McConica, Edith

Identity area

Type of entity

Person

Authorized form of name

McConica, Edith

Parallel form(s) of name

  • McConica, Edith Wilma
  • Crates, Edith
  • Crates, Edith Wilma

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

    Other form(s) of name

      Identifiers for corporate bodies

      Description area

      Dates of existence

      1890-1984

      History

      Edith Wilma McConica (nee Crates) was a pianist and teacher, born on March 3, 1890 in Findlay, Ohio to parents William Emmanuel Crates and Eva Araminta Kelsey.

      Edith started piano lessons ca. 1896 with Leora Kridler (Mrs. Milton Herrold) in Findlay. She attended Findlay High School, where she was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper Blue and Gold, and valedictorian of her graduating class (1909). She regularly accompanied her classmates during music recitals. She then attended the School of Music at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) where she gave her senior piano recital on May 15, 1911. She performed Beethoven’s Sonata Pathetique; “Der Erlkonig” by Schubert, arr. Liszt; Nocturne, op. 32, no. 1 by Chopin; Rondo Capriccisoso, op. 14 by Mendelssohn; and Concertstuck, op. 19 by Weber. She was also selected to represent her class on the Class Day program during Commencement week (June 13, 1911).

      In the 1911 OWU yearbook, Le Bijou, she is described as follows: “Like her sister [Elizabeth Crates], a truly remarkable girl, and if φΒΚ [Phi Beta Kappa] were offered to musical students she undoubtedly would wear a key. She is very small, but is full of activity and sociability, though barring the fact that she has been a 'widow' for her two years’ sojourn here (another proof of brilliancy), she has borne this affliction with smiling grace, and has been an inspiration to all her friends. We are sorry to lose her so soon, but even if she is far away we are sure that she will not be forgotten.”

      Edith left OWU following her marriage to Thomas McConica (1889-) on June 26, 1912. They were married in their hometown of Findlay, Ohio, and then moved to Luseland, Saskatchewan where Thomas had established the Luseland Despatch newspaper in 1910. Edith and Thomas had four children: James, William, Thomas, and Martha. She taught all four children to play the piano. During the 1920s, Edith also played piano to accompany silent films in Luseland.

      Edith passed away on January 10, 1984 in London, Ontario and was interred in the McConica family plot in Cherry Grove Cemetery, Clare, Michigan.

      Places

      Findlay, Ohio
      Luseland, Saskatchewan

      Legal status

      Functions, occupations and activities

      Mandates/sources of authority

      Internal structures/genealogy

      General context

      Relationships area

      Related entity

      McConica, James K. (James Kelsey) (1930 -)

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      family

      Type of relationship

      McConica, James K. (James Kelsey) is the child of McConica, Edith

      Dates of relationship

      Description of relationship

      Access points area

      Subject access points

      Place access points

      Occupations

      Control area

      Authority record identifier

      Local

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation, revision and deletion

      Created February 2, 2022. RS.

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Findlay High School Yearbook (1909)
          Le Bijou, Ohio Wesleyan University yearbook (1911)
          The Ohio Wesleyan Transcript [student newspaper]
          Noteworthy (Spring 2001)
          Findlay Daily Courier

          Maintenance notes