.
McDonald Keeney
and
Mamie Chloe Stanley
.


Page updated 3 Jun 2011

Return to the Genealogy Home Page

The updating of the numbering system used on this page has been completed. Generation 28 is my own;
27 is that of my parents; 29 is that of my children, etc.  --   John M. Gwin, Jun 2011


The reformatting of the name font and census data for this page has been completed. --John M. Gwin, Aug 2011


Most of the material on these Keeney pages is taken directly from the excellent work of

Roscoe C. Keeney
in his 2,597 Keeney Relatives and its related after-followings.
See also Dan Keeney's excellent site, KeeneyKlan.com, and especially his coverage of Roscoe's work at
http://www.keeneyklan.com/Roscoe/Roscoe.htm


17.00--Sir Thomas Keney (sic), b. 1578, Norfolk, England; d. in New London, CT;

18.00--John Keeney, b. 1600, Norfolk, England; d. 1622 Salem, MA; m. Sarah Cheever (1621-1674)

19.00--Henry Keeney, b. 8 Jul 1623 in England; d. 6 Jun 1710; m. Ann Putnam;

20.00--John Keeney, b. ca.1651-2; d. 1718 Lynn, MA; m. Elizabeth Locke;

21.00--John Keeney, b. 15 Aug 1689, New London, CT; d. unk.; m. Mary Smith;

22.00--David Keeney;  m. Martha (nee unk.) (b. 12 Mar 1714; moved to Greenbrier Co., VA, in 1756;

23.00--Moses Keeney, b. 1766 in Greenbrier Co., WV; d. about 1840 in Kanawha Co.; m. 11 Aug 1789 in  Greenbrier Co. to Frances Harris10 children


24.09--Stires Jade Keeney, b. 1813 in Greenbrier Co.; moved to Cabin Creek, Kanawha Co., as a boy with his father, Moses; d. in 1876 at age 63; m1. Amelia P. (Milly) Gatewood (25 Jan 1813-10 Jul 1860), 11 children; m2. Cynthia Hudnall White (b. 1818), d. after 1880 census; no ch. by SJK;

25.09--John Stires "John S." Keeney, b. 9 May 1849 at Fairview, WV,  on Cabin Creek; d. 22 Dec 1932 at Witcher, WV; m. 16 Nov 1871 to Hannah Catherine Frazee (b. 6 Aug 1853, in Greenup Co., KY; d. 1944); 13 children; 71 grandchildren!

[John M. Gwin Note: Cousin Roscoe told me that everyone was pretty sure the S. stood for Stires, but no one had any evidence--until now. Their marriage certificate clearly has both their middle names, and his is Stires, without question.]

26.01--Daisy May Keeney----(1872-1874)--age 1.5--0 ch.
26.02--Urias Zara "Urie" Keeney----------(1874-1928)--age 54--3 ch.
26.03--
McDonald "Mack" Keeney
------(1877-1938)--age 60--7 ch.
26.04--Nick Burks Keeney
------------(1878-1951)--age 73--11 ch.

26.05--Flem Davis Keeney
-----------(1879-1965)--age 86--7 ch.

26.06--Roscoe Conkling Keeney, Sr.
-(1882-1969)--age 87--8 ch.

26.07--Daniel Webster "Dan" Keeney
-----(1884-1973)--age 88--5 ch.

26.08--John S. "Johnny" Keeney, Jr.
--(1886-1961)--age 75--5 ch.

26.09--Walter Henson Keeney, Sr.
----(1888-1957)--age 68--7 ch.

26.10--Hannah Catherine "Katie" Keeney
------(1890-1962)--age 72--8 ch.

26.11--Frances Holt "Fanny" Keeney
------(1892-1963)--age 71--6 ch.

26.12--Ebon Oakes Keeney
--------(1894-1976)--age 82--0 ch.

26.13--Robert H. "Bob" Keeney
---------(1896-1982)--age 86--4 ch.


John Stires Keeney Family of Witcher, WV, ca. 1906.
Front, seated, l-r:  John S., Catherine, Uri, Mack;
standing, l-r: Flem, Nick, Ebon, Katie, Fannie, Bob, Dan, Roscoe, Walter, and Johnny;
absent; Daisy (firstborn, 1872; d. 1874).


