McKee Family Matters #11
JULY 2000 #11

This page is dedicated to the McKee name and all those who are interested in news on our heritage, backgrounds, family stories, letters, and anything that might be sent this way to share with other McKees from around the world. I have been asked to do something like this, and time permitting, and with interest and input, I will endeavor to diseminate information that I and others run across that would be interested in sharing.

JOSEPH MCKEE was born 3 August 1820 in Hamilton County OH, died 4 April 1912 at Summerfield, Kansas. buried Mission Creek Cem. He was the son of James III and Sarah (Mathers) McKee and grandson of James Jr and Susanna (Nesbit) McKee. On 6 April 1843 at Spades, Ripley Co IN he married Mary Clark, dau of Charles and Charlotte (Jennings) Clark, who was born 29 May 1819 at Sussex England and died 17 May 1906 at Summerfield, buried at Mission Creek Cemetary.

Joseph and Mary's children were born at Spades, IN: Hannah b20 July 1844, d 11 Aug 1925 who married 7 May 1865 in Illinois Martin Van Buren Manley; Emiline b 12 April 1846 d 6 Sep 1898 married in 1866 Illinois Cyrus Clark; Jacob b 19 Sep 1849 d 14 Feb 1874 unmarried; Roseta b March 1851, d 22 Apr 1944 married first, Rivers Kinslow (2) 1868 IL, Cyrus Clark; Thomas Andrew b 27 June 1853 d 1 Jun 1945 married first 16 Dec 1877 Pawnee Nebraska Laura Hetten (2) 8 Jun 1893 Beloit, Libby Armour; Charlotte b 7 Dec 1855 d 2 Jan 1887 Beaver City Nebraska, Married on 11 Feb 1876 Pawnee Co Nebraska James Rae Cameron; Oliver b 26 June 1858 d 24 March 1942 Pacific Palisades, California, married first 17 Aug 1876 Newton Illinois, Lydia Holt and second 30 June 1892 Pierce City MO, Viola Biggs.

Joseph McKee was the sixth generation of a Scotch-Irish family that migrated to the US soon after 1700 and established a trading post in PA on the Susquehanna River at McKees Half Falls. Joseph grew up in Hamilton County Ohio. His children were all born in Ripley County INDIANA. In 1865 they removed to Crawford County Illinois until 1873 when they homesteaded at Old Pawnee Mission on Mission Creek Nebraska. Their farm was just north of the NE-KS line. After observing their 50th wedding anniversary in 1893 they moved across the KS line to Summerfield to spend the remainder of their days. Some of their children homesteaded in Southern Nebraska and others in Northern Kansas.

THOMAS MCKEE, son of Joseph and his first wife Mary had: (1) Mary Alice who married Otto Frederick Gladow; (2) Laura Birdie who married Charles Henry Simpson. THOMAS and his second wife, Libbie Armour had the following children at Beloit: (1) Elva who married first, T H Smyth then S J Carder; (2) Joe who married first Blanch Foy and second Isla Hart; (3) Andrew married Pauline Brooks; (4) Mildred married Walter Jensen. THOMAS MOVED to Manhatten in 1906 and is buried there.

OLIVER MCKEE, son of JOSEPH had the following children all born in Nebraska except Doris who was born in MO. Charles A; William J; Edwin H; Clyde (who married first, Clara Lois Shofe and then Ethel M McGriff); Doris married George Benefiel; Dean A who married first Hazel Gisson and then Kathleen McLaughlin. OLIVER and family moved from NE to Manhatten in 1906 then moved to California 1915 or 1916. (This history taken from "Pioneers of the Bluestem Prarie" a work compiled by the Riley County (Kansas) Historical Society.

I looked through other materials and found the above family to be mentioned in detail. This from the Alexander of Boyne fame, to son Alexander-families.

There are persuasive set of facts that link various families; their intermarriage with brothers and sisters of Nesbit and Dickson families. Hugh McKee (b c 1720-40, d May 1795) married Mary Nesbit, sister of Susanna Nesbit who married James McKee, Jr. James McKee, Jr (Born c 1740-50 d 1810 married Susanna Nesbit (folks discussed at beginning of this Newletter), sister of Mary Nesbit who married Hugh McKee. Both girls were daughters of Thomas and Jean Nesbit. 3. Rachel McKee, daughter of James McKee and sister of James McKee Jr, married George Dickson. James Dickson, brother of the above George Dickson, married Martha Nesbit, who was a sister of both Mary and Susanna mentioned above. The farm of James McKee (senior) adjoined that of Thomas and Jean Nesbit, parents of Mary, Susanna and Martha Nesbit. THREE of these McKees- James Jr, and sons Thomas and Hugh were with General Washingtons forces during the unfortunate winter at Valley Forge. So was Joel Tullis Sr of Pennsylvania, whose son Joel Tullus, Jr later married Cassander McKee daughter of William McKee, Sr of this line, and his wife Cassander Frakes.

A McKee Surname "Tidbit" from THE BOOK OF MCKEE

James Robert McKee of Los Angeles, California, compiled and caused to be printed under date of December 31, 1900, a Genealogical Summary of considerable magnitude, which he entitled American Genealogy of the Allied Famlilies of McKee, McClintock, Mills, Stipp and Stewart. From a photostatic copy obtained from the Library of Congress the following is quoted, since it clearly discloses the conclusions of a researcher of more than a century ago: " J. Alex McKee, of Kingsville, Kentucky, after many years of research has traced the name McKee for eleven centuries to one of the earlier clans of Scotland, and from his compilation the following is here embodied: The name McKee comes from and is a branch of the Clan Mackay, a name that appears on the pages of history at a very early date. They were a powerful clan as early as the eight century and were numerous for centuries thereafter. McKay was one of the Highland Clans that fought under Robert Bruce at Bannockburn, late in the 12th century. In 1427 Angus Donald McKay commanded 4,000 men. In 1626 Donald McKay led 3,000 men in armies of Gustavus Adolphus, fighting for liberty and freedom of thought. Hugh McKay was the favourite general of William of Orange, fought at the battle (1) of the bourne (Boyne?) and gave up his life at Steenkerke, 1692 when Englands king led the combined forces of Protestantism against those of Rome in Holland."

"The House of McKay in Sutherland and Caithness in the north-east part of Scotland were energetic and untiring, a fighting race but seldom agressive. Romanism never held dominion over them and when Presbyterianism arose in 1556 they espoused that belief and have ever been its staunch defenders."

(As there is considerable text if anyone desires additional information on this McKees sept (McKees Half Falls) please contact me-Kevin)

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