Orpha was the eldest child of David McCann, a ferryman on the River Cheat in Kingwood, Preston VA (now WV) and Nancy King, whose father's farm bordered the river.
The family was very poor and struggled to make ends meet. At various times the children were on the 'poor list', supported by the church, farmed out to relatives or working as servants. Orpha spent some time living with her grandparents, Cornelius and Orpha King in Kingwood, Preston County VA(WV) and, when she was older, she went into service, working for James and Serepta Mustard in Springhill, Fayette County, PA.
When Orpha was in her early teens, her mother died, possibly as a consequence of childbirth, leaving six young children. Orpha's father David McCann remarried in about 1835 to widow Sarah Byers.
Orpha most likely met her husband, Dr. Samuel Austin Wroe, through the Methodist Church. Orpha's grandparents, Cornelius and Orpha King, were active in abolition activities through the local Methodist Church as early as 1815, and it is known that Dr. Samuel Wroe was similarly involved in Methodist abolition work. He and Orpha were married on New Year's Day in 1835, according to family tradition, although it was possibly 1837.
It appears the family was active in abolition work between 1837 and the Civil War. Orpha's husband worked closely with another local physician, Dr. George Neff. The family spent the Civil War years on the state line between Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia.) Orpha's husband was working as a surgeon in a camp hospital and Orpha was often left alone with her children. Her daughter Rebecca, who was in her late teens, recalled how her mother baked many squash and pumpkin pies to feed the passing Union soldiers.
In 1865 the family moved west to Illyria township, Fayette, Iowa where Orpha's husband became the local doctor. When he died in 1884, she moved in first with her daughter Rebecca and then not long after with her youngest son, James. Here she made her home for many years and became much-loved 'Granny'. Jim's children recalled her as being lively and full of stories of her childhood. When Jim moved to Wisconsin to find work, Orpha went to live with her son eldest Wesley (John Wesley Wroe) and his wife Clarinda in Wadena, Iowa and there she stayed until her death in 1906.
Daughter of David McCann 1795-abt 1860 and Nancy King 1795- abt 1831
Sister of:
Mary Ann McCann DeBolt 1821-1907 FAG #46739476
Elizabeth Jane (Eliza) McCann Houlsworth 1828-1907 FAG#83420122
James 'JK' McCann 1824-1907 FAG#29866967
David McCann 1825-abt 1881
Nancy McCann Darrell 1830-1856
Wife of Dr. Samuel Austin Wroe 1810-1884
Mother of:
George Neff Wroe 1839 – 1916
John Wesley Wroe 1840 – 1907
Rebecca Jane Wroe Kuhens/Kuhnes 1843 – 1944
William Jerome Wroe 1846 – 1934
Isabella Elizabeth Wroe
Joseph Ellsworth Wroe 1851 – 1905
Charles Alexander Wroe
Flora Hegia Wroe
James Leroy Wroe 1859 – 1937
The family was very poor and struggled to make ends meet. At various times the children were on the 'poor list', supported by the church, farmed out to relatives or working as servants. Orpha spent some time living with her grandparents, Cornelius and Orpha King in Kingwood, Preston County VA(WV) and, when she was older, she went into service, working for James and Serepta Mustard in Springhill, Fayette County, PA.
When Orpha was in her early teens, her mother died, possibly as a consequence of childbirth, leaving six young children. Orpha's father David McCann remarried in about 1835 to widow Sarah Byers.
Orpha most likely met her husband, Dr. Samuel Austin Wroe, through the Methodist Church. Orpha's grandparents, Cornelius and Orpha King, were active in abolition activities through the local Methodist Church as early as 1815, and it is known that Dr. Samuel Wroe was similarly involved in Methodist abolition work. He and Orpha were married on New Year's Day in 1835, according to family tradition, although it was possibly 1837.
It appears the family was active in abolition work between 1837 and the Civil War. Orpha's husband worked closely with another local physician, Dr. George Neff. The family spent the Civil War years on the state line between Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia.) Orpha's husband was working as a surgeon in a camp hospital and Orpha was often left alone with her children. Her daughter Rebecca, who was in her late teens, recalled how her mother baked many squash and pumpkin pies to feed the passing Union soldiers.
In 1865 the family moved west to Illyria township, Fayette, Iowa where Orpha's husband became the local doctor. When he died in 1884, she moved in first with her daughter Rebecca and then not long after with her youngest son, James. Here she made her home for many years and became much-loved 'Granny'. Jim's children recalled her as being lively and full of stories of her childhood. When Jim moved to Wisconsin to find work, Orpha went to live with her son eldest Wesley (John Wesley Wroe) and his wife Clarinda in Wadena, Iowa and there she stayed until her death in 1906.
Daughter of David McCann 1795-abt 1860 and Nancy King 1795- abt 1831
Sister of:
Mary Ann McCann DeBolt 1821-1907 FAG #46739476
Elizabeth Jane (Eliza) McCann Houlsworth 1828-1907 FAG#83420122
James 'JK' McCann 1824-1907 FAG#29866967
David McCann 1825-abt 1881
Nancy McCann Darrell 1830-1856
Wife of Dr. Samuel Austin Wroe 1810-1884
Mother of:
George Neff Wroe 1839 – 1916
John Wesley Wroe 1840 – 1907
Rebecca Jane Wroe Kuhens/Kuhnes 1843 – 1944
William Jerome Wroe 1846 – 1934
Isabella Elizabeth Wroe
Joseph Ellsworth Wroe 1851 – 1905
Charles Alexander Wroe
Flora Hegia Wroe
James Leroy Wroe 1859 – 1937
Orpha was the eldest child of David McCann, a ferryman on the River Cheat in Kingwood, Preston VA (now WV) and Nancy King, whose father's farm bordered the river.
