This
past week I was finally able to find the marriage license of my great great
grandparents, William McKannan and Susan Laura Corner. It proved to be a
difficult task as like many first generation Irish Americans the McKannan
surname has been recorded in a myriad of different ways. While I was familiar
with the current spelling and the way by which it was recorded for my great
grandparents and grandparents in the 1940 census, McKenna, this new document
brought to light another possibility, McCann. However, every single one of the
other details in the document where accurate leaving no doubt in my mind that I
had finally found one of the family records that had eluded me for nearly a
decade.
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| Marriage License - 9 December 1890 |
When
looking at this record I was surprised to find that the marriage actually took
place on 9 December 1890, only five days prior to the birth of my great
grandfather William Jacob McKannan when my grandmother was seventeen years old.
Seems as though there may have been a little rush to the alter to say the least
but the marriage did last for the rest of their lives so there must have been
more of a connection beyond the simple fact of an unplanned pregnancy.
Additionally, as I researched the details of their lives, it was fascinating to
see the full lives that they had especially with regard to my great great
grandmother.
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| 1880 Census |
Susan
Laura Corner was born in Philadelphia on 20 August 1873 to Jacob Corner and Tamise
Culp. Growing up the daughter of a farmer in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery
County, she experienced loss at an early age as her twin sister, Emma Flora
Corner, passed away on 17 September 1875. It is unclear how they met but by the
time Laura was 16 she was pregnant and by the time she was 17 she was married
to William who was six years her senior.
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| Sunday Times Advertiser - 22 January 1928 |
While my great great
grandfather was working for the Pennsylvania Railroad (eventually becoming
yardmaster at Morrisville), Laura was busy first raising her family and then,
later in life, increasing her social activity among many of the
organizations in the Trenton area. This is one of
those situations where she may not have had an occupation listed in the census
but she did work and she worked hard. This resulted in her being mentioned in the
various Trenton newspapers over 140 times during the approximately 30 years
prior to her passing in 1949. While she was a founding member of the Get
Together Club (seemingly started after her husband’s passing in 1933, she was
also active with her Bible Study Class, a member of Iska
Council No. 33 (
Improved Order of Red Men), a member of Laurel Temple No. 3 (
Knights of the Golden Eagle),
and, most prominently, she served as District President of the
Patriotic Order of Americans and, later, appointed as Director of the National
Patriotic Order of Americans Home and Orphanage in Lambertville. In the latter
she also held various roles in Camp No. 6 ranging from Orator to Publicist to
Trustee.
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| Sunday Times Advertiser - 2 December 1934 |
It
seems as though both William and Laura slowly moved up in their respective
social circles over the course of their unlikely marriage. They had at least 3
children, William, Mary, and Reuben and were married for 43 years at the time
of my great great grandfather’s passing after a six year illness (still
uncertain as to the cause of this illness). And, by the time she took her final
breath only her daughter, three grandchildren, and four great grandchildren
remained. Beyond the simple documents that have been found she is remembered as
a good hearted, happy, giving, thoughtful, and intelligent mother, grandmother,
great grandmother, and community leader. And, in the end, that is really all
that any of us can hope for.
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| Trenton Evening Times - 3 November 1949 |
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