 ida saxton mckinley (june 8, 1847&nbsp;â may 26, 1907), wife of william mckinley, was first lady of the united states from 1897 to 1901. == early life and marriage == ida was born in canton, ohio, the elder daughter of james saxton, prominent canton banker, and katherine dewalt. her grandfather, john saxton, in 1815 founded the repository, the city's first and now its only newspaper. a graduate of brook hall seminary, a finishing school in media, pennsylvania, ida was refined, charming, and strikingly attractive when she met william "bill" mckinley at a picnic in 1867. they did not begin courting until after she returned from a grand tour of europe in 1869.  while single, she worked for a time as a cashier in her father's bank, a position then usually reserved for men. william mckinley, aged 27, married ida saxton, aged 23, on january 25, 1871, at the first presbyterian church in canton, then still under construction. following the wedding, performed by the reverend e. buckingham and the reverend dr. endsley, the couple attended a reception at the home of the bride's parents and left on an eastern wedding trip. == illness == possessed of a fragile, nervous temperament, mrs. mckinley broke down under the loss of her mother and two young daughters within a short span of time. she developed epilepsy and became totally dependent on her husband. her seizures at times occurred in public; she had one at mckinley's inaugural ball as governor of ohio. although an invalid the rest of her life, she kept busy with her hobby, crocheting slippers, making gifts of literally thousands of pairs to friends, acquaintances and charities, which would auction pairs for large sums. she often took barbiturates, laudanum, and other sedatives for her condition. == children == the mckinleys had two daughters (both died in childhood): * katherine mckinley (december 25, 1871&nbsp;â june 25, 1875)&nbsp;â died of typhoid fever. * ida mckinley (april 1, 1873&nbsp;â august 22, 1873). == first lady of the united states == thumb|left|200px|ida mckinley in an official photograph as first lady president mckin
1847_births 1907_deaths First_Ladies_and_Gentlemen_of_Ohio First_Ladies_of_the_United_States People_from_Canton,_Ohio People_with_epilepsy Spouses_of_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives William_McKinley