William Wilson and Maggie Crawford McFann

Their Early Years

My mother, Maggie Mae Crawford McFann, was the oldest in a family of thirteen children. For some reason, of which I never knew, she was reared by two maiden aunts, Aunt Cass and Aunt Sade, and two batchelor brothers, Milton and Abraham Ansell, who were German. They cared for my mother from the time she was 3 years old until she married at 17.

Mother was 5'4" and had lovely long, auburn hair that resembled satin. She never cut her hair, but wore it in two braids. Then later, she wore one braid in a bun on the back of her head. She had brown eyes and a fair complexion.

I have heard that mother had a fiery temper, and that she couldn't cook when she married my dad. She would walk two miles to Clark Store #2, where Dad was the new, young manager. I'm told that she visited the store every evening.

Dad was the youngest son in a family of six children. He was born when his father was 63. Dad was tall at 6'2", and both his eyes and his hair were brown. His family lived in Gallia County, Ohio, and he came by horseback to Athalia, Ohio to work. He was around 18 years old when he was hired to work in Clark's Store, which was in Athalia, Ohio, across the Ohio River from Lesage, WV.

The Clarks #2 store was located on the West Virginia side of the river. Dad, at 18, was hired to manage it. Dad would row a john boat from the Lesage store to get supplies if they were needed from the big store.

Mother, in a big frilly apron, would come to the store to get a few things. She would bring with her a basket in which she would have 2 pounds of molded butter, or a dozen eggs. From the proceeds, she might buy snuf, tea, sugar, bacon, or a stick of candy. In those days, purchases were put in brown paper bags. Dad boarded near the store.

Dad wore a wide brim straw hat. Suspenders held up his trousers. His shirts were plaid and were homemade. He was called Bill and mother was called Mag. They were married on February 7, 1904.





William Wilson and Maggie Crawford McFann:
Their Early Years
Written by Iris McFann Woodard
1985

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