History
Memorable Events
Katherine Backus Marriage to Mark Hanna III
The following reprinted from the “Cleveland Plain Dealer” August 17, 1928
“JUST GOT MARRIED!” SAYS HANNA
Mark III and Girl from Bratenahl Elope to Wed
Mark Hanna III, great-grandson of the political giant of the McKinley era, spent the first day of his married life yesterday chasing stories for the “Cleveland News,” where he is a reporter, while his pretty bride, formerly Miss Katherine Backus of Bratenahl, waited for him alone at Madison Golf Lakelands.
Young Mark, six-foot-two and 21, last evening for the first time on the giving end of an interview, announced officially that he eloped Wednesday with his girl, whom he met three years ago at a New Year’s Eve party.
“We planned marriage off and on,” he said, “but everybody thought we were too young. But Wednesday night we drove down to Painesville and did the deed.”
“How old are you, by the way?” he was asked.
“Not prepared to say.”
“How old is your wife? Is she 21?”
“Couldn’t say,” he laughed. “Said she was on the license.”
Young Hanna said he was an alumnus of man schools and graduate of one – Kentucky Military Institute at Louisville. His mother-in-law added that he was valedictorian of his class there and that he had also attended Brown University.
“I don’t know if I’ll take a vacation or keep on working,” he said.
The bride’s mother said she “was sorry they did it so young.”
“Young people are too impetuous, they don’t realize what they’re getting into,” she added. She is Mrs. Russell G. Backus, and her husband is a pump agent with offices in the Leader Building.
I Knew It Was Coming
“Whenever they’d talk about getting married, I’d read the riot act to them,” said Mrs. Backus yesterday in Cleveland. “Then they’d keep still for a while, but I might have known it was coming. It always does. Mark’s a nice boy.”
“They’re going to spend the remainder of the summer with us at Madison and will later be at home in Cleveland.”
The bride spoke through her mother.
“Just dead in love!” was her statement. “He’s awfully good looking and big and Strong!”
She was graduated from Hathaway Brown School for Girls here in 1927. Records there indicate she is 19. She then studied at the Cleveland Art School.
They were married in the Painesville First Congregational Church by Rev. W. W. Warren.
“What does your father think of the marriage? Was he surprised?” young Mark was asked.
“Don’t know what my father thinks of it,” replied he, “haven’t told him yet. He’ll see it in the papers, I guess.”
Mark is the son of M. A. Hanna
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Daisy and Mark divorced in March 1932. Daisy remarried to Joseph Wilbur Spencer, 35, an engineer from Buffalo.