Edward Benninghaus Kenna (1877 - abt. 1912)

Ancestors

Died about 20 Mar 1912 at about age 34 in Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, United States

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Biography

Edward Kenna is Notable.

Ed Kenna was a professional baseball player, college football player and coach, and newspaper editor. His nickname was "The Pitching Poet". He played for the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team in 1902. He coached or played football at Georgetown University, West Virginia University, University of Richmond and West Virginia Wesleyan College. After his athletics career ended, he was editor of the Charleston Gazette in Charleston, West Virginia.

Edward was born in 1877. He is the child of Senator John E. Kenna and Annie Benninghaus.

He married Frances Judson Beardsley in 1910 in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia..^[1]

Edward died (age 34) on 20 March 1912 in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia.^[2] He is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery, Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia.^[3]

Research Notes

There are two Find A Grave Memorials for Edward Kenna. A second listing states that he died on 22 March 1912 in Florida. ^[4] This obituary states that he died in Florida after moving there for health-related reasons. ^[5]

John appears in the 1912 Register of deaths for Kanawha County, his brother Arthur [Lewis] Kenna, informant. It’s this entry which has caused the confusion; it contradicts all newspaper reports of the period. ^[6]

Phil Williams, writing for SABR (The Society for American Baseball Research), tells us the following (in a rather brilliant, but brief, biography): “ In January 1912 the Mountain States League (the Senators’ new circuit) elected him its vice president.77

“By that time, Kenna was in Grant, Florida, recuperating from a “nervous stomach disorder.” He gradually improved, but in mid-March was suddenly afflicted by an attack of tonsillitis.78 His health worsened quickly, and he died of heart failure on March 22. Survived by his wife and son, Ed Kenna was buried in Charleston’s Spring Hill Cemetery.”

Williams, however, does not determine the actual place of death.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage: "West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970"
   citing Kanawha, , county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 521,721.
   FamilySearch Record: NM2K-55D (accessed 27 August 2022)
   Edward B Kenner marriage to Frances Judson Beardsley in 1910 in Kanawha.
2. ↑ Death: "West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999"
   citing Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, County Records, v 1 p 305, county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 460,366.
   FamilySearch Record: NM27-R8S (accessed 27 August 2022)
   Edward B Kenna death 20 Mar 1912 in Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia.
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49453258/edward-benninghaus-kenna: accessed 27 August 2022), memorial page for Edward Benninghaus Kenna (17 Oct 1877–22 Mar 1912), Find a Grave Memorial ID 49453258, citing Spring Hill Cemetery, Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia, USA; Maintained by J. Colin Clark (contributor 47094715). Find A Grave: Memorial #49453258
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49453258/edward-benninghaus-kenna: accessed 06 September 2022), memorial page for Edward Benninghaus Kenna (17 Oct 1877–22 Mar 1912), Find a Grave Memorial ID 49453258, citing Spring Hill Cemetery, Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia, USA; Maintained by J. Colin Clark (contributor 47094715) . Find A Grave: Memorial #49453258
5. ↑ Obituary "Ed. Kenna Dead” ‘’Bluefield Daily Telegraph,’’ (Bluefield, West Virginia), 23 Mar 1912, p. 1 col. 2. Digital images. Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com; accessed 27 Aug 2022), Historical newspapers. Link to Newspapers.com clipping
6. ↑ http://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view2.aspx?FilmNumber=460366&ImageNumber=320
7. ↑ https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ed-kenna/

• U.S., Professional Baseball Player Profiles: "U.S., Professional Baseball Player Profiles, 1876-2004"
  Baseball Almanac, comp.. Biographical baseball data provided by Baseball Almanac. Images reproduced courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C
  Ancestry Record 8666 #8776 (accessed 27 August 2022)
  Name: Ed Kenna; Birth name: Edward Benninghaus Kenna; Nickname: The Pitching Poet; Birth Place: West Virginia, United States; Birth Year: 1877; Death Place: Florida, United States; Death Date: 22 Mar 1912; College: West Virginia University; Height: 6'0"; Weight: 180 lbs.; First game date: 05 May 1902; Final game date: 09 May 1902; Throws: Right; Draft: Not Applicable.

See also:

• Wikipedia:Ed_Kenna
• Wikidata: Item Q5335023
• BaseballReference.com profile