Love and Victory: Photo of the McKnight Family

About the photo:

The first thing that caught my eye in this photo of my great-grandmother Matilda (Goettisheim) McKnight and the first five of her six children, were all the smiles and a sense of genuine happiness. Despite not having many photos of her, this one, featuring Matilda alongside her children Elizabeth, Catherine, Marie, Donald, and Frank, felt special. Upon closer examination, it became apparent that this photo tells a story, likely capturing the family at a significant moment in history.

Clues such as the boy’s uniforms and the flag grasped by Marie suggest a patriotic event. Catherine, born in July of 1918, appears to be about 6 months old. Considering her age and the apparent chilly weather I believe this photo was taken around November 1918. Then it occurred to me that 11 November 1918, marked the signing of the armistice agreement that ended World War I. In New York City, the stock exchange, schools, and factories declared it a holiday, halting all work for the day. The city erupted in spontaneous celebrations, commemorating the end of one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. Although not yet an official holiday, Armistice Day was formally recognized in 1938 and later became Veterans Day in 1954, honoring all U.S. veterans.

About Matilda

Matilda “Tillie” Goettisheim was born on 4 March 1893. ¹ She was one of eight children born to German immigrants, Georg Paul “Paul Peter” Goettisheim and Elizabeth Louisa Kirchberger. She married James Joseph McKnight on 21 May 1910 at St. Marks Church in Brooklyn, New York. ² Matilda and James had six children together. She was an active member of St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.³ Tragically Matilda passed away from uterine cancer on 19 August 1931, at the age of 38. ⁴ She is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn. ⁵

About the children:

• Elizabeth (McKnight) Miller (21 September 1908– December 1974) ⁶
• Francis “Frank” (24 February 1910– 4 February 1993) ⁷
• Donald (19 September 1912 – 6 May 1979) ⁸
• Marie (McKnight) Sheridan (6 December 1916–22 December 2005) ⁹
• Catherine Marne (McKnight) Dalton (16 July 1918–17 June 1996) ¹⁰

Not pictured in this photograph is Matilda’s sixth child, my grandmother, Dorothy R. (McKnight) Hendrickson (4 August 1921–2 February 1983). ¹¹

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the precise date or occasion, the joy and warmth portrayed in this photo tell a story of their own. If my instincts are correct, it unveils a unique moment in the family’s history, depicting their participation in the jubilant celebrations that resonated throughout the entire nation.

---