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Charles 'Edward'
McKnight |
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| Clara and Edward McKnight |
Charles "Edward" McKnight was born on Dec. 29, 1906 near Dawson, Fayette County, PA, the son of Charles and Keziah (Stimmell) McKnight.
In 1929, at the age of 22, Edward married 18-year-old Clara Porter Bates (1911- ? ).
Their marriage endured for 44 years.
They produced five children together -- Elizabeth Helena Hegadore, Welene Gibbons, William Leroy McKnight, Clara McKnight and Delores McKnight. Sadly, daughters Clara and Delores died in infancy.
When the federal census enumeration was made in 1930, the couple and their baby Elizabeth Helena dwelled with Edward's widowed father in Dawson. At that time, the 24-year-old Edward made a living as a laborer, assisting on his father's farm.
By 1940, despite the lingering grasp of the Great Depression, Edward had secured employment as a laborer on a local road project. The census-taker at that time recorded that the couple's three young children were in the household as well as Edward's 79-year-old father.
Edward eventually obtained employment at the B.F. Goodrich Company tire plant in Avon Lake near Elyria, OH, and the family relocated there, remaining for many years.
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Bird's eye view of Elyria, Ohio |
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| Obituary, 1973 |
Following Edward's retirement, he and Clara moved back to Dawson, where they made their home on Railroad Street. In his retirement years, Edward operated an antique shop in Dawson.
He also passed down a love of history and antique family heirlooms to a grandson, Richard Hegadore.
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| Bryan Methodist Church Cemetery |
They were members of the Bryan Methodist Church in Dawson.
Edward passed away at the age of 66, on July 14, 1973 at Allen Memorial Hospital in Oberlin "after a long illness," said the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. His remains were returned to Dawson for burial at the Bryan Methodist Church Cemetery. At the time of his death, he and Clara had produced 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Clara outlived her husband by two decades. She was carried away by the Angel of Death in 1993.
~ Daughter Elizabeth Helena (McKnight) Hegadore ~
Daughter Elizabeth "Helena" McKnight (1929-2004) was born in 1929.
She married John Charles "Jack" Hegadore Jr. (June 22, 1928-2011).
The couple bore three children -- Ronald Hegadore, Richard Hegadore and Veta Lynn.
The Hegadores made their home in Oberlin, OH. Later in life, they appear to have lived in Wilmington, NC and belonged to the Gospel Center Baptist Church.
Elizabeth passed away at the age of 74 on Jan. 31, 2004. Her remains were brought back to Dawson to sleep for the ages in Bryan Methodist Church Cemetery. An obituary was published in the Wilmington Star News.
John outlived his bride by seven years. Death spirited him away into eternity at age 82 on March 29, 2011. A memorial service was held in the Gospel Center church.
Son Ronald Hegadore ( ? - ? )
Son Richard Hegadore is married to Kay. They have a family. Rich has maintained a love of McKnight family history and he and Kay were regular attendees of the McKnight Reunions of the early 2000s in Western Pennsylvania.
Daughter Veta Hegadore ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). On Sept. 30, 1972, she wed Terry Lynn ( ? - ? ), with the ceremony held in the chapel of the First United Methodist Church.
~ Daughter Welene (McKnight) Gibbons ~
Daughter Welene McKnight (1933-2024) was born on Sept. 9, 1933 in Dawson, Fayette County.
She married Charles "Harold" Gibbons (1931-1998).
They bore five children -- Paula Welene Miller, Charles "Harold" Gibbons Jr., Clara Enos, Marie Ann Shultz and Amy Pearl Mongell.
Welene spent the majority of her years in Dawson before moving to Connellsville. She maintained a membership in the Philip G. Cochran Memorial United Methodist Church while also attending the Bryan Methodist Church in Dawson. She also belonged to the Connellsville chapter of the Order of Eastern Star.
Interested in politics, Harold was a candidate for Dawson Borough Council in the 1970s.
Harold passed away in 1998.