26.03--McDonald Keeney, b. 28 July 1877 (but his stone says 1876); d. 16 May 1938 at Witcher, WV; bd. beside Mamie in Witcher Cem., Witcher, Kanawha Co., WV; carpenter, contractor, homebuilder, husband, father ("Daddy Mack"); m. 11 Nov 1911 to Mamie Chloe Stanley (b. 8 Sept 1879 in Nicholas Co., WV [Everyone thought she was born in 1882; indeed, even her tombstone records the error based on her own testimony; however, the census of 14 Jun 1880 records her age as 9/12!  So did she intentionally lie to make herself seem younger, or did she really believe she was born in 1882?]; d/o George Washington Stanley and Frances "Fannie" Young Stanley; d. 30 Oct 1957 at Witcher;) 7 children; 22 grandchildren;

27.01--Maxine Stanley Keeney, b. 30 Nov 1912; Maxine retired in 1978 as teacher in Greenbrier Co. Schools, Lewisburg, WV; d. 14 Jun 1992 in Greenbrier Co., WV; bd. Rosewood Cem., Lewisburg, Greenbrier Co., WV--FaG Mem. ID# 17078215); m. 18 Mar 1933 to Norman Holt Harless (b. 26 Nov 1910; d. 9 Nov 1975; s/o Joseph Tilden Harless and Mary Ellen Bailey of Cyclone, Wyoming Co., WV; bd. Rosewood Cem., Lewisburg, Greenbrier Co., WV--FaG Mem. ID# 17078210); Norman served as pastor of American Baptist churches in Landville, Mabscott, and Lewisburg, WV.; 7 children (click on Maxine's link to go to her family's page);
27.02--Hannah Margaret Keeney, b. 16 Jan 1914; d. on George W. Bush's inauguration day, Jan 2001; lived at Witcher, WV, at the family home; retired a Kanawha Co. Public Schools teacher; bd. in Witcher Creek Cem., Kanawha Co., WV; m. never; no ch.;


The light green Pontiac in the driveway at 2000 Orchard Ave.

27.03--Dorothy Lee Keeney, b. 10 Feb 1915; d. 31 May 2005 in Las Cruces, NM; cremated in Las Cruces, NM and ashes bd. at Witcher Creek Cem.; m. on 11 Aug 1942 in New Orleans, LA--when she was taking a class at Tulane Univ., working at the Jewish Children's Home, and a summer boarder at the Gwin home on Freret St.--to Adrian Sutton Gwin (b. 12 Sep 1916 at Selma, AL; d. 7 May 2001 at Memorial Medical Center, Las Cruces, NM, after a five-month bout with blood-clotting disease); retired from teaching with Kanawha County Schools; lived in St. Albans, WV from WW2 to Nov 1999; resided in Las Cruces, NM, near son John, until her death; cremated in Las Cruces, NM and ashes bd. at Witcher Creek Cem.; 2 children; an Adrian-and-Dot album;


27.04--Mildred Agnes Keeney, b. 8 Aug 1916 at Charleston; taught school in Manassas, Virginia, after a long career in Girl Scout and Conservation leadership, a prize-winning journalism program at DuPont High, and teaching biology and mathematics in high school, at West Virginia Tech, in New York, and in the continuing education program of West Virginia University; lived with her sister Hannah at the family homeplace in Witcher, WV, for many years, serving as Hannah's caregiver most of Hannah's last years; never married; no children.
27.05--Albert McDonald ("Buster") Keeney, b. 3 Jun 1918 in Kanawha Co., WV; d. 8 Feb 2010 in Charleston, WV; m1. Geraldine Kincaid of Witcher in Sep 1938--marriage dissolved after Bus returned from WW2--no children; m2. 19 Jan 1947 to Phyllis Eileen Caldwell (b. 20 Apr 1922; d. unk.; bd. unk.) of Bomont (Clay Co.); 3 children; div.; m3. 19 Jun 1970 to Juanita Marshall Lewis (b. 28 Jul 1924);
27.06--Helen Pauline ("Bennie") Keeney, b. 9 Nov 1920; d. Nov 1999 in Waldorf, Maryland; bd. in Witcher Cemetery, Witcher, WV, next to daughter Jane Lynn Metheny; m. 10 Nov 1941 to James Thomas (Tom) Metheny, Sr. (b. 19 Jan 1916; d. Nov 1999); 5 children;


