A genealogy blog about the migration generation of my McKee Family line, including bios, transcribed obituaries, photographs, and research notes.



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Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Ella Jane McKinley Stewart, 1863-1910, Illinois, Kansas

Update to Stewart post.

While browsing for info in Newspapers.com, I came upon an obituary for Ella. Here it is.

The Iola Register, Iola, Kansas, 8 Jan 1910, Page 3
Death at Sanitarium.
Ella Jane Stewart died early this morning at the Sutcliffe Sanitarium of tuberculosis. The body will be shipped on the evening Missouri Pacific to Tilden, Ill., for interment. The deceased was 47 years of age and had lived here for some time. Death at Sanitarium.


Find A Grave memorial = 142200676

Ella's youngest son, Wesley James Stewart, is living in Iola at the time. I'm assuming that Ella was living with him.


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Ocie Lee (Nelson) Johnson, 1912-1982, Texas, Arizona

Ocie Lee Nelson (d/o Fred Walter Nelson and Cora Maude Burns)
b. 12 Jul 1912 Vasco, Delta, Texas
d. 29 Nov 1982 Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona
m. 25 Aug 1928 Texas
Vester Gale Johnson
b. 16 Aug 1908 Paragould, Greene, Arkansas
d. 1 Apr 1986 Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona

Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, 29 Nov 1982, Page 42
Ocie Johnson
Ocie Lee Johnson, 70, former manager of the Stouts Hotel in Gila Bend, died Nov. 27, 1982, at Phoenix Baptist Hospital.
Mrs. Johnson, 726 E. Mountain View Rd., retired as manager of the hotel in 1978 after 11 1/2 years. She was born in Vasco, Texas and moved to Arizona 53 years ago.
She is survived by her husband, Vester; daughter Barbara Neal; son, Norman; two sisters; a brother; and eight grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday Hansen Mortuary, 8314 N. 7th St.

Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, 27 Apr 1986, Page 34
Vester G. Johnson
Vester G. Johnson, 77, a retired hotel manager, died April 25, 1986, at a Phoenix hospital. Mr. Johnson, of Phoenix, was born in Arkansas and moved to Arizona 57 years ago from Cooper, Texas. Survivors include a daughter, Barbara Neal; a son, Norman; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. today, with services at 2 p.m. Monday, at Hansen Mortuary, 8314 N. Seventh St.

Bessie Florence (McMillan) Orr, 1896-1988, Illinois and North Carolina

Alfred Byron Orr
b. 22 Apr 1890 Mattoon, Coles, Illinois
d. 14 Jun 1960 Mount Vernon, Jefferson, Illinois
m. About 1911
Bessie Florence McMillan
b. 25 Oct 1896 Tilden, Randolph, Illinois
d. 25 Jul 1988 Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina

Child 1:
Francis Earl Orr
b. 12 Sep 1912 Illinois
d. 9 Dec 1995 San Jose, Santa Clara, California
m. About 1936
Mary Louise Morrison
b. 25 Feb 1916 Illinois
d. 12 May 1991 San Jose, Santa Clara, California

Child 2:
Florence Lee Orr
b. 1916 Illinois
d. 1 Sep 1950 Burlington, Des Moines, Iowa
m. About 1938
Merritt Lee Mitchell
b. 16 Dec 1915
d. 27 Jun 1969 Illinois


Southern Illinoisan, Carbondale, Illinois, 27 Jul 1988, Page 5
Bessie Orr
TILDEN -- Bessie F. Orr, 92, of Charlotte, N. C., formerly of Tilden, died Monday, July 25, 1988 in Charlotte.
Services will be at 11 p.m. Friday in Tilden Cemetery. There will be no visitation.
Memorial may be made to the First Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. Orr was a homemaker.
She was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Belleville and the Order of the Eastern Stars in Quincy.
She was born Oct 20, 1895, in Tilden to Randall and Nancy (McKinley) McMillan.
Survivors include one son, Francis Orr of San Jose, Calif.; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
One daughter and three brothers preceded her in death.
Finger-Heil Funeral Home in Marissa is in charge of arrangements.

