Hilary McKanna’s Family!

There is definitely connection between the Angus McDonald family, the McKanna family and the Penglase family.

The story is that Vivian met Hilary at Uncle Angus McDonald’s home in West Seattle. Angus’s daughter Helena Mary McDonald married a Claude Penglase and had George Robert Penglase.  I have shared the information on the Penglase family when I posted about Angus McDonald’s family on this blog before. Angus is Keith’s uncle and Ronald’s brother.

Hilary’s parents were Michael Bernard McKanna and Katherine Rooney.

There is a blog that shares information on the McKanna family:

A Convergence of Families:  Willis and Hermsen, McKanna and Rooney, Steltjes and Fleming, Caldwell and Lynch at the following link

http://willisgene.wordpress.com/the-mckanna-family-pioneers-of-the-northwest/

There is more at this blog so take your time to explore.  I am not an expert on the McKanna’s but I do believe the writer is one.

The Convergence blog tells the story of the McKanna’s.  The spelling of the name was apparently McCanna in the beginning.

The blog also has a picture of the tombstone of Michael Bernard McKanna.

Robert “Mickey” McKanna, Michael and Katherine’s grandson, told me the story of how he and his kids hiked up to see the gravesite at Miner’s Cemetery, on top of the Chilkoot Pass, near Lake Bennett in British Columbia. This was no small feet to get to the cemetery.  I was visiting Mickey at his cabin in 2002.

“Michael came over from Ireland and settled in Stearns Co., Minnesota.  There were locust infestations for 4-5 years in a row and that is when they then moved onto Fargo, ND where they had a child.  In Miles City, MT they had Emmett and Phillip (Mickey’s dad).  They moved on to Douglas, Alaska where they had Hilary who was apparently the youngest of the clan.  Michael McKanna, the grandfather, was starting back to the US and became sick at Lake Bennett south of Fairbanks. 

Years ago Mickey took two of his sons on a hike to find this grave’s location.  A forest service person marked the trail for Mickey so they could find the cemetery.  It had 13 graves of which one was his grandfather Michael.  Michael died at 49/50 years old.  Mickey thinks that his aunt made it to the grave because of the style of the inscription.”  Spoken by Mickey McKanna grandson. 

Source:  Journal of Trip to Yakima and Spokane, July 2002, by B. J. MacDonald. There are Spracklins who live in the Miles City, Montana area.  The Spracklins are one of Keith’s older families through his grandmother Amarilla Spracklin Barclay.

Based on my notes from Mickey I have the following information about this family.

Please be advised that I only have this information that follows because I was curious. When I knew Mickey I was a munchkin so I didn’t pay any attention to this stuff.   This family of the McKanna’s is only related to my family by marriage.  So I have not taken the time to really dig and get the facts.  I refer you to the Convergence blog I listed above for the real story.

Michael apparently emigrated from Ireland per Mickey’s sharing, but I have no detailed information on him other than his death and there is a picture of the tombstone on the above mentioned blog.  Katherine was born about 1852 maybe in Canada and died about 1939.

NOTE:  Find A Grave has a tombstone for a Katherine A. McKanna buried in the Holy Trinity Cemetery in Goldendale, Klickitat County, WA.  The dates are 1852 to 1939.  Of course I would have to verify this information.

The children of Michael Bernard McKanna and Katherine A. Roovey

1.  Elizabeth McKanna 1875-1930.  She married a man named Robert Willis, and had a son names James E. Willis 1912 to 1930.  See the Convergence of Families blog.

2.  James McKanna – no further information on this child? Again check out the Convergence blog for more information.

3.  Emmett Joseph McKanna 1879-1958.  Emmett Joseph was born 8 Jun 1879 and died 15 Mar 1958 in Yakima, Yakima Co., Washington.  He is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Yakima not too far from the McDonalds that I have been posting about.  I stumbled on this family when I was researching the Calvary Cemetery where Ronald, Nellie, Miriam, Gordon, Vivian and Eddie are buried.

He married Lillian Mary Penglase who was born 28 Feb 1885, and died 6 Dec 1975 in Yakima and is buried next to her husband.  Thanks to the Convergence blog for this piece of information about Lillian’s last name.

Private funeral services will be held Friday at 10 a.m. in St. Paul Cathedral in Yakima for Mrs. Lillian M. McKanna, longtime Yakima resident who died Friday in Seattle.  Mrs. McKanna moved to Seattle upon the death of her husband, Emmett J. McKanna, who was a longtime real estate agent in Yakima.  She moved to Seattle to live with her daughter.  Suvivors include a son, Emmett Jr. of California; two daughters, Mrs. Mary Dietzen of Yakima and Elizabeth McFadden of Seattle; two sisters Frances Barnhill of Los Angles and Rose Moran of San Francisco; 14 grandchildren and several great grandchildren.

Source:  Obituary for Mrs. Lillan McKanna (Out of Town), December 11, 1975, Yakima Newspaper (Unknown).  Found at the Calvary Cemetery office in Yakima, WA.