Helen Keeney Metheny

WALDORF, Md. - Helen Keeney "Bennie" Metheny, 78, of Waldorf, formerly of Witcher, W.Va., died Nov. 5, 1999, at the home of her daughter, Judith Karen Lindley of Waldorf, after a short illness.

She was a retired secretary from National Education Association, Washington, D.C., and International Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Washington, D.C.

Also surviving: husband, James Thomas Metheny Sr. of Dumfries, Va.; daughters, Joan Elizabeth Bousher of LaPlata, Md., Jennifer Gail Tolbert of Dumfries; son, James Thomas Jr. of Witcher; sisters, Dorothy Lee Gwin of St. Albans, W.Va., Mildred A. Keeney and Hannah M. Keeney, both of Witcher; brothers, George McClure Keeney of Hurricane, W.Va., Albert "Buster" Keeney of Belle, W.Va.; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren.

Service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Fidler & Frame Funeral Home, Belle, with the Rev. Roscoe Keeney officiating. Burial will be in Witcher Cemetery. Friends may call from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

27.07--George McClure Keeney, b. 18 Aug 1922 in Kanawha Co., WV; d. 25 Aug 2007; m. 24 Dec 1954 to Frankie Shirley Lucas (b. 21 May 1936); 5 children;


George M. Keeney

George M. Keeney, 85, of Hurricane passed away Saturday, Aug. 25, 2007, at Hubbard Hospice House, Charleston.

George retired from FMC, South Charleston, with 30 years of service. He was a former employee of West Virginia Water Company, Charleston, a graduate of Dupont High School, Belle, attended Morris Harvey College, Charleston, and was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.

Surviving are his loving wife, Frankie Keeney of Hurricane; daughter, Lynn Bright of Milton; sons and daughters-in-law, Chuck and Patti Keeney, Kent and Lori Keeney, Danny Keeney and Chris and Hilarie Keeney, all of Hurricane; sister, Mildred Keeney of Belle; sister-in-law, Ruby Snead of Rand; brother, Albert M. Keeney of Belle; and brother-in-law, Roy Lucas of Witcher. Also surviving are his loving grandchildren, Erin, Nikki, Makinzie, Ryan, Sean and Brendan Keeney; great-grandson, Ian Keeney; and several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Samuel Henson, special friend, Joe Bentley Sr., friends and neighbors, and the wonderful, loving people at Hubbard Hospice House.

Ceremonies will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in his honor to Hubbard Hospice House, 1001 Kennawa Drive, Charleston, WV 25311.   Online condolences may be made at www.chapmanfuneralhomes.com.

Chapman Funeral Home, 3941 Teays Valley Road, Hurricane, is serving the family.




 
Mamie's unmarried oldest sister, "Aunt Maude" Stanley,
lived at the old Stanley family homeplace at Tad, and loved hosting overnight parties, day picnics, and other fun events for her nieces.  No doubt that this photo was taken by Aunt Maude when the girls had been taken there for one of these visits in June of 1920.  I can just imagine Aunt Maude, herself a school teacher, gathering the nieces and a couple of neighbor girls around her dining room table with flour sacks, ribbons, scraps of cloth, scissors, and glue to make their own hats
 
Below: Photo taken June 1920; the four oldest children (l-r: Hannah, Dorothy Lee, Maxine, and Milly) with friends "Bulah Lucas" and "Philis Cline" on a "picnic" in front of the post office at Tad, WV, (sign says "Robert L. Dunlap, Postmaster"). Someone has written on back (in June 2005, Milly told me it was in "Aunt Maude's handwriting" and that Aunt Maude couldn't spell very well and always spelled and pronounced DOR-o-thy as DOR-thy): 

Stamped on the back in purple Old English text is,
"Kiser Studio, Monticello, Indiana. Mail Orders Solicited."