The family was very poor and struggled to make ends meet. At various times the children were on the 'poor list', supported by the church, farmed out to relatives or working as servants. Orpha spent some time living with her grandparents, Cornelius and Orpha King in Kingwood, Preston County VA(WV) and, when she was older, she went into service, working for James and Serepta Mustard in Springhill, Fayette County, PA.
When Orpha was in her early teens, her mother died, possibly as a consequence of childbirth, leaving six young children. Orpha's father David McCann remarried in about 1835 to widow Sarah Byers.
Orpha most likely met her husband, Dr. Samuel Austin Wroe, through the Methodist Church. Orpha's grandparents, Cornelius and Orpha King, were active in abolition activities through the local Methodist Church as early as 1815, and it is known that Dr. Samuel Wroe was similarly involved in Methodist abolition work. He and Orpha were married on New Year's Day in 1835, according to family tradition, although it was possibly 1837.
It appears the family was active in abolition work between 1837 and the Civil War. Orpha's husband worked closely with another local physician, Dr. George Neff. The family spent the Civil War years on the state line between Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia.) Orpha's husband was working as a surgeon in a camp hospital and Orpha was often left alone with her children. Her daughter Rebecca, who was in her late teens, recalled how her mother baked many squash and pumpkin pies to feed the passing Union soldiers.
In 1865 the family moved west to Illyria township, Fayette, Iowa where Orpha's husband became the local doctor. When he died in 1884, she moved in first with her daughter Rebecca and then not long after with her youngest son, James. Here she made her home for many years and became much-loved 'Granny'. Jim's children recalled her as being lively and full of stories of her childhood. When Jim moved to Wisconsin to find work, Orpha went to live with her son eldest Wesley (John Wesley Wroe) and his wife Clarinda in Wadena, Iowa and there she stayed until her death in 1906.
Daughter of David McCann 1795-abt 1860 and Nancy King 1795- abt 1831
Sister of:
Mary Ann McCann DeBolt 1821-1907 FAG #46739476
Elizabeth Jane (Eliza) McCann Houlsworth 1828-1907 FAG#83420122
James 'JK' McCann 1824-1907 FAG#29866967
David McCann 1825-abt 1881
Nancy McCann Darrell 1830-1856
Wife of Dr. Samuel Austin Wroe 1810-1884
Mother of:
George Neff Wroe 1839 – 1916
John Wesley Wroe 1840 – 1907
Rebecca Jane Wroe Kuhens/Kuhnes 1843 – 1944
William Jerome Wroe 1846 – 1934
Isabella Elizabeth Wroe
Joseph Ellsworth Wroe 1851 – 1905
Charles Alexander Wroe
Flora Hegia Wroe
James Leroy Wroe 1859 – 1937
The family was very poor and struggled to make ends meet. At various times the children were on the 'poor list', supported by the church, farmed out to relatives or working as servants. Orpha spent some time living with her grandparents, Cornelius and Orpha King in Kingwood, Preston County VA(WV) and, when she was older, she went into service, working for James and Serepta Mustard in Springhill, Fayette County, PA.
When Orpha was in her early teens, her mother died, possibly as a consequence of childbirth, leaving six young children. Orpha's father David McCann remarried in about 1835 to widow Sarah Byers.
Orpha most likely met her husband, Dr. Samuel Austin Wroe, through the Methodist Church. Orpha's grandparents, Cornelius and Orpha King, were active in abolition activities through the local Methodist Church as early as 1815, and it is known that Dr. Samuel Wroe was similarly involved in Methodist abolition work. He and Orpha were married on New Year's Day in 1835, according to family tradition, although it was possibly 1837.
It appears the family was active in abolition work between 1837 and the Civil War. Orpha's husband worked closely with another local physician, Dr. George Neff. The family spent the Civil War years on the state line between Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia.) Orpha's husband was working as a surgeon in a camp hospital and Orpha was often left alone with her children. Her daughter Rebecca, who was in her late teens, recalled how her mother baked many squash and pumpkin pies to feed the passing Union soldiers.
In 1865 the family moved west to Illyria township, Fayette, Iowa where Orpha's husband became the local doctor. When he died in 1884, she moved in first with her daughter Rebecca and then not long after with her youngest son, James. Here she made her home for many years and became much-loved 'Granny'. Jim's children recalled her as being lively and full of stories of her childhood. When Jim moved to Wisconsin to find work, Orpha went to live with her son eldest Wesley (John Wesley Wroe) and his wife Clarinda in Wadena, Iowa and there she stayed until her death in 1906.
Daughter of David McCann 1795-abt 1860 and Nancy King 1795- abt 1831
Sister of:
Mary Ann McCann DeBolt 1821-1907 FAG #46739476
Elizabeth Jane (Eliza) McCann Houlsworth 1828-1907 FAG#83420122
James 'JK' McCann 1824-1907 FAG#29866967
David McCann 1825-abt 1881
Nancy McCann Darrell 1830-1856
Wife of Dr. Samuel Austin Wroe 1810-1884
Mother of:
George Neff Wroe 1839 – 1916
John Wesley Wroe 1840 – 1907
Rebecca Jane Wroe Kuhens/Kuhnes 1843 – 1944
William Jerome Wroe 1846 – 1934
Isabella Elizabeth Wroe
Joseph Ellsworth Wroe 1851 – 1905
Charles Alexander Wroe
Flora Hegia Wroe
James Leroy Wroe 1859 – 1937
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