Brief Biography of Mary Augusta McKinnon (Grammy McKinnon). Written by his grandson Rick Atkinson in June 2002

Grammy was one of five sisters and brothers, born to Charles Stuart and Ann MacKenzie in Brae, Prince Edward Island. Their picture is on the web site. Grammy spoke fluent Gaelic. My mom said that she converted to Catholicism when she married Pa, but it seems that the family converted before this. This is why the family name changed form the Anglican Stewart to the Catholic Stuart.

As I remember, Grammy was always a robust woman wearing a housedress. (Mom told a story that when she was in her 80’s Grammy heard about a new diet drink - Metrical and as a diet she used to drink a can of Metrical – unfortunately with each and every meal!) She was always baking and as a child I fondly remember her freshly baked biscuits baked on an old gas stove. There was a large stone crock biscuit keeper in the pantry, which was always full of cinnamon rolls and biscuits that the cousins raided. Mom said Grammy never used a recipe, nothing was measured, and just a handful of this, a scoop or a couple of pinches of that mixed with some water. When Mom was young, they used to bake 27 loaves of bread every Saturday morning, all mixed and kneaded by hand (there was NO store bought bread!) This in addition to pies and cakes baked throughout the week.

(In the gentler time of the 1950’s, many a Sunday afternoon was spent at the 24 Parsons Street, Brighton home with my uncles, aunts and first cousins. Grammy seemed to love all the 27 grandchildren equally and knew them all by sight and name. It is amazing that she could remember all the names.

My Mom said that the McKinnon's got the gambling bug from Grammy McKinnon who loved to go to play the ponies and play the numbers! I have a picture on the web site that is supposed to be her on the way to Suffolk Downs.

Grammy loved to watch the soap operas but as she got into her 70’s, she went blind but would still listen to the TV.

Grammy was a very devout Catholic, and every night at 6:45 PM, if you were at the house, she turned on Cardinal Cushing saying the Rosary on Radio station WEEI. The house was darkened and EVERYONE, no exceptions, friends, neighbors and relatives etc. kneeled down and said the Rosary with Pa and Grammy. As kids I remember we usually tried to escape the house before 6:45 PM.

Grammy fell ill and spent her last 78 days in the hospital. During her stay they performed an experimental cataract operation and she miraculously she could see again. Poignantly, when she saw Pa for the first time in 20 years, her first words were “Ray, you’ve gotten so old!” She died of “old age” praying for the Blessed Virgin to take her.