Mary Eunice Harlan
| Mary Harlan Lincoln | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
September 25, 1846 Iowa City, Iowa |
| Died | March 31, 1937 (aged 90) Washington, D.C. |
| Spouse(s) | Robert Todd Lincoln (m. 1868; his death 1926) |
| Children |
Mary "Mamie" Lincoln Abraham Lincoln II Jessie Harlan Lincoln |
| Parent(s) |
James Harlan Ann Eliza Peck |
Mary Eunice Harlan Lincoln (September 25, 1846 – March 31, 1937) was the daughter of United States Senator James Harlan and the wife of Robert T. Lincoln.
The eldest child of James Harlan and Ann Eliza Peck, Mary Eunice Harlan was born in Iowa City, Iowa on September 25, 1846. The only one of James Harlan's children to live to adulthood, she was raised in Mount Pleasant, Iowa and Washington, D.C. She was educated in Mount Pleasant and at Madame Smith's Finishing School in Washington. In addition to learning French, dancing and deportment, Mary Harlan received training in music and became an accomplished harpist.
In 1864 Robert Lincoln noticed the teenaged Mary and began to court her. She had also come to the attention of Robert's mother Mary Lincoln, who approved and attempted to play matchmaker. President Abraham Lincoln became aware of his wife's activities and aided her by asking Senator Harlan to escort Mrs. Lincoln to Lincoln's 1865 presidential inaugural, enabling Robert to escort Mary Harlan. In order to keep their courtship secret, Robert Lincoln often used the assistance of his friend Edgar Welles to meet Mary Harlan at the home of Edgar's father Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. Their marriage was delayed by the assassination of Robert's father and the subsequent mourning period.
On September 24, 1868, Robert Todd Lincoln and Mary Eunice Harlan were finally married. They had two daughters and one son:
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