Rose Kennedy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rose Kennedy |
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| Countess of the Holy Roman Church | |
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| Kennedy c. 1967 | |
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| Born | July 22, 1890 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 22, 1995 (aged 104) Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Burial | Holyhood Cemetery Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy (born July 22, 1890 – died January 22, 1995) was an important American woman. She was known for her good works and as the mother of the famous Kennedy family.
Her father, John F. Fitzgerald, was a politician who served in the Massachusetts State Senate and the United States House of Representatives. He was also the Mayor of Boston. Her husband, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., was a businessman and served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Rose and Joseph had nine children. Many of them became well-known. Their children included John F. Kennedy, who became the President of the United States. Other children were Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, who both became U.S. Senators. Their daughter Eunice Kennedy Shriver started the Special Olympics. Another daughter, Jean Kennedy Smith, became the United States Ambassador to Ireland.
In 1951, Pope Pius XII gave Rose Kennedy a special honor. She became a Papal countess. This was in recognition of her strong faith and good deeds.
Contents
Rose Kennedy's Early Life
Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald was born on July 22, 1890. She was born in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. She was the oldest of six children. Her father was John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald. At the time, he was a member of the Boston Common Council. Her mother was Mary Josephine "Josie" Hannon.
When Rose was seven, her family moved to West Concord, Massachusetts. In 1904, they moved again to Dorchester, Massachusetts. She went to the local Girls' Latin School. Later, a plaque was placed at Welles Avenue and Harley Street. It marks "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Square." Her son, Ted Kennedy, dedicated the plaque on her 102nd birthday.
Rose studied at a convent school in the Netherlands. She graduated from Dorchester High School in 1906. She also studied piano at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Her father did not allow her to go to Wellesley College. Instead, she went to the Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart. Rose later said she regretted not going to Wellesley. However, she grew to love the convent school. She said the religious training there became the foundation of her life.
In 1908, Rose and her father traveled in Europe. They had a special meeting with Pope Pius X at the Vatican.
Marriage and Family Life
When Rose was a teenager, she met Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy. They met while their families were on vacation in Maine. Joe was the son of businessman and politician Patrick Joseph "P.J." Kennedy. P.J. Kennedy was a political rival of Rose's father. Joe and Rose dated for more than seven years. Her father did not approve of Joe at first.
On October 7, 1914, when she was 24, Rose married Joe Kennedy. They had a simple ceremony in Boston. They first lived in Brookline, Massachusetts. This home is now the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site. Later, they had a vacation home in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod. This became the main home for the Kennedy family.
Rose and Joe had nine children:
- Joseph Jr. (Joe)
- John (Jack)
- Rose (Rosemary)
- Kathleen (Kick)
- Eunice
- Patricia (Pat)
- Robert (Bobby)
- Jean
- Edward (Ted)
Rose Kennedy was a very religious Catholic throughout her life. Even after she turned 100, she often went to Sunday Mass. She believed that being a full-time homemaker was very important. In her 1974 autobiography, Times to Remember, she wrote about raising children. She said it was "a work of love and a duty." She also called it "a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world."
Rose Kennedy's Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Marriage and children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy Jr. | July 25, 1915 | August 12, 1944 | Never married and had no children |
| John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy | May 29, 1917 | November 22, 1963 | Married in 1953, to Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. They had four children. Two of them died very young. |
| Rose Marie "Rosemary" Kennedy | September 13, 1918 | January 7, 2005 | Never married and had no children |
| Kathleen Agnes "Kick" Kennedy | February 20, 1920 | May 13, 1948 | Married in 1944, to William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington. They did not have children. |
| Eunice Mary Kennedy | July 10, 1921 | August 11, 2009 | Married in 1953, to Robert Sargent "Sarge" Shriver Jr.. They had five children. |
| Patricia Helen "Pat" Kennedy | May 6, 1924 | September 17, 2006 | Married in 1954, to English actor Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford. They had four children. They divorced in 1966. |
| Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy | November 20, 1925 | June 6, 1968 | Married in 1950, to Ethel Skakel. They had eleven children. |
| Jean Ann Kennedy | February 20, 1928 | June 17, 2020 | Married in 1956, to Stephen Edward Smith. They had two sons and adopted two daughters. |
| Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy | February 22, 1932 | August 25, 2009 | Married in 1958, to Virginia Joan Bennett. They had three children. They divorced in 1982. He remarried in 1992 to Victoria Anne Reggie. They had no children. |
Rose Kennedy's Later Years
After her son John became president in 1960, Rose became a well-known public figure. She often appeared on lists of best-dressed people. Most of her social activities involved helping charities and women's groups. Rose also enjoyed swimming in the ocean near her home in Cape Cod.
In 1984, she had a stroke. After that, she used a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She lived at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Nurses and staff cared for her there. She turned 100 years old on July 22, 1990.
Death
Rose Kennedy died on January 22, 1995. She was 104 years old. She passed away from problems related to pneumonia at the Kennedy family home in Hyannis Port. Five of her nine children were still alive when she died. She also had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was buried with her husband at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Legacy and Honors
In 1951, Pope Pius XII gave Rose Kennedy the title of countess. This was to honor her "exemplary motherhood and many charitable works."
In 1992, when she turned 102, a street intersection in Boston was named "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Square." Her son, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, dedicated the plaque.
The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston, Massachusetts is also named after her. This park was created when the city's main highway was moved underground. It was named for her on July 26, 2004.
Rose Kennedy was known for her charitable efforts. She also led the Grandparents' Parade at the Special Olympics when she was 90. Her life and work are shown in the documentary Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember. This film was even nominated for an Oscar.
The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge in Ireland is named after her. When it opened in 2020, it was the longest bridge in Ireland.
See also
In Spanish: Rose Kennedy para niños
