Bio-McKnight, FrankTrevor

Frank Trevor McKnight
(1895-1970)

Frank Trevor McKnight was born on June 12, 1895 in Jefferson Twp., Fayette County, PA, the son of Henry and Martha (Nutt) McKnight.

In 1918, at the age of 23, Frank married his first wife, 20-year-old Florence Barton Stephens (1898-1922).

The McKnights had three daughters -- Laura "Mae" Ames, Loraine M. Barrows and Pauline Ruth Wilson. Frank and Florence are seen in the photograph at right, posing with an unknown boy who may have been named "Bruce."

When the federal census was taken in 1920, the McKnights made their home in Jefferson Township, Fayette County, with Frank employed as a store clerk in a wholesale company. Their daughter Mae was eight months old at the time. Living as next door neighbors were Frank's aged parents and married brother James and family.

Tragically, Florence died at age 24 on Dec. 30, 1922, and is buried at Redstone Cemetery.

Frank spent two years as a widower. In about 1925, at the age of 30, he married Suzanna Blanche "Bo" Garrison (1894-1985). She was the daughter of W.F. and Mary E. (Lenox) Garrison. It was her first marriage.

Frank worked as a coal miner and blacksmith in and around the coal patch town of Grindstone near Brownsville, Fayette County. They maintained a home near Grindstone the rest of their lives. He retired in 1952 as blacksmith for Republic Steel Corporation.

View from the foot of Market Street in Brownsville, with Nemacolin Castle barely visible in the distance at the top of the hill

He was a member of the Little Redstone Presbyterian Church, and was known for his "good natured humor," according to a granddaughter.

Frank and Bo are seen here relaxing at home in a rare color photograph of the era.

When the census was taken in 1930, Frank and Bo made their home along Braznell Road, on the old farm where Frank's widowed mother also lived. In addition to their daughters, Frank's unmarried brother Charles, who had never fully recovered from a poison gassing during World War I, also lived under their roof.

Frank's occupation in 1930 was "laborer - public roads," while his brother Charles' work was "miner - coal mine."

During the Depression, paying employment for Frank was scarce. In an August 1932 letter from his mother to his brother James, she wrote: "Frank has a little work on the roads. There is hard times every place."

Frank with a favorite dog -- and rooster? -- one of hundreds of fowl he provided care and feeding for on his farm

Frank is seen at right in one of his daughter's favorite images -- posed between the trunks of a single tree.

In early August 1961, Frank was profiled in the Uniontown Morning Herald for his work feeding and sheltering "hundreds of birds" on his 35-acre farm. "Others may shelter a larger number, but few if any can boast a wider variety of fowl life. Add this to the fact that Frank's collection is a hobby or pastime rather than for commercial use and it is easy to see that the elderly Grindstone man is truly a friend of fowl."

Bo passed away on Jan. 8, 1985. They are buried at Lafayette Memorial Park at Brier Hill, Fayette County.

Daughter Laura Mae McKnight (1919-1994) married Audrey Alfred Ames (1918-1999) on Jan. 11, 1937. They had four children -- Bonnie Morozek, Mildred Palmer, Judy Lenk and Trevor Ames.

Audrey was a coal mine electrician for Bethlehem Steel in Marianna, Washington County. He also was the shortstop on the famous Ames Brothers Baseball Team. According to a family manuscript, "Audrey was the team’s leading hitter and had a .412 batting average. He had 63 RBI’s and scored 52 runs, striking out only 18 times in 187 times at bat. He also had 84 putouts and 84 assists while making only 10 errors."

Laura died at the age o f75 on May 15, 1994. Audrey outlived her by four and a half years, moving to Avon Park, FL to live with eldest daughter Mildred Palmer. He died on Jan. 29, 1999, at the age of 82.

Daughter Mildred Ames married David C. Palmer of Vestaburg. They lived in Wickliffe, OH, and later moved to Avon Park, FL. They had five children -- David Wayne Palmer, Trevor Scott Palmer, Duncan Shawn Palmer, Maura Dee Palmer and Moya Lee Wall.

Son Trevor Barton Ames was married twice, first to Barbara DiMatteo. They lived in Wickliffe and had three daughters -- Tracy Lynn Ford, Bernardine Marie Ames and Laura Ann Ames. Later, Trevor married his second wife, Patricia, and they had two sons together -- Roma Alan Ames and Trevor Barton Ames.

Daughter Bonita Kay "Bonnie" Ames married Joseph Morozek. She lived in Wickliffe, Willoughby and Macedonia, OH. They had three children -- Joel Vincent Morozek, Belinda Kay Kline and Marnee Rae Leon.

Daughter Judith Rae "Judy" Ames married John Edward Lenk and resided in Wickliffe and Thompson, OH. Their three children are Jody Craig Lenk, Jill Patrice Henderson and John Christian "J.C." Lenk.

They resided in Brownsville, Fayette County and had three sons -- Gary Michael Wilson, Randall Wilson and Kenneth Wilson. Pauline is seen here with her Randall, left, and Gary.

Son Gary, who was a disabled American veteran, was married and had two daughters, Theresa and Katrina. Sadly, he died at age 36, in the Veterans Administration Hospital in Oakland, near Pittsburgh, on March 5, 1979. He was interred at LaFayette Memorial Park in Brier Hill, near Uniontown.

Pauline passed away in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, PA on Nov. 10, 2002, at the age of 81. She was laid to rest in LaFayette Memorial Park, with a news obituary published in the Uniontown Herald Standard.

Son Randall A. Wilson married Judy. They resided in Euclid, OH in 1979-2002. His daughter Holly generously has provided important information and photos for this website.