Charles Francis “Frank” McCanna
The Susan Hamill & Charles McCanna Line
Charles Francis "Frank" McCanna
The Molder on Cora Street
1869–1957 · Joliet, Illinois
| Full Name | Charles Francis "Frank" McCanna |
| Birth | October 7, 1869 · Joliet, Will County, Illinois |
| Baptism | October 17, 1869 · St. Patrick's Church, Joliet |
| Death | June 22, 1957 · Joliet, Illinois (age 87) |
| Burial | June 25, 1957 · Joliet, Illinois |
| Parents | Charles McCanna (Ireland) & Susan Hamill (Ireland) |
| Spouse | Mary Reilly (1871–1951) — married August 16, 1893 |
| Occupation | Molder at Stove Factory |
| Residence | 829 Cora Street, Joliet |
Part I: Childhood in the McCanna Household (1869–1893)
Charles Francis McCanna was born on October 7, 1869, in Joliet, Illinois—the seventh child of Irish immigrants Charles and Susan (Hamill) McCanna. He was baptized ten days later at St. Patrick's Church, with the sacramental register recording his parents as "Charles McKenna" and "Susanne Hammon." The priest who performed the baptism entered his name in the traditional order: surname first, followed by given names—"McKenna, Charles Francis."
Yet from earliest childhood, everyone called him Frank. The 1880 census captures the eleven-year-old "Frank" in his mother Susan's bustling household, surrounded by siblings ranging from teenager Patrick to the youngest twins. At just ten years old, Frank was already listed as attending school—the education that would serve him well in his future career as a skilled tradesman.
The McCanna home on North Broadway was a center of Irish-Catholic family life in Joliet. Frank grew up watching his older siblings marry and establish their own households while maintaining close ties to the family home. His father Charles, who had emigrated from County Monaghan, Ireland, worked to provide for his large family until his death in 1898, when Frank was already a married man with children of his own.
The 1869 baptism record reveals Frank's full given name was Charles Francis, though he went by "Frank" throughout his life. The register also preserves another variation of his mother's maiden name: "Susanne Hammon"—one of several spellings that appear across the McCanna family records.
Part II: Marriage and Family (1893–1919)
On August 16, 1893, Frank McCanna married Mary Reilly in Will County, Illinois. Mary, born in 1871, was two years younger than Frank. The Illinois Marriage Index confirms the union took place in the county where both families had established their lives.
Frank and Mary settled at 829 Cora Street in Joliet—an address that would remain their home for the rest of their lives. Their first child, a daughter named Susan Elizabeth after Frank's mother, was born in 1894. Tragically, she died the following year, not yet two years old—a heartbreak that would echo again in the family's history.
Three more children followed: William R. in 1897, Joseph Francis in 1900, and Leonard in 1909. The 1900 baptism register at St. Patrick's Church records the baptism of "Francis Joseph" on February 11, 1900, with parents listed as "Frank McCanna" and "Mary Riley." The child was born just the day before—February 10, 1900.
But tragedy struck again in 1919 when their youngest son Leonard died at just ten years of age. Of the five children born to Frank and Mary, only two—William and Joseph—would survive to adulthood.
The DNA evidence for the Susan Hamill & Charles McCanna line flows through Frank's son William R. McCanna (1897–1983). The 1919 marriage register at St. Patrick's Church documents William's wedding to Alice W. Anderson and confirms his parents as "Frank McCanna & Mary Reilly." His baptism took place on October 21, 1897 at St. Patrick's Church, Joliet. Through William's descendants, DNA matches connect the McCanna family to both the Henry Hamall line and the Owen Hammel line—confirming the Donaghmoyne Network relationships.
Part III: A Working Man's Life (1893–1957)
Frank McCanna spent his working life as a skilled tradesman in Joliet's industrial economy. The census records trace his career across the decades. In 1920, at age 50, he was working as a "Cattle Man"—likely at one of the stockyards or meatpacking operations that employed many Joliet workers. By 1930, now 60 years old, he had transitioned to work as a "Wagon Man" at a store.
