Section 6 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.

JOHN KEENEY, SR.

The "Irish" Keeney Family

    The original Irish Keeneys came to America before the start of the Revolutionary War; and migrated out of Virginia to East Tennessee. They did not believe in slavery and left in the early 1800's for Fayette County, Indiana, and from there into Ray County, Missouri.

    John Keeney, Sr. was born about 1750 ? possibly in Virginia. He was a farmer, blacksmith, and a ferryman; member of the "Hard Shell" Baptist Church. In 1788, he had two land claims on the Nolichucky River in eastern Tennessee ?? one in Jefferson County and one in Greene County, Indiana in the early 1800's. The date and place of his death are not known. His wife's name was Martha, Ann or Martha Ann. There were a number of Baptist ministers in the family.

John, Sr. and Martha Ann's children were:

        1. Rev. Jonathan Anthony (Feb. 10, 1778 - Sept. 2, 1850)
        2. John, Jr. (About 1780 - Dec. 6, 1845)
        3. Rev. Thomas (1782? - 1846)
        4. Nancy 1786 ? after 1835)
        5. James ? - 1841)
        6. Hiram ? ? ? )
            Other children ? ? possibly.

    In Missouri, Mary, a daughter of Thomas, a Baptist minister, married Tolbert Kelley, the son of a Methodist minister. The Keeney family practically disowned her.

    The young couple left Missouri and returned to Tolbert Kellys' old home in Kentucky, but as the Civil War drew nearer, they were anxious to leave Kentucky.

    The Missouri Keeneys forgave them as they were wanting to see their Kelley grandchildren. Tolbert and Mary Kelley returned to Missouri with the intention of going to Oregon. But Tolbert died suddenly and the children had measles. These, and other problems, prevented Mary Kelley from starting to Oregon for several years. Mary finally arrived in Lane County and lived among Keeneys and Mulhollands, her relatives.

    In Linn County, many of the decendants of John, Sr. intermarried with other early pioneer familys... to mention a few: Overtons, Warrens, Wigles, McHargues, Pearls, Michaels, Putnams, and Swanks. These ahscendants are scattered far and wide, but many still live in Linn and Lane Counties. In the Union Point Cemetery, 5 generations of the family are buried.

    The McHargue Cemetery has several children of Captain Jonathan and his wife, Mary Spring. Buried in the Brownsville Pioneer Cemetery is the family of Elias, the Indian fighter.

The Keeney Cemetery, on Coburg Road in Lane County, is the resting place of many descendants of Eli and Andrew Jackson Keeney.

    The Keeney descendants, living in Brownsville, Sweet Home, Lebanon, and elsewhere, are proud of our ancestors... and the many contributions they have made to this great State of Oregon.