June 1920.
Maxine Keeney
Hannah "
Dorthy L "
Mildred "
Bulah Lucas.
Philis Cline.
Picnic




A larger version of this photo is at the bottom of this page.


 

The McDonald Keeney family of Dickenson, WV, 1933
l-r, front row:  George, age 11; Mack, 56; Mamie, 54; Bennie, 13;

back row: Maxine, 21; Hannah, 19; Dot, 18; Milly, 16; Buster, 15.




My mother, Dot, often told me growing up that her family was "a baseball team, perhaps only because there were nine of them, perhaps because they really did play baseball together.  Their positions listed here are from my own imagination.  Below, L-R, Back Row:  Bus, 3rd base; George, 1st base; Milly, left field; Middle Row: Maxine, shortstop; Hannah, 2nd base; Dot, center field; Front: Bennie, right field.  Absent when picture was taken, having moved up to the Majors and currently playing with the East Gate Angels: Mack and Mamie, catcher and pitcher, respectively.  Now Maxine (1992), Hannah (2000), Bennie (2001), Dot (2005), George (2007), Buster (2009), and Milly (2011) have also received their upward calls and joined their parents.





Some Other Interesting Mementoes

This is a poem published in THE REUNION, a newspaper-like document for what may have been Mack Keeney's high school class reunion.
It's undated, but references to "the panic" (the Great Depression) pretty much pin it down to the early 1930s.
I found it in the attic of Milly's house--the old homeplace of her parents, Mack and Mamie Keeney--
when I stayed there in June of 2005 visiting Milly and my brother Pat after Mother died.  John M. Gwin

Keeney's Crew
BY SILAS M. ROLLINS


I used to labor around the mines,
   When men could make the dough,
Until the panic struck us all,
   Which changed the times you know.
The panic's on throughout the State;
   There's nothing much to do,
So I became an ornery cuss
   And joined Mac Keeney's crew.

Now Mac, he owns a circle saw
   And employs men by the day,
Where people have to work like slaves
   Who are fools enough to stay.
Old Mac is full of business sense
   And right good looking, too,
And though he falls in his timber deal,
   His face will take him through.

His brother Dan is saw mill boss;
   He keeps things from going wrong
And labors like the rest of us
   To help old Mac along.
He don't forget to watch around
   And put us folks through,
Which often makes us "peter out,"
  To work in Keeney's crew.


The engineer is Wilson Moore,
   He labors with a will;
He feeds the furnace wood and coal
   Which runs Mac Keeney's mill.
He used to be a wrestling chap,
   Or at least, he tells us so,
But when he tried Tom Grafton once,
   It proved his overthrow.

Tom Grafton measures lumber here;
   He is very large and tall
And the hunting trips he took out west
   He likes to tell to all.
He appears to be a city dude,
   And is quite a talker, too,
And if lumber works were run with gas,
   He'd beat all in Keeney's crew.

Jake Darby works at Keeney's mill;
   His equal's hard to find;
In fact, old Jacob's face will show
   He's not of the human kind.
It takes all sorts to make a world
   I have often heard it said;
That's why they spoiled a kangaroo
   And made old Jake instead.

We'll mention Staunton Thomas next,
   Who is cute as he can be,
And his merry ways would make you think
   That he was on a spree.
He sees the sunny side of life,
   And is never feeling blue,
Which can't be said of everyone
   That works in Keeney's crew.

Jim Beasley and Foster Lytton's next;
   Their job is quite a pill.
They're the only ones to truck the logs
   That's sawed at Keeney's mill.
Old Jim's a right good looking chap,
   Though he's not a ladies' man,
While Foster's looks will show he's not
   Made after Adam's plan.

Young Anderson runs the lumber truck
  But still he doesn't despond,
For he is quite a merry chap
   And courts the widow Bond.
Now, let us drink to the future bright
   Of our friend and the widow, too,
And that their boys may never work
   In a gang like Keeney's crew.