Welene outlived her husband by more than a quarter of a century. Said the Daily Courier, "Welene enjoyed the simple pleasures in life. She was a lover of a hot cup of coffee and sweets, specifically chocolate. Those who knew her could always find her with a cup of coffee in hand. She enjoyed taking car rides for a hot cup of coffee, sitting on the porch watching the birds, admiring the flowers, and camping years ago. Her favorite color was pink — a shade she wore often, from clothing to the color of the lipstick she always wore. Spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren brought her the greatest joy, and she loved reminiscing and telling stories that entertained her family. Welene also found comfort in watching Hallmark movies, often gathering with her daughters and granddaughters to share in the enjoyment of a good story."
She eventually moved to the home of her married daughter, Amy Mongell in Normalville. Toward the end she was admitted as a resident of Eicher's Family Care Home.
At the age of 91, Welene surrendered to the angel of death just three days before Christmas 2024. Her funeral was conducted by Rev. Brian Swan, with burial in Green Ridge Memorial Park.
Daughter Paula Welene Gibbons ( ? -living) was born on (?). On Jan. 6, 1973, she entered into marriage with Richard Allen Miller ( ? - ? ), son of Russell Miller of Ruffsdale. Their nuptials were held in the Philip G. Cochran Memorial United Methodist Church in Dawson, presided by Rev. Marvin C. Watson. The happy couple were pictured in a related story in the Connellsville Daily Courier. The known offspring of this union are Wenona Mae Miller and Brenda Barnes. Circa 2024, they resided in Ruffsdale, PA and are believed to have been raising shih tzu puppies.
- Granddaughter Wenona Mae Miller is interested in family history and generously has contributed valuable content for this biography.
- Granddaughter Brenda Miller tied the knot with James Barnes (1974-living).
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| Emerson Long |
- Step-grandson Emerson T. Long, III is a certified public accountant. Formerly with the Greensburg, PA office of Malin Bergquist & Co., one of Western Pennsylvania's largest independent CPA firms, he today serves clients with the firm of Deluzio & Co. An Army reservist since 1991, Emerson has served in Iraq in his third deployment, following tours in Iraq and the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. During his first Iraqi deployment, he dealt in "technical intelligence" -- collecting enemy weapons on the battlefield, including buried warplanes, and analyzed them for improvements and advancements. He also helped determine if enemy weaponry was being supplied by countries in violation of treaty agreements.
 
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Emerson T. Long, III helping find hidden warplanes in the Iraqi desert |
Daughter Clara Gibbons entered into marriage with Mark D. Enos ( ? -living), son of Selma S. Enos of Connellsville. As with his wife's sister Yvonne "Zip," Mark was a 1972 graduate of Connellsville Area High School and one of more than 40 cousins in the extended Minerd- Minard- Miner- Minor families in that class. He then attended North Fayette Area Vocational Technical School. Mark went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War and was assigned as an administrative specialist at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, with the 341st Strategic Missile Wing. They settled in Dawson once his military service concluded.
Daughter Marie Ann Gibbons was joined in wedlock with James Shultz. They became the parents of Dewane Allen Shultz Sr. The Shultzes' marriage ended in divorce. Marie was in Dawson in 2024.
- Grandson Dewane Allen Shultz Sr. ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). He and Zandra Jones bore a son, Dewane Allen Shultz Jr. He also was the father of Breanna Shultz, James Shultz and McKenzie Shultz. Circa 2023, he was a cmpanion of Kayla Palmar. Sadness rocked the family when son Dewane Jr. died at age 21, on New Year's Day 2023.
Great-grandson Dewane Allen Shultz Jr. (2001-2023) was born on Sept. 17, 2001 in Dawson. He "was an avid gun collector and loved riding dirt bikes and atvs with his brother and sisters," said an obituary. "He had worked for UPS for many years and recently switched from a supervisor to a delivery driver." The family was plunged into grief when, at age 21, he died at home on New Year's Day 2023.
Great-granddaughter Breanna Shultz ( ? - ? )
Great-grandson James Shultz ( ? - ? )
Great-granddaughter McKenzie Shultz ( ? - ? )
Daughter Amy Pearl Gibbons was united in matrimony with Brian Mongell. They put down roots in Normalville, PA.
