Ida Saxton McKinley

First Lady of the United States

Ida McKinley (née Saxton;June 8, 1847 – May 26, 1907) was the first lady of the United States from 1897 until 1901, as the wife of President William McKinley.

Born to a successful Ohio family, Ida met her future husband and later married him during the early Reconstruction years.

She never recovered from losing their daughters as children and remained in a fragile state of health for the rest of her life, including having seizures.

During campaigns and while in office, her husband took great care to accommodate her needs, as they were a devoted couple.

Ida's ability to fulfill the role of First Lady was nevertheless limited.She was brought further grief by the deaths of her brother and later her husband, as McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist.

Ida devotedly visited her husband's resting place daily until her own death.

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