I have had page 1 of this information for several years, on 05 September 1998, I received the remainder from Ray Keeney, a grandnephew of John Franklin Keeney. It came on three typewritten sheets and appears to have been recalled from John's memory, by Murat Keeney his grandson. The only changes (other than typefaces) that I made are the page numbers in brackets {page 1} and made the names in bold . I have not found any conclusive proof that this story is correct. ~~~ Dan Keeney |
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{Page 1} A History of the Keeney Family Traced by John Franklin Keeney Many years ago, probably in the 17th century, a man by the name of Keeney came to America from Germany. His given name is not known to this writer. It is presumed that his children were most if not all, of American birth from the fact that they talked the English with but a little of the German brogue. The first account we have of his children, they were located in East Tennessee. The only names remembered by me are Jonathan, Hiram and John and our daughter Nancy. There were others but I cannot give their names. Jonathan (our line) married in Tennessee, a girl of Irish birth by the name of Mary McGlothlin and their first child was born in Tennessee in 1804. The family scattered from Tennessee, Jonathan, John and sister Nancy, who had married a man by the name of John Oldham, moved to the east part of Indiana, near Crawfordsville. Hiram, I think at any rate some of the family, settled in Indiana until John H. (son of Jonathan and father of John Franklin) was married to Mary Kruzann, of Ohio. Then John H. and his two uncles and families (John and John Oldham) moved to the state of Missouri. John H. and wife remained there for six years. Jonathan, who was a freemason, of considerable notoriety, and a minister of the Regular Baptist Church (and I think a merchant) gained considerable wealth in eastern Indiana. But latter, as he spent most of his time in the ministry and trusted his business to hired clerks, he broke up. He sold all his property, paid his debts, and went to Montgomery County, Indiana near Ladoga where he entered land in the green woods about 1830, enough for his children. He then wrote to his son, John H., in Missouri, to come back to Indiana and he would give him 40 acres of land. He then had all his nine children near him. One thing remarkable they were all members of the Regular Baptist Church in good standing. The two younger boys were preachers. The oldest girl was able in prayer. All were democrats but one. He married a Whig woman. The others said that he was under petticoat government. They all lived to rear good-sized families. Not one was ever incarcerated and few if any ever paid a fine, neither was one ever divorced. They were a race of large, stout, robust people. All but the oldest lived to a good old age. John H. Died at the age of 52. He rests in the Old White Tick Cemetery east of Pittsboro. {Page 2} I will now give the names of this family in their order with wives and husbands:John H. born in Tennessee, married Mary Krugavee Charles to Mary Black Jonathan to Matildia Walker Elizabeth to Lancing Harrison Joseph to Hester Davidson Samuel to Elizabeth Kessler (German Descent) Nancy Ann to Samuel McCoy Peter to Dulena Shirley Mary H. to Abel Harrison (first husband no children) (second husband Wm. Edwards) All of the above named family except John H. and Peter sold their possessions in Indiana and located in Iowa near Fort Des Moines. John H. left Montgomery County and located in Hendricks County in 1836 where Rainstown now is located. John H. had two children born to him in Missouri, to bon in Montgomery county five born in Hendricks County. All considered good law abiding citizens. The family of John H. in regular order: The oldest , Mary E.., married to John Shaffer both deceased, left one child) Jonathan M. deceased in early manhood. John Franklin to Matilda Leach (farmer and Baptist minister, a family of nine children born to them). Charles Willis to Elizabeth E. Bersot (eight children). Elizabeth A. (first husband David Jameson, three children) (Second husband, James Long, one child). Sharlet C. deceased in infancy. Matilda J. married first to John L. May, a farmer and Civil War veteran, seven children. Joseph D. married Julia Griffeth, two children, second marriage to Melvina McDonald, a sister of the first wife, five children. A farmer and merchant at Rainstown, buried at Brownsberg, zealous church man. James Barney married first to Elizabeth Shirley, second marriage to Martha Coulter, six children. This family went to Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, many years ago. {Page 3} The family of John F., son of John H. had nine children. Their names in order of birth: Enos B. married to Lydia Schuick, three children, two died in youth, Allen V. Lives in South Bend Mary Jane to John F. Carter John W. to Mary Jane Wuters, had one son, (Scribe). Elizabeth A. to Joseph Money, one son, (George H.). Lucinda E. to William King Sarah M. to L.O. Schenck lives at West Newton James M. deceased in youth. Emily A. to Frank Van Arsdall, Lebanon, Indiana Julia F. to R. Lee Overstreet Among all the above named Keeneys there was neither doctor, lawyer, nor hypocrit. John F. Keeney --- By Murat Keeney, his grandson. |
Monday March 18, 2019 13:05:04 |
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