Robert Niles Stover, grandson of Catherine McGovern remembers her with great fondness and relates many stories of her:

"Kate had an ability to tell great stories and lived a life that generated many stories about her. Even the color of her hair resulted in a story. It seems that her hair had started to turn gray at an early age (as it did with my mother and myself) so she tried to dye it. In those days dyes were not as sophisticated as today so her hair turned green. She wore a hat until the green grew out and from that day on her hair was perfectly white.

Her husband (Paul Snow Niles) died when she was 34 and so she had quite a time earning a living and raising five children. She worked at a wide variety of jobs, holding some politically appointed positions in Freeport, including City Treasurer. She did a good bit of practical nursing, as well as other positions I can't remember. Into her 80's she still worked at various jobs, mostly "taking care of old people"

Her most exciting job, of course, as as a matron at Dwight (Illinois) Women's Reformatory, a prison for hardened women criminals in Illinois. As a child and as an adult I have always loved to tell people about the years my grandmother spent "in prison" to see their reaction. Sometimes I would tell the whole story but many times I just let them think about it. I was told, as a child, that during the time she was a matron there was a prison break being planned among the women she was responsible for. If it went on as planned she would probably have been hurt.

Now it splits into two stories... as my mother told it the break was postponed until Kate's shift was over and when it happened Grandma Niles wasn't hurt. Mickey Ary Deneen (her grandaughter and my cousin) says that actually what happened was that to protect Kate someone squealed on the break and it never happened. We'll never be sure. My sister Jeanne adds to this story that a woman did escape and she was a murderer and was a member of our father's high school class. She is certain that the escape did happen since it was discussed at our dad's high school reunion that Jeanne attended with her parents in 1952 (their 30th). The escapee was the only person in the class they didn't have an address for.

As children, my sister Jeanne and I had shows and circuses for the neighborhood children (usually 2¢ admission and usually the proceeds went to buy WWII savings stamps). Once, while Grandma Niles was visiting us we were putting on our show for 12 or 15 children. The show was in our back yard and during a break she came outside and whispered to me that I should announce the next act, the "Wild Woman from Borneo". I announced it and turned to find that Grandma had ruffled up her white hair so that it stood on end and rushed out the back door screaming. It was a great act but terrified our audience and they all ran home and never came back to our house. Grandma meant well but we cried and she felt bad about the whole episode.

Grandma Niles learned many things in her life from a wide range of people so it shouldn't (but does) come as a surprise that my grandmother was extremely adept with dice. During a family Christmas celebration when I was a child I can remember my grandmother and an assortment of my uncles (not my father, of course) kneeling on the floor shooting craps. She was so good with the dice that they insisted that she had to bounce them off the wall when she threw them.

It is a true store that she and Carrie Brown were good friends. Carrie Brown (who lived in Freeport) was the wife of John Tracy and their son was the movie star Spencer Tracy. I never thought to ask if she had ever met Spencer Tracy but she must have at one time or another. It was often suggested that her husband was related to the Brown family, hence related to Spencer Tracy. This fact has been confirmed by a second cousin, Paul Edward Niles in 2001.

One of the proudest days of her life (at least she said so) was the day she met her first great grandson Richard Dennis Stover, my son. He was just a few weeks old and while being changed he took aim (as little baby boys will do) and hit Grandma Niles. My wife and I were chagrined, but Grandma Niles said she loved it -- it was an honor!"

Jeanne Stover Fischer, granddaughter of Catherine McGovern relates stories of her:

" She once held three jobs in one day, fired from one, quit one, and stayed at the third. Came to visit us in Audubon (NJ) once and went down to Merchant Street to shop and didn't come back and didn't come back. She had taken a job at the drug store sandwich counter and started right then. Worked for them the month or so she was with us. Drove Mom absolutely nuts sometimes!!

"Mom always said she would come planning to stay three weeks, but she always stayed five weeks and was hell on wheels the last two weeks as she was homesick.

"She was Treasurer of Freeport for one of her first political jobs and had it quite a long time, I understand, although I never confirmed the fact. It was in this job that she became acquainted with Grandpa (Jacob Price) Stover. In what capacity I don't know. Maybe just him coming in to pay his taxes. She was also a sales clerk at Grants (a long gone 5 & 10¢ store chain) in Rockford for a long time."

From the 1900 United States Census:
Born December 1880, 19 years old at that time, single and living at home with her parents. She was born in Illinois, and her parents were both born in Ireland. She could read, write and speak English.