Albert McKinley

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Biography

Albert Edward "Bert" McKinley was born on Saturday, February 14, 1880, in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana. His parents were George W. Spoonhoff (Sunday. May 16, 1858 - Sunday, March 1, 1942) and Alace E. Harting Spoonhoff (Friday, July 13, 1860 - Monday, November 9, 1942). His parents were married on Thursday, July 22, 1882. Albert was the oldest of six children. His father was a hardware salesman in Harrison Township, Vigo County, Indiana and a carpenter for C. C. Smith in Sugar Creek, Vigo County, Indiana. Albert

Until the 1900 U.S. Census their oldest child was identified as Albert Spoonhoff. At some point and for some reason prior to his Thursday, February 14, 1901, marriage to Olive Ceceilia Schauer in Chicago his last name was changed to McKinley. The popular U.S. President at the time was William McKinley. He was not assassinated until seven months following Bert's marriage. Another possible reason is that a long time neighbor of his parents while he was growing up at 1216 Wabash was Mart McKinley, who owned a second hand store in Terre Haute two doors away at 1222 Wabash. Albert and Olive began their married life together in Sugar Creek, Vigo County, Indiana, where Albert was employed as a clothing store clerk.

They had three children: Helen McKinley Garfield Clark (Sunday, October 6, 1901 - Thursday, January 25, 1979), Genevieve Frances McKinley O'Brien (Saturday, January 25, 1903 - Sunday, July 14, 1996), and Robert McKinley (Monday, August 22, 1904 - Friday, February 27, 1976).

Two unusual accidents put Bert's name into the Fort Wayne Daily News, first in 1901, and second in 1914. A horse he was riding in 1901 shied at an object in the road, running into two horses pulling a light wagon driven by two sisters and injuring them when they both jumped off their runaway wagon. Their cuts and bruises were treated by a doctor in a nearby home. Teamsters stopped their runaway horses several blocks away. Their wagon was partially demolished.

The other accident, in January 1914, was much more serious. Bert was a rider with two other men on a coal wagon he owned in the service of the Reed Brother Coal Company when a wagon wheel broke causing the wagon to lurch. John A. Ray fell to the frozen ground. The impact fractured his skull. He passed away on Friday, January 16, 1914.

At the time of his World War I draft registration the McKinleys were living in Detroit, Michigan where Albert worked as a machinist for the Saxon Motor Car Company. In 1930 Albert was a gas station attendant in Sugar Creek. In the early 1930's they relocated to the Los Angeles, California area. In 1935 they lived in San Antonio, Los Angeles County, California. By 1940 they lived in South Gate, Los Angeles, California where Bert was employed as an attendant at a service station. In 1942 Bert worked in Downey, California for the General Petroleum Products Company.

Albert passed away on Friday, September 4, 1970, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.

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