In the photo below, we see 25th President of the U.S., William McKinley, posing next to his wife, Ida Saxton. They had two daughters, but unfortunately, both passed away at a very young age. Already having a fragile, nervous personality, this tragedy led to Ida’s slow demise; shortly after their deaths, Ida started to develop epilepsy and became very dependant on William.
The couple had a strong bond. In fact, opposite to what was accustomed at the time, President Mckinley always insisted that Ida sit beside him at state dinners, instead of at the opposite side of the table. Sadly, McKinley was murdered in 1901, and Ida passed away 6 years later, in 1907.
Margaret Truman and Clifton Daniel
Margaret Truman, President Harry S. Truman's only child, got married to NY Times reporter and editor, Clifton Daniel, on April 21, 1956. It was Margaret's lifelong dream to get married at the same church her parents had tied the knot at 36 years ago.
And so, the couple married in the Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence, Missouri, six blocks from the Truman family home. The couple remained happily married for decades until Daniel's death in 2000.
Jessie Wilson and Francis Bowes Sayre Sr.
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the U.S. and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1919. Jessie Wilson was one of his three daughters, and on November 25th, 1913, she got married to District Attorney, Francis Bowes Sayre Sr. Theirs was the thirteenth wedding to be held in the White House.
Born in Gainesville, Georgia, Jessie was the middle sister of Margaret and Eleanor Wilson. Both she and her fiance were Ivy League graduates, Jessie from Princeton University and Francis from Harvard. They had three children and remained married until Jessie's death in 1933, at a young 45 years of age.
Julia Gardiner and John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, from 1841 to 1845. Tyler became president sort of "accidentally", after being Vice-President to his predecessor, William Harrison, who passed away one month into his presidency. Tyler got married to Julia Gardiner in 1844, two years after the passing of his first wife, Letitia Christian. John Tyler had more children than any American president, fathering 15 children from both his marriages, seven of which were with Julia.
The engraved portrait above depicts Julia Gardiner Tyler posing for her White House portrait. The couple would remain together until John's death in 1862. Julia passed away in 1889 at the Exchange Hotel in Virginia, the same place her husband had died 27 years earlier.
Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, who served as the 16th U.S. President, was one of the most influential men in American history. During his term, he led the country through the American Civil War, abolished slavery, preserved the Union, and strengthened the nation's economy and the federal government. Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842, in a small, private ceremony with 30 guests. On the morning of November 3, one day before the wedding, Abraham had stopped at their Reverend's home and said "I want to get hitched tonight", to which the Reverend agreed.
As he left the home, he bumped into former Governor of Illinois, Ninian Edwards and told him about the plans. Edwards, who was Mary Todd's guardian, said the ceremony should be held at their home. And since there were prior engagements that night, Lincoln and Todd got married the very next day, on November 4, at the Edwards' residence. Mary, true to her simple nature, wore a white muslin dress and no veil or flowers in her hair. The two would have a happy marriage until Abraham's tragic assassination in 1865.