Mary Theresa McKee Waggaman

Mary Theresa McKee Waggaman (September 21, 1846 – July 30, 1931) was an American author of Catholic literature in the early 20th century who was known primarily for writing short stories for children.

Biography Mary Theresa McKee Waggaman was born on September 21, 1846, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Ester (née Cottrell) and John McKee. She attended Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville, Maryland. Her mother died when she was young, and she moved with her father to New York during the American Civil War. After the Civil War she returned to Mount de Sales Academy and was valedictorian of her class in 1864. Waggaman's first short story was "Little Comrades" which she wrote to impress upon her first son the importance of his First Communion. While Waggaman initially did not share that she received funds for her writing, She published under different names, using "Fannie Fairie" for serials and "Queerquill" for poems.

Grapes of Thorns

Awards and honors In 1923 Waggaman won first prize for a story she submitted to the Columbian magazine published by the Knights of Columbus. There were 3,000 authors competing for this honor. One daughter, also named Mary T. Waggaman, achieved recognition as a poet. In 1942, her daughter Ester W. Neill, who was also a writer, wrote about her mother in The Book Of Catholic Authors First Series.

Waggaman died on July 30, 1931.