Editor’s note: This is part of a weekly series marking the 120th anniversary of Niles native William McKinley’s U.S. presidency.

Even though I have presented our 25th president all over the country for almost 30 years, I still learn something new all the time.

Whenever I speak about President McKinley and his wife Ida I refer to it as, “The Major and Mrs. McKinley.” He preferred to be called Major, rather than Mr. President or Governor, after his Civil War service. He felt that title honored his fellow soldiers, many of whom had died in that war, and reflected upon their service to country as a unit rather than for individual recognition.

Two months ago, my Valentine’s Day column dealt with McKinley’s devotion to his mother. As I celebrate my own wedding anniversary today, I thought to focus this column on McKinley’s marriage and loving care for his invalid wife, Ida.

After the Civil War, McKinley changed his career path, so rather than becoming a Methodist minister as his mother wished, he would become an attorney to serve others by practicing law. He was admitted to the bar in Warren after attending Albany Law School for one year, but never graduating. He then moved to Canton on the advice of his sister Anna due to an opening for a junior law partnership with attorney George Belden.

It was in Canton that the Major met at a church picnic a young woman named Ida Saxton, a daughter of a bank executive. After a short courtship, they were married on Jan. 25, 1871 at the Presbyterian Church. Their first child Katherine was born on Christmas Day later that year and Ida was born two years later, but died within months. Unfortunately Katherine would succumb to typhoid fever and die at the age of 4. Ida would never recover from those deaths and developed epilepsy and thereafter disliked when her husband left her side. McKinley would be a devoted husband and assisted with her medical and psychological issues for the rest of his life.

One of the nice stories is while governor he would stop on the steps of the state capitol building to wave up to Ida watching from her hotel room as he was going into work and then he would also wave a handkerchief every day out his office window at 3 p.m. If you happen to visit our State Capitol in Columbus a wonderful statue of William McKinley is erected on the western steps with his arm raised upward.

McKinley was so devoted he would not even leave his house in Canton to campaign for President, thus creating the 1896 front porch campaign. Thousands of citizens would travel to Canton to stand on the McKinley’s front lawn to hear the candidate speak. Ida was very supportive of her husband aspiring to higher office and upon his election as President was very pleased they could live together where his office would be located in the Executive Mansion (White House).

The year 1900 was a rough one for the couple as the First Lady was quite sick during this time. Yet the President’s constant devotion and care was the talk of D.C. “President McKinley has made it pretty hard for the rest of us husbands here in Washington,” remarked Senator Mark Hanna. In a break from tradition, the President insisted that his wife be seated next to him during state dinners rather than on the other end of the table. At receiving lines Ida alone was seated in a chair to greet the guests and dignitaries. The President would place a napkin or handkerchief over her face whenever she would begin to have a seizure. When it would pass he would remove it and resume whatever he was doing as if nothing had happened.

There was indeed a strong love and bond between the McKinley’s as a couple.

Finally, I wish a Happy Anniversary today to my loving wife Bonnie.

Mike Wilson is the director of SCOPE Senior Services which is the largest senior citizen organization in Trumbull County. He has portrayed William McKinley for 29 years all over the nation. He was featured on C-SPAN giving a front porch speech as part of the series on the Presidents.