Bio-McKnight, Thos Springer

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Thomas Springer McKnight Sr.
(1898-1976)

Thomas Springer McKnight was born on Jan. 17, 1898 in Jefferson Twp., Fayette County, PA, the son of Henry and Martha (Nutt) McKnight.

Thomas married Margaret Mae McCune (1894-1973). The bride was five years older than the groom.

The McKnights had four children -- Beatrice Rebecca Newhouse, Thomas Springer McKnight Jr., Mary Elizabeth Kinsell and David McKnight.

The McKnights lived in Brownsville (1917), Grindstone (1922, 1938) and Adah, Fayette County.

The young family is seen at right, with daughter Beatrice sitting on Thomas' lap, circa 1920.

When the federal census was enumerated in 1920, Thomas, Maggie and Beatrice made their residence together on Linn Road in Redstone Township, Fayette County. His occupation was listed as "machinist - coal mine."

Thomas was a longtime machinist with the Monongahela Railway Company of Brownsville, and was a charter member of the International Association of Machinists.

Three more children were born during the decade of the 1920s. The census of 1930 shows the family living along Braznell Road near Grindstone, Fayette County. The census-taker wrote that Thomas worked that year as a "mechanic - railroad shop."

The busy railroad junction in Brownsville

During the Depression, employment for Thomas was scarce. In an August 1932 letter from his mother to a relative, she wrote: "Tom was over last evening. He onely has 3 nights [of work] a week."

Margaret is known to have been a volunteer with the American Red Cross chapter in nearby Republic, Fayette County. In November 1941, on the eve of World War II, she is known to have attended a Red Cross dinner conference in Uniontown.

Margaret passed away on March 1, 1973, at the age of 79.

Thomas outlived her by three years. He died at home of a heart attack on March 20, 1976, at the age of 78. His newspaper obituary said he was survived by 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

He and Margaret are buried together at Lafayette Memorial Park, Brier Hill, Fayette County.

Thomas and Maggie, left; and Maggie with daughter Beatrice Newhouse

~ Daughter Beatrice Rebecca (McKnight) Newhouse ~

Daughter Beatrice Rebecca McKnight (1917-2002) was born in Brownsville. She married Roy James Newhouse ( ? -1998) on May 25, 1937, when she was age 20.

They had one daughter, Janet L. Smith.

The Newhouses lived in Grindstone, Fayette County, and moved to Waynesburg, Greene County, where they were members of the First Church of the Nazarene.

Roy passed away on Nov. 24, 1998.

Beatrice followed him in death at the age of 85 on May 18, 2002, at Rolling Meadows Nursing Home in Waynesburg. She was laid to rest in Lafayette Memorial Park near Uniontown, Fayette County. At her death, she was survived by three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

~ Daughter Mary Elizabeth (McKnight) Kinsell ~

Daughter Mary Elizabeth McKnight (1922-2000) was born in 1922 at Grindstone. She married Earl G. Kinsell ( ? - ? ) and lived in Waynesburg and Clarksville.

They had one son, David E. Kinsell.

Following Earl's death, Mary made her home at Reesman's Mobile Park in Morgan Township, Greene County. She suffered from heart problems, and died at the age of 78 on July 15, 2000.

~ Son Thomas Springer McKnight Jr. ~

Son Thomas Springer McKnight Jr. (1920-1976) was born on Feb. 19, 1920 in Grindstone. He married Una Wyatt (1920-1977), the daughter of Olive Wyatt and a native of Brownsville.

They had six children -- Thomas S. McKnight, Joel H. McKnight, Joyce Joseph, Mary Lee Campbell, Sharon K. Barr and Nancy Ann Pfendler.

The McKnights made their home in Grindstone, where Thomas was a carpenter.

Sadly, Thomas died at age 56 on July 21, 1976 in Presbyterian University Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Una only outlived her husband by about one year. She died at age 56, on July 10, 1977, in the Edwin Shaw Hospital in Akron, OH. Her remains were returned to Fayette City for burial in the Little Redstone Methodist Cemetery, where many generations of McKnights rest for eternity.

Son Thomas S. McKnight -- seen here circa 1969 -- lived in Blainesburg, PA.

Son Joel H. McKnight resided in Grindstone.

Daughter Joyce McKnight wed (?) Joseph and made her home in Cuyahoga Falls near Cleveland, OH.

Daughter Mary Lee McKnight married (?) Campbell and lived in Cuyahoga Falls, OH.

Daughter Sharon K. McKnight married (?) and resided in Harmarville, near Pittsburgh.

Daughter Nancy Ann McKnight wed (?) Pfendler and her home circa 1976 was in Warren, Trumbull County, OH.

~ Son David McKnight ~

Son David McKnight (1926- ? ) married Marjorie Shelor. They had five children -- David L. McKnight, Avis Leichliter, Kevin S. McKnight, Judith Miller and Wesley P. McKnight.

The family resided for many years in Adah, Fayette County.

David passed away at the age of 68 on march 6, 1995, in Brownsville General Hospital.