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Born in Skaneateles, NY, tenth of twelve children to Margaret (Mallon) and Charles J. Major (one of the three brothers who emigrated from Ireland about 1860 and began our Major family in the United States).
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My father, Buster Major, often mentioned Mickey Major, but all I learned about him while growing up is that he was considered a very good baseball player who has spent a couple of seasons with a minor league team in Auburn, New York.
On April 30, 1907, at the age of 28 and just prior to the start of his second minor league season, Mickey Major married Anne McLaughlin, daughter of Mary (O'Hara) and Dennis McLaughlin, also of Skaneateles. (McLaughlin records refer to her as Anna.) |
Auburn Citizen, May 1, 1907
Michael Major, the popular left fielder of the Auburn Empire League baseball team, has joined the ranks of the benedicts, having been united in marriage yesterday afternoon to Miss Anne McLaughlin of Syracuse, daughter of Dennis McLaughlin of Mottville. The ceremony was performed at St. Bridget's church at Skaneateles Falls at 1 o'clock by Rev. T. J. Conway, pastor of the church.
Miss Grace O'Hara of Syracuse, a cousin of the bride, was bridesmaid and James Geherin of this city was beat man.
The bride was charming in a gown of white osprey over white silk.
Mr. and Mrs. Major after a trip to Schenectady and other eastern points will take up their residence in Auburn and their many friends will extend their best wishes for a long and happy married life.
Great things can now be expected from the genial Mickey in the left garden with his bride to watch big performances on the diamond. |
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A few years later Mickey was one of the baseball players arrested for participating in a game on a Sunday. That case is explained in God Struck Out. |
Skaneateles Press, July 6, 1962
Mrs. Anne A. Major of 137 Whittier Ave., Syracuse, died last Sunday, July 1, 1962, at her home after a long illness. A native of Skaneateles, Mrs. Major lived most of her life in Syracuse.
She was a communicant of St. Patrick’s Church, Syracuse, and a member of the church’s Altar and Rosary Society. She was a member of the Royal Neighbors of America. She was the aunt of the late Judge Charles Major of Skaneateles, who also died Sunday.
Surviving are her husband, Michael J. Major; a son, Harold J. Major of Binghamton; four brothers, Harry J., Arthur L. Clarence F. and Leo J. McLaughlin, all of Syracuse, and two grandchildren.
Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Skaneateles.
Skaneateles Press, January 4, 1963
Michael J. Major of 137 Whittier Ave., Syracuse, formerly of Skaneateles Falls, a retired employe of Group Parts Inc., died Wednesday (December 26, 1962) in Wilson Memorial Hospital, Johnson City, after a brief illness. He was a native of Skaneateles Falls, but lived most of his life in Syracuse. In his youth he had a reputation as a good baseball player.
He was a communicant of St. Patrick’s Church and a member of its Holy Name Society in Syracuse. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 191 of Syracuse.
Surviving are a son, Harold J. Major of Binghamton; two sisters, Mrs. Patrick Wickham of Schenectady and Mrs. Thomas Heverin of Solvay; two grandchildren and several nieces.
Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Skaneateles. |
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Anne and Mickey Major had two children: |
1. Harold T. "Mickey" Major (1909-1990) m. Marybelle Kelly (1911-2008)
He served in the Pacific during World War II and was wounded at Okinawa and received the Purple Heart. He became district manager for Atlantic-Richfield and lived in Watertown and Binghamton before retiring to Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Because of his father, Harold also was nicknamed "Mickey.
Syracuse Herald-Journal, May 1, 1945
Wounded by shrapnel in the foot and thigh, Lieutenant Harold “Mickey” Major, 35, is convaslescing in a hospital in the Marianas. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Major of 137 Whittier Avenue.
Lieutenant Major’s wife, Mrs. Marybelle Kelly Major, and their eight-months-old daughter, Mary Sheila, also live at the Whittier Avenue home.
In a letter written April 18, Lieutenant Major said he was wounded six days previously at Okinawa by fragments from a bomb. He wrote that he is in a Marianas hospital “getting along as well as could be expected.”
Lieutenant Major entered the Army as a volunteer on October 19, 1942. He trainined at Fort Niagara and attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. A three-months course in motor school followed at Fort Benning, after which Lieutenant Major was sent to Fort McClellan, Alabama, as motor instructor.
He went to Hawaii from California as a first lieutenant last Christmas. A trip to the Philippines followed. |
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| Michael Major m. Diane Toman |
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| Jonathan Major m. Brianne Thomas of Homer City, PA |
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| Mary Sheila Major (1944- ) is a former airline hostess, better known by her middle name. Her most recent address was Fort Myers Beach, Floria. She has a daughter: |
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| Jo Ann Agree (1966- ) was adopted by Josephine and Irving Agree. She is married to Ole Roynestad and lives in Columbus, New Jersey. |
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2. Mary Loretta Major (1912-1927)
Syracuse Journal, July 1, 1927
Funeral services for Miss Mary Loretta Major, 15-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Major, who died Thursday night at St. Joseph Hospital, will take place Monday morning at the home at 9 o'clock and at 9:30 o'clock in St. Lucy's Church where a solmen high mass of requiem will be sung.