Some Pertinent Census Data

From the 15 Apr 1900 census of Malden Magisterial Dist., Kanawha Co., WV
Street/
Res/Fam
Name
Relat
2HoH
Race/
Sex
Age
Est.
YOB
MS/
YrsMd/
ch/lvg
POB
S/F/M
Occupation
Other
John M. Gwin Comments


































































































































































































































































































































































From the 15 Apr 1910 census of Malden Magisterial Dist., Kanawha Co., WV
Street/
Res/Fam
Name
Relat
2HoH
Race/
Sex
Age
Est.
YOB
MS/
YrsMd/
ch/lvg
POB
S/F/M
Occupation
Other
John M. Gwin Comments
---/---/5
Roscoe Keeney
head
wm
28
1882
m/5
WV/WV/WV carpenter

This is my granduncle Roscoe Conkling Keeney, son of John Stires Keeney and Hannah Catherine Frazee and brother of my grandfather, McDonald Keeney. He will become the father of Roscoe Conkling Keeney, Jr., the grand old genealogist of the Keeney clan, still living in Charleston as of this writing (14 Nov 2009).

Margurette Keeney wife
wf
23
1887
m/5/1/1
WV/WV/WV none

This is Maggie Paxton. Until seeing this census, I'd never heard her called anything but Maggie.

Julia Keeney daughter
wf
2
1908
s
WV/WV/WV none


---/---/10
John Keeney head
wm
58
1852
m/38
WV/WV/WV contractor

John S. Keeney

Hanna Keeney wife
wf
54
1856
m/38/13/12
WV/WV/WV none
Hannah Catherine Keeney

Nick Keeney son
wm
30
1880
wd
WV/WV/WV none
4th-born Nick Burks Keeney

Johnnie Keeney son
wm
24
1886
s
WV/WV/WV none
7th-born John S. Keeney, Jr.

Walter Keeney son
wm
22
1888
s
WV/WV/WV none
8th-born Walter Henson Keeney, Sr.

Hanna Keeney daughter
wf
18
1892
s
WV/WV/WV none
9th-born Hannah Catherine "Katie" Keeney who will marry Johnny Fout (see my speculation 11 lines below)

Fannie Keeney daughter
wf
16
1894
s
WV/WV/WV none
10th-born Frances Holt Keeney

Eben Keeney son
wm
14
1896
s
WV/WV/WV none
11th-born Ebon Oakes Keeney

Robert Keeney son
wm
12
1898
s
WV/WV/WV none
This is my granduncle Robert Keeney, "Uncle Bob", as I knew him. He and his two sons, Tommy and Bobby, built our house at 7 Keiffer Drive in St. Albans. I got to watch and help them build it the winter of 1960-61. My mother, Uncle Bob's niece, designed the house, and they built it from her drawings--without an architect's blueprints.
---/---/11 Traber Keeney
wm
36
1874
m/14
WV/WV/WV contractor

Traber Gatewood Keeney, Baptist Deacon

Cloie Keeney
wf
34
1876
m/14/5/5
WV/WV/WV none
Chloe

Annie Keeney
wf
13
1897
s
WV/WV/WV none
Eliza Ann

Lonnie Keeney
wm
12
1898
s
WV/WV/WV none
Lonnie Gatewood

Fredie Keeney son
wm
9
1901
s
WV/WV/WV none

Charles Frederick

Juliet Keeney daughter
wf
7
1903
s
WV/WV/WV none

Juliette Madison

Elizabeth Keeney daughter
wf
3
1907
s
WV/WV/WV none

Elizabeth Rose.
Son (and youngest child) Cameron Hubbard will not be born until July 28, 1910, some three months after this census.
---/---/33
John Fout
head
wm
54
1856
m/31
VA/VA/VA
carpenter, Gov. Locks

I can't imagine this being anyone else but the father of the John Anderson"Johnny" Fout who married our Hannah Catherine "Katie" Keeney (9th-born child of John S. and Hannaah Catherine Frazee Keeney, 11 lines above).

