System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Ida Saxton McKinley
1847 - 1907
Ida Saxton McKinley, wife of William McKinley, 25th president of the United States, died May 26, 1907. She was 59.
Mrs. McKinley was born June 8, 1847 in Canton, Ohio. The daughter of a wealthy banker and businessman, Ida Saxton and her younger sister wanted for nothing. They attended private schools. After graduation, their father sent them on leisurely trip to Europe.
Upon their return, Ida became a cashier at the family's bank in Canton. Shortly after beginning work, she met William McKinley, the new county prosecutor. A romance ensued, and the couple was married on January 25, 1871. They had two children, both of whom died at very young ages.
The first child, Katherine, was born in late 1871. Second daughter Ida came along in 1873. The young couple couldn't have been happier, but tragedy soon struck. Within months her infant daughter and mother died, and two years later their surviving child, Katherine, died of typhoid fever.
The series of tragedies ruined Ida's health. Along with her deep depression, she began to have epileptic seizures, and was also diagnosed with the circulatory problem phlebitis. The once vibrant woman was a shell of her former self. Her husband doted on her constantly, taking care of her every need.
Meanwhile, Mr. McKinley's political career was on the rise. He was elected U.S. Representative in 1877, and governor of Ohio in 1892. Known as the "Idol of Ohio," he became a frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 1896.
McKinley won convincing victories over William Jennings Bryan in 1896 and 1900.
Ida McKinley's health had improved somewhat during her husband's congressional and gubernatorial years, but when he entered the White House in 1897, her health had again taken a turn for the worse. Her seizures had returned. During the presidential campaign, the McKinley people had compiled a biography of Ida to include her bout with illness. It was the first time such a bio had been done on a candidate's wife.
The president saw to his wife's every need. He broke tradition by having his wife sit next to him during state dinners, ready to help her if she had a seizure.
Unlike future media coverage, the media of the late nineteenth century remained silent about Ida McKinley's health, choosing not to report on her seizures or her feeble movements.
During social events, she remained seated and would not shake hands with guests.
When her husband was shot by a deranged anarchist in 1901, the first thing he said after being shot was to be careful about telling Mrs. McKinley. He died eight days after being shot.
After her husband's death, Mrs. McKinley continued to live in Canton, caring for her younger sister and visiting her husband's grave almost daily. She died May 26, 1907, and is buried beside her husband and two daughters in the McKinley Memorial Mausoleum.
