Today I’m pleased to introduce one of the people who appears most frequently in my grandmother’s album – my great grandaunt Kate. Born 1871 (or thereabouts) she is listed under various names in the census records. In 1880 she’s listed as “Clara K.”, in 1900 she’s “Mary Kate”, in 1910, just “Kate”. Most often, I found her under “Miss Katharine Dunning“, a name she retained until her death, as she did not marry. Here’s a picture of young Aunt Kate:
I’ve gone through Orange County newspapers looking for information about Kate from her birth until 1910. Here are some things I now know about her:
When she was 22, she visited her cousin!
20 Jun 1893: “Miss Kate Dunning, of Middletown, spent last week with her cousin, Miss Nettie Wilcox, in Pine Island.”
(Note – yes, this kind of information is frequently listed in historical newspapers!)
She continually volunteered at church!
29 Mar 1893: Election of Sunday School Officers – The annual election of officers of the First Presbyterian Church Sunday School was held last evening as follows: Superintendent, R.B. Royce, First Assistant C.J. Boyd; Second Assistant Miss Lizzie Elmer; Secretary, Charles L. Millspaugh; Treasurer, H.B. Woodward; Pianist, Miss Nettie Beakes; Assistant, Miss Katharine Dunning; Chorister H.L. Adams.
01 Mar 1898: from the Middletown Daily Press: Hundreds of Friends Gather to say Goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Gordon – “The reception tendered to Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Gordon, last night at the church parlors by the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church was a most pleasant and enjoyable affair, and formed a fitting close of Dr. Gordon’s long and useful pastorate”.
(Kate Dunning is listed as Refreshment Committee member).
30 Dec 1904, Middletown Daily Press: Christmas Exercises Held by Sunday Schools for Four Churches: Santa Claus Present – “Prof. Verro, the magician, gave a performance which delighted the children and mystified the older folks. Misses Kate Dunning and Katherine DeWitt gave piano duets which were highly appreciated.”
(Note: Churches were such important institutions in the 19th and early 20th centuries that rural newspapers are full of information about their goings-on. The headline about Christmas Exercises, for example, was front page news.)
She knew how to ride a bicycle!
02 Jun 1896, Middletown Daily Press, Section entitled “Bicycle Notes”:
Items of Interest to Riders of the Wheel
- Mr. Charles L. Sweezy has a new Dayton tandem.
- Mr. Frank Kernochan rides well for a beginner.
- Rev. Albert F. Eroshaw is learning to ride.
- Miss Kate Dunning has become a good rider.
She owned some fancy clothes!
She sang (sometimes at funerals)!
06 Dec 1904, Middletown Daily Press: Funeral of Mrs. George A. Swalm – “A quartette from the First Presbyterian Church was present and sang selections. The quartette was composed of Messrs. Merrit Dunning, George Wikcham, Miss Kate Dunning, and Mrs. Charity Adams.”
(Note: sadly, for Mrs. Swalm, the obituary ended with the following line: “During the service the body reposed upon a couch in the rear parlor with black dress and shawl drapery just as was the custom of the deceased during her life.”)
She played piano (sometimes at weddings)!
October 1907: Warwick NY Dispatch: Marriage between William Lattimer and Mertle Allee Stage: “Miss Katharine Dunning, of Mechanicstown, rendered the Lohengrin Wedding March…the bride presented Miss Dunning, the pianist, and Miss DeKay, the bridesmaid, with a beauty pin set with pearls.”
“At the residence of Mrs. Andrew J. Gale, near Mechanicstown, Thursday afternoon, at 5’30 o’clock, occured the marriage of her daughter, Addie Reeve Gale, to Mr. Horace Henry Dunning, Jr. The parties entered the tastefully decorated parlor to the music of the wedding march of Lohengrin, played by Miss Kate Dunning, sister of the groom. The words that made them husband and wife were spoken by the Rev. William Dunning, of Binghamton, uncle of the groom, assisted by Rev. David Winters, of this city, their pastor. The ceremony was closed by the wedding march by Menelsshon…”
She had an interest in missionary work!
09 Feb 1906: China and the Indians: Topics Discussed by Ladies’ Missionary Society of First Presbyterian Church
The Women’s Missionary Society of The First Presbyterian Church met Thursday afternoon in the lecture room of the church with an attendance of 76. Miss Kate Dunning read a paper on China and Mrs. H.L. Adams on the Indians. A poem on the latter subject, written by Mrs. Belle Gardner, was read by Mrs. William Dunning. A quarter of ladies sang two numbers. Mrs. Judson also read a story. Mr. Ferris closed with prayer.”
I don’t pretend that these snippets of information capture the life of my great grandaunt, but they bring me a little closer to knowing her. I think it’s fair to say that she was friendly, caring, curious, and musically-inclined. She seems to have been someone that “takes things on”, and who was interested in community. In other words, Kate was someone my grandmother would have modeled herself after and likely did.