unique, and you always knew where you stood with her.” 

Amber further stated, “The yard was another love of Jo’s; it was always well manicured and one year she had hundreds of tulips planted along with pansies, rose bushes, and peonies.”  In June of 1996, the Kilbane yard was part of a garden tour featuring bird houses, perennial beds, window boxes, and container planting.

Jo was also known for their collection of antiques: furniture, children’s toys and furniture, clothes, musical instruments, kitchen utensils, miniature figures, fine china, sewing machines, portraits, photographs on tin plates…and 35 stoves.  At their Murphysburg home, there was at least one antique stove in every room.

Amber further reported, “If anyone else had such a large collection of antiques in their house, it would look like a hoarder lived there, but Jo made the house look like a livable museum.”  She would have a small trinket box or basket sitting on a table with smaller trinkets inside.  “There was never an empty ‘anything’ in the house.” 

Mary Joanne passed away in 2013 after a long struggle with Alzheimer Disease—and after a long history of family and community service.  According to her obituary in The Joplin Globe, “Her home was always open, and there was always room at her table and a brisket in the freezer [ready to cook for company, events, or funerals.]  She gave her children and grandchildren her infectious joy and sense of humor for the human condition, and encouraged and supported each of them to be whoever they wanted to be.”

Photograph of the Kilbane House looking west. The Medical Office is the detached red brick building pictured in the upper right corner of the property.

HISTORY OF THE HOUSE AT 420 S. BYERS AVENUE & ITS DOCTORS

The red brick house was built around 1890 in the Queen Anne style and was designed by the local architect, C. W. Kellog.  The first owner of this elaborate house was a dry goods merchant, Simon Schwartz and his wife Hennie. 

The second owner, John Graham (1872-1917) was a wholesale grocer and horse lover.  In 1898, Mr. Graham constructed an elegant brick stable at the back of the property to accommodate his beloved horses. 

The next owner, Dr. Samuel Ashby Grantham (1866-1938), housed his medical office in the parlor of the main house but in 1916, relocated it to the stable.  Dr. Grantham, an orthopedic surgeon, constructed a blacksmith shop above the office where he could make the pins and braces he needed for his many patients.  When Dr. Grantham died, his younger son, Sam, took over the practice.

Dr. Irvine Kilbane (1915-2005) purchased the house and “stable” on September 22, 1963, just four days after Joplin General Hospital closed, most likely with the plan of moving his practice to Dr. Grantham’s former medical office.  Through the years, he made house calls and answered late night emergencies.  He provided immunizations, conducted examinations, performed lab work, and did minor surgeries at his home office.  Jo’s job was to make sure the clinic (and her husband!) operated smoothly.

After Dr. Kilbane’s death, and after Jo moved out of the house, the Kilbane/Rosenak children auctioned off the house and its contents in 2007.

The Mayflower Apartments

Original Owners: Harry Bennett and Richard Cole, both of Joplin
Opened February 1, 1929 Originally, the name was to be the “Colben” based on Cole and Bennett’s last names but was changed to “Mayflower” once construction started.

In October 1928, investors were sought for the Mayflower through bonds guaranteed by Cole Bennett Investment Company—“two responsible businessmen whose net worth exceeds the amount of the bond issue.” Maturity was to be from 1931 to 1938 with a yield of 5.8% to 6%. To put that timeline in perspective—and simply defined—the beginning of America’s “Great Depression” is often cited as the dramatic crash of the stock market on October 24, 1929 known as “Black Thursday” and October 29, 1929 known as “Black Tuesday.” Economic recovery started around World War II in 1939-1940.

Excerpts from a Joplin Globe August 24, 1928 news article —

The owners announced the many modern details that the 48 unit (with one unit in the basement for a live-in service attendant/janitor), six-story, fire-proof, concrete construction apartment building will have. The apartments range from compact type studios, buffet kitchen bachelor units to larger units with separate bedrooms and numerous closets. Electric refrigeration will be in each apartment and convenient service closets with “immediate incineration of all kitchen and other accumulation.” Each unit to have “sound proofing.” The laundry room will be in the basement.

The property is to be attractively landscaped in addition to the wooded character of the property to the south.

The exterior architecture is faced with tapestry brick and ornamental stone on all four sides. An interesting grouping of windows permits floods of daylight, plus the stairs are daylighted. There is a colonnade of stone columns along 5th Street and a great stone circular arch. Inside, the marble foyer welcomes tenants and guests to the attractively furnished public lounge and electric elevator.

FIRE! FIRE! While the original news release touted the building to be fireproof—through the years—structure fires occurred on July 12, 1958 and December 29, 1958, but the most significant fire was on April 24, 2006. The fire chief said a cigarette was believed to have ignited the couch in the basement laundry room. Around 60 people were evacuated from 40 occupied units. Heat damage to the electrical wiring on all six floors forced the building to close until it could be “rewired.” The First United Methodist Church at 501 West 4th Street set up a temporary shelter for those in need. As of January 2025, a small portion of the Mayflower is re-occupied.

