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From
The Skaneateles (NY) Press, April 12, 1946:
Skaneatelesans of all creeds received with sorrow yesterday the news of
the passing of their friend of many years, Sister Mary Antonia, who died
in Mercy Hospital, Auburn (Wednesday, April 10) at 4:45 p.m. She was 79
years of age. Sister Antonia was a familiar figure to the citizens of
Skaneateles and her religious garb of black and white was respected by
all. Everyone called her Sister, and the children were her source of delight.
Sister Antonia was the first child of William McLaughlin and Mary McKeough
McLaughlin. She was born in the Parish of Desertegney in County Donegal,
Ireland, in 1867. As an infant of three months she was brought by her
parents to the village of Skaneateles and the family was blessed with
four more children, three of whom survive.
SISTER ANTONIA was a graduate of the Skaneateles High School in
1887, and then taught school in the districts of Skaneateles and Marcellus.
In 1890 she assisted the Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Patrick’s School
in Rochester. Monsignor Derrigi, a native of Belgium, was pastor of St.
Patrick’s Cathedral and noting the religious aspirations of Mary
Ann McLaughlin advised her to enter of Convent of the Daughters of Mary
in the village of Willbroeck, Belgium, a little village midway between
the cities of Antwerp and Brussels. In 1896 she sailed on the Westerland
and there remained until the war of 1914. The invasion of Belgium by the
Germans caused her to seek refuge in London where she was furnished money
by the American Consul to return to Skaneateles.
In 1916 Sister Antonia wrote of her experiences in Belgium. This was published
in book form entitled From Convent to Conflict. In her introduction
she writes, “The hope is indulged that the harrowing scenes witnessed
by the author in Belgium, after the German invasion in 1914, may induce
our countrymen and countrywomen to more fully appreciate the blessings
of peace.”
ONE OF THE GREAT EVENTS of her life was the meeting with Cardinal
Mercier of Belgium on his visit to the United States. His defiance of
the German military leaders is outstanding in the history of the Old World.
In the late years of her life Sister Antonia assisted by clergy of St.
Mary’s of the Lake Church in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
She was beloved by the children and her memory will be a cherished one.
Sister Antonia is survived by a brother, John, of Jordan, two sisters,
Anna and Elizabeth of Skaneateles.
Notes:
Her brother, William McLaughlin, died in 1930. Also, most records we've
seen list the spelling of the maiden name of Sister Mary Antonia's mother
as McHugh. Finally, the 1880 US census lists Mary McLaughlin (Sister Mary
Antonia) as being born in the United States, not Ireland, in 1868, not
1867.
Thanks
to Lisa McHugh Rigge, a descendant of William and Mary McLaughlin, whose
email prompted us to dig deeper into family records (such as they were).
Our new information was pulled from 1880 US census data available via
www.familysearch.org, a website
maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
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