Our Story

Honora Agnes Minitor, "Nonie", was the first-born of Thomas M Minitor and Anastacia McCardell. She was only five years old when her mother died. She was sent to live with her uncle, Michael J Minitor, and his young family.

Joseph Jerome McCarron was born in Pennsylvania; as a teenager he worked as a [coal] miner. At the age of 21 he enlisted in the Army and served as a Pvt in Regiment 5 FA, Company 21C during the Spanish American War. Three years later he was discharged and moved to Washington, DC to live with his brother, John, and work for him as a chauffer in his auto livery business.

By 1910 Nonie was 23 and lived with her Aunt Kate and husband John McCarron, along with Kate's two children and sister (Mary E "Mollie" Minitor) and John's brother Joseph at 2142 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. Both Nonie and her Aunt Kate were dressmakers working out of Kate's shop. Family history says that Kate McCarron and her niece Nonie Minitor McCarron sewed dresses for the first ladies of the day. Their homes were conviently located near the White House. [Nonie was first cousin to Mary Catherine Smith Ripple.]

In 1918 Nonie and Joseph McCarron were married at St. Stephens Church in Washington, DC. By 1920 Nonie had a daughter and her Aunt Kate had retired from the dressmaking shop which was now run by Nonie. They still lived in the same home and Joseph still worked in his brothers business. As of 1930 Nonie and Joseph had moved to their own home at 1312 21st Street in Washington, DC. They had two daughters and Nonie was running her own dressmaking business out of her home. Joseph was working as a clerk for the US Government.

Nonie died in 1978 at the age of 91 and is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, DC with her husband, Joseph, who predeceased her by almost twenty years.