The blushing bride was almost 23 years old, and her nervous groom almost 21 when they tied the knot at St Patrick’s Church on Kent Street. Mary Ann “Minnie” Morgan was the love of Ned's life and although she was two years older, a difference unusual for the time, if was of no consequence to the young couple.
In the modest frame home at 36 Kent Street, owned by carter, James Morgan, there was great excitement. The eldest daughter was getting married today. It was quite warm for late May with the temperature forecast promising 26C by late in the afternoon. There was to be a sprinkling of rain but little accumulation, and the weather did not dampen the spirits of the Morgan family.
Mary Morgan fussed over her daughter Minnie as 10 year old Catherine tried her best to help. Little Margaret was just two and kept getting in the way so as not to miss whatever it was that had everyone so excited. Minnie’s teenaged brothers tried to appear disinterested but kept checking on the progress of preparations. They helped their father James to get the horse and cart ready for the ride to St Pat’s, just a few blocks down the street.
From the front door of the simple home, you could almost touch the edge of the escarpment leading down to the Ottawa River. The view across to Hull and upstream to Lebreton Flats brought new surprises every day as the weather changed, as the city grew, as the lumber piles on the Flats gave witness to the building boom. Looking towards Lebreton Flats, Minnie was reminded of her husband-to-be's work in the lumber business as she took her last steps as a single lady, to her wedding carriage, her father's waiting cart.
Dressed in her finest clothes, Mary Ann Morgan, attended by her sister-in-law to be, Mary McGrath, married her handsome prince on the morning of May 26, 1885. It was a Tuesday. Following the ceremony, the two families shared a delicious wedding dinner and tightened the bonds that linked the two Irish Catholic families.
As was the usual custom, Ned looked after the family by earning a good living and Minnie stayed home to care for the house. Their first baby arrived at home almost a year after the wedding. To them, the infant Mary Agnes Catherine was perfect. Her doting mother cared for little Agnes but despite her best efforts and those of the family doctor, the baby passed away on July 15, 1886, exactly three months after her birth. Diarrhea was the listed cause of death but with today’s knowledge we might speculate that it was the resulting dehydration that claimed her life. It was a tragic start to the family and that little baby was always remembered by the sibling she never knew, but whose name became hers. It would be three years before the next baby was born.
Always a shrinking violet, unlike her gregarious spouse, Minnie quietly and efficiently ran the house and kept her eventual brood of 6 children, all born within 10 years, well in check. By 1899 her child-bearing days were done and she got on with making sure that the three boys and three girls were sent to school, well dressed and shod, and certainly well fed. A wizard with a wood stove, she spent her days in the kitchen. Even the laundry was done there as it was the easiest place to heat the wash water for the large metal tub she used to launder their clothes. Hands never idle, Minnie crafted quilts for the house and taught her daughters to follow in her footsteps. Alas it seems that only Aggie was truly keen on things domestic, but she in turn remained close to her older sister Bea and younger sister Lena, and was always ready to help them.
Minnie’s challenge with cooking was catering for her own diabetes and still preparing what her husband and children enjoyed. Every mouthful had to be considered. As there was no such thing as fast food, and restaurant dining was unknown to the McGraths, Minnie did her best with her diet. Eventually she had to take insulin, adding to the complexity of her care. Despite her best efforts, in the late 1920s her diabetes grew worse and like so many fellow sufferers, she developed gangrene in her right leg. It was amputated just above the knee, and she relied on crutches to get around. By this time she had several grandchildren who delighted in her company and helped her, especially at the cottage. She had grown gracefully into her new title of “Nanny McGrath”.
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