Sallie
wife
wf
53
1857
m/31/4/4
WV/WV/WV none


Annie
daughter
wf
30
1880
m1
WV/VA/WV none

---/---/35 U. B.
head
wm
38
1872
m/14
WV/WV/WV work out farmer

Who is this person? His family is living in Malden only 25 houses away from our John S. Keeney, yet Roscoe has absolutley no mention of U. B. or anyone in his family in his book, 2597 Keeney Relatives (Roscoe C. Keeney, Jr., McClain Printing, Parsons, WV, 1978).

Margurette
wife
wf
32
1878
m/14/8/8
WV/WV/WV none


Ethel
daughter
wf
13
1897
s
WV/WV/WV none


Virginia
daughter
wf
11
1899
s
WV/WV/WV none


Ben
son
wm
9
1901
s
WV/WV/WV none


David
son
wm
8
1902
s
WV/WV/WV none


U. B., Jr.
son
wm
5
1905
s
WV/WV/WV none


Margurette
daughter
wf
4
1906
s
WV/WV/WV none


Frank
son
wm
3
1907
s
WV/WV/WV none


Leslie
son
wm
1
1909
s
WV/WV/WV none



From the 17 Jan 1920 census of Charleston, Kanawha Co., WV
Street/
Res/Fam
Name
Relat
2HoH
Race/
Sex
Age
Est.
YOB
Marr
Stat
POB
S/F/M
Occ
Other
John M. Gwin Comments
1702/12/33
McDonald Keeney
head
wm
42
1878
m
WV/WV/KY building contractor



Mamie Keeney wife
wf
37
1883
m
WV/WV/WV



Maxine S. Keeney daughter
wf
7
1913
s
WV/WV/WV



Hannah M. Keeney daughter wf
5
1915
s
WV/WV/WV



Dorthy L. Keeney daughter wf
4yr11mo
Feb 1915
s
WV/WV/WV

This is my mother, Dorothy Lee Keeney, who will marry Adrian Sutton Gwin on 11 Aug 1942, 22 years from this census.

Mildred A. Keeney daughter wf
3yr5mo
Aug 1916
s
WV/WV/WV



Alfred Mc. Keeney son
wm
1yr7mo
Jun 1918
s
WV/WV/WV



From the 5 Apr 1930 census of Charleston, Kanawha Co., WV

Street/
Res/Fam
Name
Relat
2HoH
Race/
Sex
Age
Est.
YOB
MS/Age
1stMd
POB
S/F/M
Occ
Other
John M. Gwin Comments
709 Greenbrier
St./144/176
McDonald Keeney
head
wm
53
1877
m/35
WV/WV/KY
mechanical engineer in the building industry

This is my grandfather, McDonald Keeney, for whom I was named.

Mamie C. Keeney wife
wf
48
1882
m/38
WV/WV/WV none

This is my grandmother, Mamie Chloe Stanley Keeney. She is not the age she reports here, since she was age 2 in the 1880 census.

Mayaie S. Keeney daughter
wf
17
1913
s
WV/WV/WV none


Hannah M. Keeney daughter wf
16
1914
s
WV/WV/WV none


Dorothy L. Keeney daughter wf
15
1915
s
WV/WV/WV none


Mildred A. Keeney daughter wf
13
1917
s
WV/WV/WV none


McDonald Jr. Keeney son
wm
11
1919
s
WV/WV/WV none


Helen P. Keeney daughter wf
9
1921
s
WV/WV/WV none


George M. Keeney son
wm
7
1923
s
WV/WV/WV none

621 Greenbrier
St./145/177
Thomas Grafton
head
wm
52
1878
m/25
WV/England/England miner, coal mine



Mabel Grafton wife
wf
52
1878
m/25
WV/WV/WV none
She is my grandaunt, Mabel Stanley, older sister of my grandmother (see 9 lines above).

Elizabeth Grafton daughter
wf
18
1912
s
WV/WV/WV Investment Co. stenographer



George E. Grafton son
wm
15
1915
s
WV/WV/WV none


Mabel F. Grafton daughter
wf
12
1918
s
WV/WV/WV none


Thomas A. Grafton son
wm
10
1920
s
WV/WV/WV none