Betty Ann (Moore) Johnson, 1937-2002, Arkansas, Arizona

Norman Ray Johnson
b. 16 Nov 1932 Cooper, Delta, Texas
d. 28 Jun 2008 Peoria, Maricopa, Arizona
m. 30 Apr 1954 Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona
Betty Ann Moore
b. 13 Dec 1937 Heber Springs, Cleburne, Arkansas
d. 1 Oct 2002 Peoria, Maricopa, Arizona

Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, 15 Apr 1954, Page 18
Staff Sergeant Norman Ray Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vester Johnson, 7514 N. Central is returning to the U. S. after serving in the air force on Okinawa for nine months. He is a bomber mechanic. During his stay here, Sergeant Johnson and Miss Betty Moore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Moore, 2223 E. Harrison, will be married.

Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, 4 Oct 2002, Page 34
Betty Ann Johnson, 64, of Peoria, died Oct. 1, 2002. Visitation from 5-8 pm on Sun., Oct. 6, 2002 at Hansen Chapel, 8314 N. 7th St., Phx., AZ. Services at 11 am on Mon., Oct. 7, 2002 at Hansen Chapel, 8314 N. 7th St., Phx., AZ 85020. Contributions to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flowers St., Phx., AZ 85014.

Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, 16 Jul 2008, Page 24
Norman Ray Johnson, 75, of Peoria, Arizona, passed away June 28, 2008. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 19, 2008 at Resthaven Park Cemetery, 6290 W. Northern Ave. Donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 85014.

Katheryn Mae (Hughes) McKee, 1904-1989, St. Louis, Missouri (and surrounding area)

I let my doctor talk me into having a colonoscopy. The prep is brutal. So, I decided to treat myself to a short-term subscription to Newspapers.com. Yikes! Have they added lots of newspapers! A month may not be enough to do a complete examination of what's available. I'm going to try to start reporting some of what I'm finding starting with Katheryn, whose maiden name has eluded me for a long time.

Katheryn Mae Hughes
b. 30 Jun 1904 Illinois
d. 20 Dec 1989 St. Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri
m. Oct 1929
Lemuel Leslie McKee, Sr.
b. 9 Sep 1891 Willis Station, Perry, Illinois
d. Mar 1968 St. Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, 18 Aug 1929, Page 50
Mr. and Mrs. A. O. Hughes of Kirkwood have announced the engagement of their daughter, Kathryn Mae Hughes, to Lemuel McKee of Maplewood. The wedding will take place in October.

More to come...



Thursday, April 14, 2016

Marjorie Fletcher Robertson 1921-1989 England and Canada

Marjorie Fletcher, the daughter of Percy Vincent Fletcher and Mabel Bradley, married M. E. Robertson per Percy's obituary. Here's what I've been able to track down so far.

Melvin Edward Robertson
DOB: 8 Nov 1924 (Where?)
DOD: 17 Sep 2007 Ontario, Canada (Click here for Find A Grave memorial)
DOM: 29 Mar 1944 (Where? Most likely Ontario, Canada)
Marjorie Fletcher
DOB: 26 Jun 1921 Stalybridge, Cheshire, England
DOD: 18 May 1989 Canada (Click here for Find A Grave memorial)

Click here to find Melvin's obituary online. The obituary includes a lovely photograph of Melvin and Marjorie and a complete list of family members.

I'm pursuing an obituary for Mabel Bradley Fletcher for confirmation of this info. However, without a complete date of death, it could take a while to track down the obit.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Obit for Percy Vincent Fletcher 1896-1960 England and Canada

A kind Genealogy and Family History librarian at the Mississauga Central Library sent me the following obituary.

