There’s No Place Like Home
After 47 years of living in hotels, Mr. and Mrs. Leo V. McTague are going to live in a two-story white frame house in Denison so their grandchildren will have “a place to call home.” McTague, 66, recently sold the Hotel Denison. The couple’s four younger grandchildren have lived with them since their daughter-in-law died last September.
They are Tim (12), Julie (15), Susan (10), Nancy (8), seated with Mr. and Mrs. McTague in front of the home all will occupy in about two weeks. Four older grand-children, who will be college students this fall, will “headquarter” there also. They have summer jobs away from Denison.-Register Photo by Del Borer.
Married 47 Years, She’ll Have Home of Her Own
By: Nick Lamberto
Register Staff Writer
DENISON, IA- After 47 years of marriage, Mrs. Frances McTague is finally going to have a home of her own.
Like every bride, Mrs. McTague thought about having a “home of our own” when she married hotel operator Leo V McTague at Flandreau, S.D., in 1913.
“We’ve lived in hotels ever since we were married,” she recalled. “Now that we have our grandchildren with us, we need a place they can call home.”
The eight McTague grandchildren formerly lived at Ames with their mother. Their father, a son of the McTagues, works on government radar installations in such far-flung places as Alaska, Japan, and currently Hawaii. He is rarely at home.
The childrens mother died last September. The four young ones- Julie (15), Tim (12), Susan (10), Nancy (8) -came to Denison to live with their grandparents.
College Students
The older ones- Joseph (21), Mary (20), Frances (19), and Peter (18) -all have summer jobs away from here and will be college students in the fall.
So the younger children “would have a regular home atmosphere” and the older ones would have a “home headquarters,” the McTagues purchased a 4-bedroom frame house here at: 819 First Avenure S.
McTague (66), in the hotel business since he was 12 years old, owned and managed the 76-room Hotel Denison here since 1922.
The hotel was built in 1907 by townspeople who expected Gov. Leslie M. Shaw of Denison to be nominated for president and would need a “suitable place to entertain visiting dignitaries.”
Shaw never was nominated, but the hotel thrived. McTague sold the hotel July 1 to George Scott, Lyle Bohnker, W. H. Noack for $125,000.
2-Story House
The McTagues purchased the 2-story frame house for $13,000. They’re spending $5,000 to fix the place. They plan to move into the house in two weeks.
“The children wanted a home with a fireplace but we couldn’t find one,” Mrs. McTague said. “Maybe later we’ll put one in the basement. They’re all very happy to have their own bedrooms. Each thinks his or hers is best.”
“I think I’ll like it better than living in hotels. In the hotel we had no kitchen or cooking stove. The children are in upstairs rooms and we live in a first-floor apartment.”
“I’ve always wanted a home of my own. I never had a chance until my grandchildren made it possible. I had given up.”
Chance to Cook
“I like to cook and now I’ll get and chance. We’ve eaten out all these years. I may have to follow some recipes for a while. There’ll be no room service or maids to clean up but I’ll have plenty of help from the children.”
“We’re starting a new life with our children. I just pray for 10 years so we can raise there children.”
