Grace BAIRD

  General Notes:

(From Baird paper)
Guardian for the Baird children (Grace, Frank and Kathryn) from 1895 until of age was uncle Dell Kinney who was married to their aunt Dolly A. Baird. The children’s father died of tuberculosis in 1894, their mother died of pnemonia and sentimentally a broken heart in 1895. The children were separated. Grace was raised by Kinneys (no relation). Frank was raised by grandmother Eggert until age 12, when he ran away permanently. He bummed around the country until a hobo who befirended him took him to Pittsburgh and got him a job in the steel mills and enrolled him in night school. He becamse a construction engineer and became quite wealthy. Kthryn was raised by aunt Jenny Baird Parks and two spinster daughters.,Cora and Frank. Cora later married a widower named Osborne (who had 7 daughters), and they had a daughter, Jane. Frank died of diabetes.
Aunt Jenny’s husband George was no good- a drunk and a gambler, and ended his days in the looney bin. They were separated.
Kathryn had a lonely a strict childhood which she made up for by opening her home and heart to all comers for the remainder of her life. She graduated from Shaw H.S. (Cleveland) and W.R. Normal School. She and Grace as young women (professionals) took an apartment together for the first time since their parents’ death. Kathryn met Ed, a cousin of their neighbors, the Baumans and married him June 28, 1916, age 26 and 33. Grace married Clayton McConkey the following year in November. She was 34 and Clayton was 21.
Grace later became Dell’s secretary; he enjoyed her company on business (?) trips.

Grace married Clayton Deland McCONKEY.