Toronto Star, Toronto, Canada, 15 Aug 1960, Monday, Page 24

FLETCHER, Percy Vincent -- At Sunnybrook hospital on Friday, Aug. 12, 1960 in his 65th years, Percy Vincent Fletcher. W.O.1, RCAF, retired, late of 514 Lake Shore Rd., Lakeview, beloved husband of Mabel Bradley, dear father of Marjorie (Mrs. M. E. Robertson) and Vincent: also survived by five grandchildren. Mr. Fletcher is resting at the funeral home of Skinner & Middlebrook, 128 Lake Shore Rd. E (at Ann St. and Port Credit). Services in the chapel Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Interment Springcreek cemetery, Clarkson.


I knew about Marjorie, who was born in England. However, I didn't know about Vincent or the five grandchildren. I wonder if any of them happen to be interested in family history?

Note: W.O.1, RCAF = Warrant Officer 1, Royal Canadian Air Force

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Kay Family Members in 1939 British Register

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've found several family members in the 1939 British register that was taken just prior to World War II. One of the families was the James Taylor Kay family.

The register lists the following family members:

James T. Kay b. 22 Jul1892 working as general labourer cotton mill
Dinah Kay b. 18 Aug 1895 working at unpaid domestic duties
Child (closed record)
Child (closed record)
Child (closed record)
Jonas Kay b. 19 Jun 1934 at school
Child (closed record)

Because of the Dukinfield Cemetery and Crematorium records, I know that one of the closed records is for Agnes Eleanor (Kay) Gough b. fourth quarter 1924 and died 2 Jun 2007. Agnes was born in Stalybridge while Jonas was born in Ashton Under Lyne. So the question becomes who are the other three children. I did a search in Lancashire BMD and came up the following possible list of family members based on a location and a mother's maiden name of Smith:

James T. Kay b. 22 Jul1892 working as general labourer cotton mill
Dinah Kay b. 18 Aug 1895 working at unpaid domestic duties
Agnes Eleanor Kay b. Q4 1924 Stalybridge
Mary Kay b. Q4 1927 Stalybridge
Margaret Kay b. Q3 1930 Ashton Under Lyne
Jonas Kay b. 19 Jun 1934 Ashton Under Lyne
Edith Kay b. Q1 1936 Ashton Under Lyne

At the moment, the list of family members is just a possible working list. A few of the younger children may very well still be living. This meager start will need more work.

As always, if you have any questions or additional info you can provide, please add a comment to this post.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Alice Gillell is Alice Gillett...Ashton Under Lyne...1865 to 1915

In the past, I've posted about the burial of Alice Gillell Dodd. In my latest, check of the records, I located a marriage record that indicates her name was Alice Gillett.

Alice married Robert Dodd in the first quarter of 1894 in Stockport, Cheshire, England.

With the probable correct spelling of Alice's maiden name, I now have a new line of research.

If you have info to add, please leave a comment for me.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Henry "Harry" Ibbotson 1886-1929 Ashton Under Lyne, England

Ancestry.com includes a notation for a will for Henry Ibbotson with the following text.
IBBOTSON Henry of 7 Spring Grove-terrace, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire died 22 Apr 1929 Administration Manchester 5 July to Sarah Ann Ibbotson widow. Effects (Pounds) 148 0s. 3d.
As you can see, the notation includes Henry's death date (22 Apr 1929). The other piece of information is the home address for the Ibbotson family.

After Henry's death (age 43), his widow can be found in the 1939 English register at 21 Greenfield Street, Audenshaw U.D., Lancashire, England. She is listed as Sarah A. Ibbotson, which means she has not remarried. In addition, the record includes information on sons Ernest and Alan Ibbotson. Two additional people--probable children--are closed records.

I've found no records for Sarah Jane (Dodd) Ibbotson after 1939 when she is 46 years old. Sarah may have remarried after 1939.

If you have additional information, please leave a comment.

Monday, February 8, 2016

The Three Poppies...Dodd's in World War I

In 2015, to commemorate the dead from World War I,  ceramic poppies were placed around the Tower of London. Each poppy represented one dead Englishman from the war. Click here to see pictures. Three of those poppies were for members of the McKee family.