Automobiles and the carport also succumbed to fires in 2013 and 2022.

Bennett and Cole also owned and managed the Koronado Kourts in Joplin, San Antonio, and
Corpus Christi. The Joplin location was famous for being an iconic Route 66 travel court, circa 1936. The present-day Joplin site is now occupied by the Walmart Super Center at 1717 West 7th Street.

BIOGRAPHIES
Harry M. Bennett was born in 1891 and died on April 5, 1979. He is buried at Mount Hope
Cemetery in Webb City. His first wife was Martha, second wife was Jane, and he married his
third wife, Catherine when he was 63 years old. He and Catherine eventually moved from their
prestigious address in Joplin’s Roanoke Addition (616 Islington Place) to San Antonio, Texas.
Mr. Bennett continued to own the Mayflower after Mr. Cole’s premature death in 1944.
According to the 1920 US Census, Mr. Bennett’s occupation was listed as a druggist at a drug
store. Later his occupations were in insurance, real estate, and investments.


Richard Windom “Dick” Cole was born on February 23, 1889 and died of Leukemia on
August 15, 1944 in San Antonio, Texas at the young age of 53. His wife, Mamie Evelyn Windle
Cole was born on February 1, 1896 in Pittsburg, Kansas. She graduated from Joplin High
School in 1914. She died on March 17, 1980 in Corpus Christi, Texas at the age of 84. She was
well traveled. Dick and Mamie eventually moved from their prestigious address in Joplin’s
Roanoke Addition (629 Jaccard Place) to the Mayflower around 1940, and later to San Antonio,
Texas. According to the 1920 US Census, Mr. Cole’s occupation was also that of a druggist—
just like his business partner Harry Bennett.

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day….the life of Jere Charlow

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we present an overview of the life of Jere Charlow, the original owner of a house in the Murphysburg Historic District at 101 South Sergeant Avenue.  The house is an American Foursquare with bay windows & gabled dormers built around 1908.

While living in Joplin with wife Maude Ellen Gregg Charlow (1876-?), Jere J. Charlow (1880-
1947) was a bookkeeper for Picher Lead Company and a member of the Joplin Elks Club.
When he left Joplin, he become a clerk with the United States Indian Service-Cheyenne
Agency in Dewey, South Dakota. Upon his death, he was a special disbursement agent for
the United States Government Interior Department in Lansing, Michigan. Jere is buried at
Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan. Jere maintained his membership in
the B.P.O. Elks Lodge No. 501 of Joplin and was honored at the Elks annual memorial
service after his death.

The Indian Leader newspaper printed an article about Jere on March 10, 1905 stating, “He
has made himself indispensable to his employers, receives a handsome salary and is
trusted and greatly respected by all who know him.”

The 1910 U.S. Census listed Mr. Charlow as “Indian” (Native American) born in Wyandotte, Oklahoma in 1880, however the birthplace of his parents was unknown.  One news article reported that Jere was a member of the Sioux Tribe.  According to the 1910-1911 Wyandot2 census, Jere’s Indian blood was denoted as ¼ degree and his allotment number was 218.  He was an 1898 graduate of the Haskell Institute, located in Lawrence, Kansas.  The school’s current name is Haskell Indian Nations University.  The school was founded in 1884 as a residential boarding school for American Indian children.

Then again on April 27, 1942—at 61 years old—Jere was obligated to register in the “Fourth Registration” of the World War II draft.  Also known as the “Old Man’s Draft,” it was intended to provide the government with a register of manpower between 45-64 years of age who might be eligible for national service on the home front.  Interestingly, his “Registration Card” listed his race as White.

On September 12, 1918—at 38 years old—Mr. Charlow was registered for U. S. military service and was listed as an “Indian.”  His occupation was denoted as a clerk for the United States Indian Service-Cheyenne Agency in Dewey County, South Dakota.

Mr. and Mrs. Charlow had one son, named Joseph Jere Charlow.

While this short biography gives readers an introduction to Jere Charlow, in no way does the story paint the entire picture of his life and the situation in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri regarding Indigenous Americans, The Dawes Act regarding land allotments, boarding schools, tribal affiliations, etc. 

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY According to the Smithsonian-National Museum, American Indians represent less than one percent of the U.S. population, yet names and images of Indians are everywhere: military weapons such as the Tomahawk missile, baking powder cans, town names, advertising, professional sports (Go Chiefs!) and that holiday in November.  Furthermore, the Smithsonian said, “Americans have always been fascinated, conflicted, and profoundly shaped by their relationship to American Indians.”

People in the Joplin Tri-State Area are also familiar with the casinos operated by various Indian Nations.  

In 2021, Indigenous Peoples’ Day became a U.S. Federal holiday to be observed on the second Monday in October, which is the same day as Columbus Day.  Each state has its own observation criteria (or lack thereof) for both holidays.  Missouri does not recognize IPD as a public holiday, but Columbus Day will be recognized as a state holiday on October 14, 2024.