Frank McKenrick

Frank (Francis Henry) McKenrick was my Great Grandfather, my Mother's Paternal Grandfather.  The McKenrick line is my Mom, Barbara Carolyn McKenrick Wright, (1); my Grandfather, William Francis McKenrick (2); my Great Grandfather, Frank (Francis Henry) McKenrick. (3); my 2 Great Grandfather Samuel Baxter McKenrick  (4) and my 3 Great Grandfather Andrew McKenrick (5).  As Grandpa William had no sons, our direct line, through William  has ended.  However, there were 2 others sons of Frank, my Grandfather's brother Orlo and Roy; one of whom  had sons who had sons and so Frank's DNA has continued through them

I do remember Grandpa McKenrick-so called to distinguish him from his son, "Grandpa Mac."   I mostly remember going to the McKenrick Reunion every June in Camanche.
Grandpa McKenrick was born 18 Jan 1873 in Adams County, Pennsylvania.  He was the 10th of the 12 children of Samuel Baxter and Susan Elizabeth Bart McKenrick.

Little Frankie McKenrick in a Little Lord Fauntleroy suit

 He, my Great Grandfather  traveled to the Camanche, Clinton County, Iowa area in the  early 1890's from Adams County, Pennsylvania.  We are told that he came, with some of his brothers,  to run their Uncle Andrew McKenrick's,  Bee Keeping business.  Andrew died in 1884, so I do not know what happened to the business between Andrew's death in 1884 and the arrival of several of his nephews from Pennsylvania around 1890.  Maybe one of the boys came earlier, but as there is no 1890 Census for Clinton County, IA-I have no way of knowing.  (Andrew's only son to survive infancy had been killed in the Tornado of  June 1860.  You can read more about the Tornado at this link;  http://www.nytimes.com/1860/06/07/news/terrible-tornado-towns-camanche-iowa-albany-ill-entirely-destroyed-thirty-fifty.html  or here https://www.gendisasters.com/illinois/2463/camanche-ia-tornado-jun-1860

Frank, my Great Grandpa may have helped some with the bees-he later kept his own hives.  He was a meat cutter and either worked in or ran a Grocery store for most of his life.

  He married Sarah A. Duncan, daughter of Matthew and Agnes Horton Duncan, on 06 June 1894 in Rock Island County.  They had a daughter who did not survive and then 3 sons. My Mother's Father William Francis was the eldest, born  28 Dec 1896.

Sadie Duncan McKenrick and husband, Franck McKenrick, maybe a marriage photo?  I think it is a bit later than that, though.

Between  1905 (they are on the Iowa State Census of 1905-living in Camanche, IA)  and 1907, the McKenricks moved to the Silvis, Hampton Township of the Quad Cities in Illinois.  They lived in an area that used to be called Watertown  The East Moline Correctional Facility-formerly East Moline State Hospital (The Illinois Western Hospital for the Insane) is in "Watertown".
Grandpa had his Grocery Store on Highway 84/92 which follows the Mississippi along the Western part of Illinois. The building is still standing but is no longer a Store.  The McKenrick Market sign that was there in my childhood is gone.

Interior of the McKenrick Market in Hampton, IL.  My Grandpa William F. McKenrick is 2nd from Left.  This would have been in about 1920

The McKenrick Market as it looks today.  When I was a kid, MCKENRICK MKT was painted in black on the white horizontal wood above the door and the and the windows were not boarded over. 

Tiny house that Grandpa Frank McKenrick and his wife Sadie lived in.  1815 1st Ave Silvis, IL.  His Bee hives must have been in the back yard.   This is the house address listed on the 1930 and 40 Censii.   This is the house my Mom remembered.  She commented on it being very small.  I believe this is the house he lived in until his death in 1961.

603 1st Ave-the house they were living in in 1920 with both the younger boys, ages 17 and 20 and Uncle Orlo's wife, Jessie

Frank and Sadie married in Rock Island County on 6 June 1894.  I am not sure why Rock Island when I think they both lived in Clinton County, Iowa.  Of course, there are no surviving 1890 Census for this area so I am not sure but  maybe they were living in Rock Island in 1894.  Sarah (Sadie) was Protestant, Frank was Roman Catholic.  He converted to Sadie's religion and the 3 boys were raised Protestant.  After Sadie's death in 1949, Grandpa returned to his Catholic Church.  I have a copy of his Baptism as a baby which he requested in 1949 as proof of Baptism.  His son, William, my Grandfather, converted to Catholicism in order to marry my Grandmother.  He, like many converts was very active in the Church and took his Religion very seriously.  My Dad then converted also to Catholicism in order to marry Mom, daughter of William.  Dad,  however, was not religious and had merely gone through the classes and all to make Mom happy.  So we have 3 generations of  religion switching for marriage.

As mentioned, Sadie died in 1949 on 25 July-I was born at the end of 1948.  I have never seen a picture of the 2 of us together so I do not know if she ever met me.  I know that her last illness and death is mentioned in my Grandmother's journal...I hope to find time tonight to get it out and see what I can dig out.

I do have a photo of Grandpa McKenrick and me...(there are others as he lived until 1961)

Frank McKenrick and his happy Great Granddaughter, Me

Frank was required to register for the Draft when WWI hostilities broke out.  While his son William was drafted, Frank, at 44 years of age,  was not.

There was a Party that I remember, it was for Grampa's 84th Birthday in 1957.  I think it was in Silvis-I just remember the "Money tree".  It was a clear plastic, leafless tabletop tree that someone-I think my Mom had tied dollar bills to.  I thought it was very clever!

Grandpa McKenrick died on 23 Feb 1961, it was a month after his 88th birthday.  He lived alone.  I remember there was some question as to whether or not his death was because of foul play.  He apparently died from blunt trauma to the head, in his home.  The theory was that he may have interrupted a home invasion but it was determined that he died as the result of a fall.  His son, my Grandpa Mac, brought the round golden oak table from Grandpa McKenrick's home.  My Dad was always upset because Grandpa did not also bring the matching China Cabinet.  The table is still in the family.  My parents used it for many years as our Dinning table and it now is in the possession of one of my brothers.  

Frank and Sadie are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Camanche IA