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| Bird's eye view of Dawson, from an old color-tinted postcard |
~ Son William Leroy McKnight ~
Son William Leroy McKnight (1936-2002) was born in 1936.
He was joined in holy matrimony with Marie Mancuso (1943- ? ), daughter of Sam and Jean (Sweeney) Mancuso. Their marriage survived the ebbs and flows of 41 years together.
The couple produced three children -- Clara "Jean" Whiteamire Billingsley, Delores "Dee" McKnight and James "Edward" McKnight.
The McKnights lived in Elyria, Lorain County, OH. William "worked for U.S. Steel in Lorain [OH] from 1954 to 1959, then entered the Army, where he served until 1965," reported a newspaper. "He was employed by Lorain County Sanitary Engineers as a foreman for 39 years before retiring in 2001. He was a member of LaPorte United Methodist Church in Elyria ... [and] a member of the Waverly Hunt Club in Wakeman. He enjoyed spending time with family, especially his grandchildren, farming, auto racing and hunting."
Sadly, William died on Nov. 20, 2002. His pastor, Rev. Charles Oplinger, officiated the funeral rites. In an obituary, the family asked that any memorial gifts be made to New Life Hospice or Ireland Cancer Center.
Marie outlived him by many years and married again to Melvin Stocking ( ? - ? ). She endured the untimely death of daughter Jean in 2022.
Daughter Clara "Jean" McKnight (1962-2022) was born on the Fourth of July 1962 in Elyria, OH. She was a 1981 graduate of Elyria High School. Jean was twice-wed. On Feb. 25, 1984, she married her first husband, Lester Allen Whiteamire (Aug. 10, 1957-1992), son of Lester H. and Wilma (Hamilton) Whiteamire. Lester was a 1976 graduate of Elyria West High School. The pair lived in Elyria but are not known to have reproduced. For 15 years, he was employed as a towmotor operator for York International. Tragically, in the fateful early morning hours of May 3, 1992, Lester was killed when an automobile in which he was a passenger overturned on Ohio Route 2 near Baumhart Road in Brownhelm Township, Lorain County. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that "The car was eastbound when it went off the left side of the road, hit a guardrail, returned to the highway and went off the right side where it hit a bridge abutment." Burial was in Ridge Hill Memorial Park in Amherst, OH. Later she tied the marital cord with Jeff Billingsley ( ? - ? ), son of James Billingsley. He brought two stepsons into the union, Joe Billingsley and Stephen Billingsley. Jean and Jeff appear to have produced a son of their own, Jimmy Billingsley. Grief cascaded over the family when son Jimmy, diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, died at age 17 in 2013 a few months after graduation from high school. The second marriage dissolved in divorce. She earned a living as a school bus driver for North Ridgeville City Schools. In her free time she followed oval track racing at Sandusky Speedway and Lorain County Speedway and once had an opportunity to ride a push Jeep and pace car with her brother and his daughter. She succumbed to the spectre of death in Ames Family Hospice in Westlake on Jan. 20, 2022.
- Step-grandson Joe Billingsley wed Alison "Ali." The couple was in Elyria in 2013.
- Step-grandson Stephen Billingsley married Phoebe.
- Grandson James E. "Jimmy" Billingsley (1996-2013) was born on Jan. 10, 1996 in Elyria. He was a 2013 graduate of Elyria High School. He enjoyed NASCAR and supermodified racing, the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and died at the age of 17 on Sept. 5, 2013. Rev. Kelvin Roberts preached the funeral sermon.
Daughter Delores "Dee" McKnight ( ? - ? ) was united in matrimony with Gary Comstock ( ? -living). In 2012, they made their dwelling-place in Elyria.
Son James "Edward" McKnight ( ? - ? ) was joined in wedlock with Maureen. They are the parents of Meghan McKnight.
| Copyright © 2008, 2012, 2019, 2025 Mark A. Miner |
Richard Hegadore, Wenona Miller and Emerson T. Long III graciously have provided information for this biography. |