Meagher & Mooney, undertakers, will take the body to St. Mary's Cemetery, Skaneateles, for burial. Death followed an operation the girl underwent seven weeks ago She was a student at St. Lucy's Academy. Surviving besides her parents is a brother, Harold Major |
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| More about Mickey Major |
Auburn Citizen Advertiser, 1901:
From a story about a Field Day in Elbridge, these results of two events, both of them not footraces, but bicycle sprints:
Mickey Major won 100-yard dash and won a pair of bicycle shoes; also won 100-yard dash for ballplayers only and won a box of cigars.
Auburn Citizen, April 27, 1906
Mickey Major’s All-Star team of ball tossers defeated a team of shoe cutters known as the Mugwumps under the management of Thomas Ryan and captained by Bill Kelliher, at Norwood this morning, by the score of 8-6. The features of the game were the first base playing of George Wood and the all-around work of Chris Deemer and a running one-handed catch by Manager Ryan. |
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Auburn Citizen, May 26, 1906
Prior to yesterday the team representing Auburn (in the Empire State League) had been up against it. Manager (Willard) Hoagland had picked up some choice gold bricks and he was chasing them home and picking up new ones so fast that it was a hard matter to keep track of the players.
But in the game with the high school team at the Athletic field on Thursday afternoon there were signs that the Auburn team might be pretty good when the bell rang. Those signs were strengthened yesterday when Hoagland signed Billy Kelliher and Mickey Major, two well-known local tossers and they accompanied him to Penn Yan yesterday. |
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Auburn beat Penn Yan that day, 12-2. Mickey Major had three hits. The teams were members of a bona fide professional minor league, the Empire State League. The other four cities with Empire State League teams that season were Fulton, Oswego, Geneva and Seneca Falls. |
Auburn Citizen, September 24, 1906
Mickey Major and James Geherin left this morning for Rochester where they have secured positions in shoe factories.
Skaneateles Democrat, February 5, 1912
The horse familiarly known as “Jimmie Rat Tail,” which was raffled off by Michael Major at Skaneateles Junction, was won by Miss Lucy Honors. |
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After their marriage, Mickey Major and his wife took up residence in Skaneateles Junction, where they remained until 1914 when they moved to Auburn and Mickey took a job at Wall & Heverin Bottling Works. |
Skaneateles Democrat, April 2, 1914
Skaneateles Junction:
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Major have moved to Auburn.
The Central House will be opened Saturday night under the management of Patrick Reagan who recently purchased it from Michael Major. Mr. Reagan has had a large force of men employed the past week decorating the interior and making many changes in its layout. There will be an orchestra in attendance and a roast pig supper. All are invited to attend and a good time is assured. |
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The Central House apparently was a fairly common name around the state for hotels, bars or restaurants. The Central House in Skaneateles Junction was a restaurant-bar. Another mention indicated it was a breakfast-lunch kind of place, though the above story hints at something more ambitious.
This is the only story I've found that connects Mickey Major with the Central House, so how long he owned the place is unknown. However, the man who operated, perhaps owned it until 1911 was Henry Slater, Mickey Major's brother-in-law. Mickey was married to Anne McLaughlin, Slater to her sister Catherine. |
Skaneateles Democrat, February 18, 1915
Edward Heverin, formerly of this town, and who at present is employed by the Wall & Heverin Bottling Works of Auburn, had a valuable horse die between this village and Auburn last week.
Mr. Heverin had made his weekly trip to this village, accompanied by Michael Major, another employee of the Bottling Works, and when about three miles west of the village, one of their team was taken ill.
Veterinary Beardsley was called, but was unable to do anything. The horse was one of the most valuable trucking horses in Auburn and was valued at about $400 by its owners. |
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In 1917 Mickey Major tried his hand at politics. |
Auburn Citizen, August 11, 1917
Michael Major, the old-time baseball star, has just started his petition for nomination on the Democratic ticket for alderman of the Fourth Ward. William Armstrong has likewise started his petition for the Democratic nomination for supervisor of the same ward. Both are securing ready signers and it is believed they will face no opposition in the primaries. |
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Alas, Michael Major's political career was over almost as soon as it started. Auburn Democrats, underdogs in almost every race, had a few surprising victories, but both Major and Armstrong lost, each receiving less than 40 percent of the vote.
Mickey Major and his wife left Auburn a few years later and moved to Syracuse, taking up residence at 137 Whittier Ave., which was either next door to or the second unit in a two-family house built by his late father-in-law, Dennis McLaughlin, who spent his last years living at 135 Whittier. |
Auburn Citizen, June 13, 1928
Word has been received here that the condition of Michael Major of Syracuse, former Auburnian and brother of Charles P. Major of 43 Bradford Street, is considerably improved.
Infection that set in when he stepped on a nail eight weeks ago led to the amputation of his right leg, below the knee, at the Crouse-Irving Hospital in Syracuse last Wednesday |
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