Section 13 of Wagon Ruts West

The following selection is taken from "Wagon Ruts West" written & published by Ralph Ray Keeney in 1983. The book is currently out of print. This section is published with the kind permission of Ralph Ray Keeney. The book this selection is drawn from is under copyright and permission has been granted for educational purposes and it is not to be used in any way for any profit or commercial venture.

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THE GLENN KEENEY FAMILY

The youngest child of John Blanden and Ellen Keeney, Glenn Daniel, was born October 3rd, 1894 on his Father's farm near Condom Oregon. He married Alma Thouvenel, daughter of Joseph D. and Rebecca McCully Thouvenel, September 15, 1913 in Condom Oregon.

They lived on a wheat ranch a few miles from Condon where their sons, John Marvin and Joe, were born in 1914 and 1815. The family moved to Portland where Ella was born in 1919 and Glenn drove a streetcar in the St. Johns area. They returned to the Condon area and lived on another wheat ranch where Kenneth was born January 29, 1923. The older boys helped their Father around the ranch, which he worked with horses. Later, they moved to a farm about 10 miles from Yamhill, Oregon where they raised prunes.

In 1929, Marvin was working on a farm 4 or 5 miles from home, four days after Dorthy was born, and was seriously injured. A swarm of bees stung the horses pulling the combine which Marvin was driving. The horses bolted and ran away with the combine. Marvin was thrown off, breaking his neck and he was in a cast for many weeks. Then the family lived in Yamhill for a brief time while Glenn worked in a garage. After this, they moved to Portland, and Glenn went to work for Herb Allen, his brother-in-law, and also drove dump truck for Roy Freeman. Allen, Allen & Eastland won a big contract on Bonneville Dam and called Glenn back to work. He drove dump truck on this job until the Dam was completed, and this was about the steadiest job he ever had.

His wife, Alma, became very ill and had extensive surgery, but died of pneumonia June 22, 1935. For a while, Glenn worked for a man named Butler, digging basements using a horse and fresno to excavate the dirt. Later, he went to work at an old-age home and met and married a fellow employee, Ruth Moore in 135.

Glenn died January 5, 1954 in Portland, Oregon and Ruth died a few years later.