But it was as a molder that Frank found his most lasting occupation. The 1940 census, taken when Frank was 70 years old, lists his profession as "Molder" at a "Stove Factory"—skilled work that required shaping molten metal into the cast iron components of wood and coal-burning stoves. Even at an age when many men had retired, Frank continued working in this demanding trade.
Throughout these years, the Cora Street home remained a center of McCanna family social life. A November 1906 newspaper clipping from the Joliet Evening Herald captures "Mr. and Mrs. Frank McCanna" hosting a party at their home. The guests included Frank's brother James McCanna, his sister "Mrs. J. O'Connor" (Margaret), and "Mr. and Mrs. Edward Crowley"—likely relatives through marriage. The "prevailing amusements were games and dancing, the music for the latter being furnished by Mrs. Moyer." An elaborate supper was served, with decorations of cut flowers and ferns.
By 1950, Frank at 80 and Mary at 79 were still living together on Cora Street—a remarkable testament to their 57-year marriage. Mary passed away in 1951 at age 80. Frank survived her by six years.
Part IV: Death and Legacy (1957)
Charles Francis "Frank" McCanna died on June 22, 1957, at his longtime home at 829 Cora Street, Joliet. He was 87 years old—the longest-lived of all Susan and Charles McCanna's children. He was buried three days later on June 25, 1957.
The burial register records him as "Frank A. McCanna," with his age listed as 87 and his address as the Cora Street home where he had lived for over sixty years. His death marked the end of an era for the McCanna family in Joliet—the passing of the last surviving son of Charles and Susan McCanna.
Frank had outlived all of his siblings: his older brother Patrick (died 1931), his sisters Mary Ann Kelly (1920), Nellie Sheridan (1937), Margaret O'Connor (1918), and Catherine (1947), and his brothers John Bernard (1923), James (1934), William, and Thomas (1949). Of the ten children born to Charles and Susan McCanna, Frank was the last to pass from this world.
Through his son William R. McCanna, Frank's line continues to the present day. DNA testing of William's descendants has confirmed the family's connection to the broader Donaghmoyne Network—the interconnected Irish families who emigrated from County Monaghan to find new lives in America.
Timeline: Charles "Frank" McCanna
October 7: Born in Joliet, Illinois, to Charles McCanna and Susan Hamill
October 17: Baptized at St. Patrick's Church as "Charles Francis McKenna"
Age 10, living with parents and siblings, attending school
August 16: Marries Mary Reilly in Will County, Illinois
Daughter Susan Elizabeth born
Daughter Susan Elizabeth dies in infancy
October 21: Son William R. baptized at St. Patrick's Church (DNA line)
Father Charles McCanna dies
February 10-11: Son Joseph Francis born and baptized at St. Patrick's Church
November: Frank and Mary host party at Cora Street home (newspaper notice)
Son Leonard born
Mother Susan McCanna dies, December 15
Son Leonard dies, age 10
June 25: Son William R. marries Alice W. Anderson at St. Patrick's Church
Census: Frank (50), Mary (49), living on Cora Street; occupation "Cattle Man"
Census: Frank (60), Mary (59), occupation "Wagon Man" at Store
Census: Frank (70), Mary (68), occupation "Molder" at Stove Factory
Census: Frank (80), Mary (79), still at Cora Street
Wife Mary Reilly McCanna dies, age 80
June 22: Frank Charles McCanna dies at 829 Cora Street, Joliet, age 87
June 25: Burial in Joliet
Leonard's Death: What caused the death of ten-year-old Leonard McCanna in 1919? Was it the influenza pandemic that swept through Illinois that year, or another cause?
Stove Factory Employment: Which Joliet stove factory employed Frank as a molder? Several foundries operated in the area during this period.
The "A" in Frank A. McCanna: The burial register lists him as "Frank A. McCanna." Does the "A" represent a middle name, or was it a clerical assumption based on common Irish naming patterns?
Susan Elizabeth's Burial: Where was the infant daughter Susan Elizabeth (1894-1895) buried? Is there a grave marker?
Document Gallery
Primary sources documenting Frank Charles McCanna's life
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