Ida Saxton and William McKinley married on January 25, 1871 in Canton, Ohio. Mrs. McKinley's grandfather founded the Repository, Canton's first newspaper. Her father was a prominent banker. She attended the Brook Hall Seminary in Media, Pennsylvania.
Not long after she was married, Mrs. McKinley lost her grandfather, mother, and two daughters. She suffered a nervous breakdown. She later developed epilepsy. By 1876, Ida McKinley was an invalid. During McKinley's first term, most of the first lady's duties were performed by Mrs. Garret Hobart. She was the vice president's wife.
Mrs. McKinley often attended White House social events. At state dinners, she was always seated next to the president. She occasionally had epileptic seizures at the table. The president would cover her face with a napkin. When the episode ended, he resumed his conversation as though nothing had happened.
After her husband was assassinated, Mrs. McKinley returned to Canton, Ohio. She died there in 1907. Ida and William McKinley are buried at the McKinley National Memorial in Canton, Ohio.
William McKinley's Children :
William and Ida McKinley had two daughters. Both died in infancy.
