Edward McKenna
Edward McKenna was the
son of Margaret Tinneny and Edward McKenna. He was born in the McKenna
home at 120 Ripka Street in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia on
November 26, 1909. Edward was baptized in Holy Family Church and
attended Holy Family Church and School. As a child he had a severe case
of rheumatic fever.
When he was a young
man Edward went to work at the Hamilton Paper Mill in Miquon, which is
located at the northwestern edge of Philadelphia along the Schuylkill
River. It was while working
at Hamilton’s that Edward met his future wife, Edna Helen Westerman who
was also working at the mill. Edna was the daughter of John Holden and
Edna Westerman. Edna was born on October 14, 1914 in the little town of
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, which is just outside Philadelphia.
Edward had done a lot
of cartoon drawing and some sign painting in addition to working at the
mill. His son Dick remembered in 1998 that his father’s remaining
drawings were an inspiration to him and his brother Ed who themselves
did a lot of drawing and painting throughout their lives.
In 1939, Edward, his
wife Edna and their three young children, Edward, Richard and Charles
were living with his parents at their home at 124 Ripka Avenue, in the
Manayunk section of Philadelphia. Edward suffered from a heart
condition, probably rheumatic fever, from the time he was a little
child. The heart condition and a bout with pneumonia proved too much for
him to withstand and he died just before Christmas, on December 20,
1939. His obituary in the local newspaper, The Manayunk review,
December 27 read:
“McKenna – Dec 20
Edward F. of 124 Ripka Ave. Solemn Requiem Mass at Church of The Holy
Family last Saturday.”
In 1949, Edna married
Benjamin Bremer. Benjamin, Edna and the children moved to Baltimore,
Maryland where Benjamin helped Edna raise the children and the couple
had a child of their own, Maryanne Bremer. Benjamin died in 1972 and
Edna died on November 2, 1996.
Note:
Edward had no descendants.