Mary Haile Kennedy

     Mary Haile Kennedy was born on 23 October 1885 at Ridgely Plantation, Bailey's Prairie, Brazoria County, Texas.¹ She was the daughter of Walter Kennedy and Sarah Kimbrough Munson. She married Daniel Bell Giesecke in 1913 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.¹ She died on 10 September 1986 in Angleton, Brazoria County, Texas, at age 100.² She was buried in Angleton Cemetery.²
     
     Mary grew up at the Kennedy's Waverly Plantation, near Chenango. She first attended school at the Van Place, an adjoining plantation that was the home of her uncles Henry and George and their families. She graduated in 1903 from Angleton High School. Afterward she earned a teacher's certificate from Sam Houston State Teacher's College. She taught school in Angleton for a number of years. In 1920, Mary and Bell built a home in Angleton in which they lived the remainder of their lives. Mary was active in the Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, she being a "Real Daughter", the Brazoria County Historical Society, and the First Methodist Church that her mother had helped to found. For years she worked at Giesecke's Department Store that was founded by her father-in-law Cornelius Giesecke, and later owned by Bell.³

     Writer's note: Cousins Mary and Bell believed in "going first class." I loved to ride in their big Packard with the little seats that popped up between the front and back seats that were just my size. In 1950, Cousin Hattie Kennedy and I accompanied them on a trip to California to visit their only child Kennedy and his family. Cousin Hattie and I shared a roomette on the train, but Cousins Mary and Bell had a luxury suite that was simply amazing to behold. The Gieseckes made the same trip year after year, and as the story goes, Cousin Bell always made reservations on a train that would cross New Mexico in the middle of the night. The reason was that New Mexico was dry, and by law the Club Car was closed as long as the train was crossing the state. Cousin Bell loved his beer. On the other hand, I never once saw Cousin Mary drink, and I'm quite sure she disapproved. Cuz (George Kennedy) often told a story about Cousin Bell and his dog, an Irish Setter named Rusty that I remember well. Everyday, Rusty waited outside Giesecke's Department Store during business hours, until, at the same time every afternoon, he would wander off. Cousin Bell would leave work saying to Cousin Mary that he had to find Rusty, and everyday, Rusty was waiting for his master at the local beer joint. After a beer or two, Bell and Rusty returned to the store to finish out the work day. Cousin Bell played the violin, and I remember he and some other men getting together and playing their instruments in the back room of the store. He died very suddenly in 1957 of a blood clot in his leg that broke loose. Cousin Mary lived many more years and remained active until near the end. She was a wonderfully sweet person who never tired of talking about the family, and I never tired of listening to her.⁴