These are note cards copied by the Calvary Cemetery office showing information on the burial location of these burials:

McKanna, Vivian (Leola) Age 82 618 So. 3rd St. Selah, WA 98942
Blk D, Sect 84, E 1/2 Gr 2, Langevin & Mussetter 14 Nov. 1984, 6/18/81 $185.00 Buril $311.31) pd 12/3/84
McKanna, Lillian M. age 90 Blk D, Sec 26, W1/2, Gr 6 Dec 12, 1975 Fisher-Kalfus Funeral Home, Seattle, St. Pals $331.75 pg. 4/27/1976
McKanna, Emmett J., Age 78 Blk D Sect 26, W 1/2, Gr 5, Mar 19, 1958, St. Paul, Fr. McRath. S&S.
McKanna, Lt. John Willis Blk D, Sec 26, W/12, Gr. 7, Aug 14, 1943, Age 28 Shaw & Sons.

Emmett’s tombstone in Calvary Cemetery, Yakima

John Willis McKanna and Lillian Mary McKanna’s tombstone

They had:

a.  Lt. John Willis McKanna 1915-1943 was born 23 Jun 1915 and died 10 Aug 1943.  He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Yakima next to his parents.

b.  Emmett McKanna Jr.  b. ________ died after 1977 in La Jolla, California.  He married a Marjorie J. Young and she died 2 Nov. 1977 in La Jolla, California.  They had Susan who married a Humiston and Sarah who married Schneider and had John and James.

c.  Mary McKanna married a Dietzen

d.  Elizabeth McKanna married a McFadden

4. Philip McKanna 1896-1941 was born 1896 in Montana and died about 1941 in California?  He married a Kathleen who was born about 1898 in Washington and died in California?

A curious piece of information at Find A Grave has a Phillip F. McKanna born May 17, 1884 d. August 6, 1940 in the same cemetery at the Katherine above – Holy Trinity?

The children of Philip and Kathleen:

a.  Alice McKanna born about 1928

b.  William McKanna born about 1926 and died about 1970 and may be buried in Arlington Cemetery, VA?  He married Marilyn Jean Pebley and had about three children.  Bill was in the Navy and Air Force?

c.  Robert “Mickey” John McKanna born about 1930 in Alaska.  He married Christine Henschield on 9 Aug. 1958 in Spokane.  She died several years ago.  They had 6 children.   Mickey is the nephew of Hilary McKanna and came to live with Hilary and Vivian.  Mickey is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Spokane.  See below.

d.  Mary Jane McKanna born about 1933 may have married a Teratino.

Apparently Philip McKanna was married a second time to an unknown person and had 3 children a Hugh, Phil and a Francis.  I have very little information about this marriage.  Mickey said it was a prior marriage that gave him 1/2 siblings.

1940 Census – Linden Lane, Line 34, 629, 99, 12, 20.00, McKanna, Philip, Head,  M, W, 55, M, No., 44, 30, Montana, XOXO, No, No, No, No, O, 8, 13, 130, No. McKanna, Kathleen, wife, 1, F, W, 42, M, No, 42, 10, Washington, No, — McKanna, William, son, 2, M, W, 14, S, yes, H1, 9, Washington, McKanna, Alice, daughter, 2, F, W, 12, S, yes, 5, 5, Washington, McKanna, Robert, son, 2, M, W, S, yes, 5, 5, Alaska. McKanna, Mary Anne, daughter, 2, F, W, 7, S, yes, 1, 1, Alaska.

Source:  Philip McKanna Family, 1940 US Census, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, Block 5, SD#18, ED#59-58, Sht#3A, April3-4, 1950, enumerator Randal W. Brooks.  Ancestry.com.

5. Robert McKanna  – This is Bob and Theo of which I have lots of pictures from Vivian’s photo album, loaned to me by Mickey McKanna.

Bob and Theo 1926

6.  Hilary Michael McKanna born 11 Jun 1892, Douglas Island, Alaska and died 18 Oct 1957 in Medical Lake, Spokane Co., Washington.  He is buried in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Spokane.  He married my Aunt Leola Vivian McDonald 25 June 1924 in Cheney, Spokane Co., Washington.  I have posted about this marriage in past posts.  Vivian is Keith’s older sister as you will remember.

Note:  Internment has a listing for the St. Joseph Cemetery in Spokane, WA and there are McCannas and McKannas buried there including Hilary.

Find A Grave has St. Joseph Cemetery in Spokane:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=77033

http://www.interment.net/data/us/wa/spokane/stjoe/st_joseph_mq.htm

Vivian & Hilary 1925

When Philip, Hilary’s brother died suddenly, Bill the son was invited to come and live with Hilary and Vivian in Greenacres, Spokane, WA where they settled.  Mickey McKanna came to visit his brother and liked it and decided to stay.  Hilary and Vivian didn’t have children of their own so Bill and Mickey became very important to them.

Hilary with his nephews Bill on the left and Mickey McKanna 1945

Now you know why Keith, the subject of this blog, and his siblings all knew Mickey (Robert John McKanna) and his brother Bill (William).

Ronald S. McDonald, Bill McKanna, Vivian and Hilary 1940’s.

The photo above shows the connection to the McKanna’s.  Ronald (R.S.) McDonald is the father of Vivian and she is standing between her nephew Bill McKanna and her husband Hilary McKanna.

Again, for more details about the McKanna family and Hilary’s and Bill’s ancestors see the blog: A Convergence of Families:  Willis and Hermsen, McKanna and Rooney, Steltjes and Fleming, Caldwell and Lynch at the following link and take a look around for more information.

http://willisgene.wordpress.com/the-mckanna-family-pioneers-of-the-northwest/