McKenna

Information courtesy of Margaret McCarthy.

My grandfather, Joseph Brown McKenna (1888 - 1949) played on the Stambaugh and Iron River football teams and coached the IR team probably in the late 1910's and early 1920's.  I am including a copy of an old article (picture to the right) probably from the Iron River Reporter, that was among my mother's souvenirs.  He was married to Margaret Gertrude Jaeger.  Below is his graduation photo and the article describing him as "Big Joe McKenna."  His daughter was Margaret Eleanor McKenna Gasperini-Rowe.

His brother, Edward Breitung McKenna (1882 - 1942) was a three-letter man at Michigan State College.  He later coached the Stambaugh Football team c. 1908.  Besides founding some companies, he served as state senator for the 4th District of Michigan (Detroit).  Married with one daughter, Mary Jane McKenna Neill.

Thomas F. McKenna (1883 - 1955) also played for the Iron River Football team while he was employed with the Picklands-Mather Iron Company in Iron River, according to his obituary.  Never Married.

Their other brother, Parnell Gladstone McKenna (1886-1952) was a Michigan State All-Star and a captain of the football and basketball teams and earned his letter in track -- inducted to the Upper Peninnsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.  He served in WWI, then worked in business and eventually worked for the state of Michigan before his retirement.  Never married.

Edward Breitung McKenna (1882 - 1942) was a three-letter man at Michigan State College.  He later coached the Stambaugh Football team in 1908.  Besides founding some companies, he served as state senator for the 4th District of Michigan (Detroit).  Married with one daughter, Mary Jane McKenna Neill.

The photo above is of Edward wearing an Iron Mtn shirt.  The photo below from the Chicago Tribune article showing him as coach of the team 1908 (probably cannot use without permission, but I wanted to demonstrate that he did coach the team--there is the same photo in the book by Lewis Reimann Between the Iron and the Pine, p. 160 showing the same photo with the inscription: "Stambaugh Champions, Ed McKenna in U Sweater").

Click here to read the PDF with two articles - describing him as a candidate and also as a senator.