Poppy 

Henry "Harry" Dodd (s/o Frederick William Dodd + Esther Middleton)
DOB: 21 Dec 1896 Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England
DOD: 13 Aug 1917 France

http://www.stockport1914-1918.co.uk/d.php
Henry Dodd M.M.
Lance Corporal, 49482. 11 th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. Killed in action 13 August 1917, aged 20. Born: Ashton under Lyne. Enlisted: Stockport. Son of Frederick & Esther, 173 Curzon Road, Ashton under Lyne.  
Commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ieper, Belgium
Award of the Military Medal published in the London Gazette, 14 August 1917. Announcements are normally made approximately three months after the particular act for which the medal is given.
Click here to see  memorial on monument at Hurst Cemetery.

Poppy 

Albert Dodd (s/o Albert Dodd + Mary Jane Hibbert Taylor)
DOB: 28 Dec 1892 Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England
DOD: 22 Aug 1916 France
Albert's rank was Gunner and he is buried in Peronne Cemetery, Maricourt, Somme, France. Click here for more information.

Click here to see  memorial on monument at Hurst Cemetery.

Poppy

John William Dodd (s/o Albert Dodd + Mary Jane Hibbert Taylor)
DOB: Dec Q 1895 Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England
DOD: 22 Oct 1918 Germany
John's rank was Private and he died as a POW. His service number is 48500. John is buried in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Click here for more information on John's service.

Albert and John wrote letter home and portions of their letters were published in a local newspaper.
(1915 Pg 14) 
Published in the Reporter 25 Sep 1915
TWO ASHTON BROTHERS
Corporal J. W. Dodd, who is attached to the machine gun section of the 1/9th Battalion Manchester Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dodd, of 153, Burlington street, Ashton, and who, as announced in the Reporter last week, was wounded in the leg while fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula on August 7th, is making good progress. He is now in hospital at Plymouth, and writes on September 13th as follows: - "I have arrived in England. We are nice and comfortable, and have plenty of good food. I am able to walk a little today. I am going to have a piece of skin put on my leg, as the wound is to big to heal itself." The wound has not touched the bone, the bullet being buried in the flesh, according to a previous letter sent by Corporal DODD. A brother, Gunner ALBERT DODD, is serving with the Royal Field Artillery in France, where he has been engaged on active service for about ten weeks. In a letter to his parents he says: - "We are having it a bit quiet just now. I am writing this letter at one of our observation posts. I get 24 hours every eight days on the telephone. I have just been watching some of our shells bursting right in the German trenches. It is worth seeing. the other day we blew up one of their trench mortars and the men who were working it. We also dug one of their shells up that had not burst. It was about 9ft in solid hard clay." The observations post referred to by Gunner Dodd is a captive balloon, from which the effects of the British shellfire is seen, and the results telephoned to the battery below.

Percy Vincent Fletcher 1896-1960 England and Canada

I've continued to review entries in my database systematically. As a result, I have additional information on Percy Vincent Fletcher.

Percy Vincent Fletcher (s/o Arthur Fletcher + Agnes Dodd)
DOB: 25 Jan 1896 Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England
DOD: 12 Aug 1960 Canada (Most likely in Mississauga, Peel, Ontario)

DOM: Jun Q 1919 St. Paul, Stalybridge, Cheshire, England

Mabel Bradley (d/o Samuel Eli Bradley + Mary Jane Cooper)
DOB: 7 Apr 1895 Bollington, Cheshire, England
DOD: 1978 Canada (Most likely in Mississauga, Peel, Ontario)

Mississauga is in the metro area for Toronto, Canada and I'm currently looking for obituaries for both Percy and Mabel.

The only child that they had that I'm aware of at this point is:
Marjorie Fletcher
DOB: 1921 Stalybridge, Cheshire, England
DOD: Unknown
DOM: Unknown

Percy served in the British Navy. His first date of service is 12 Mar 1912 aboard the Ganges. His last date of service is 19 Feb 1920 aboard the Vivid I. His service number is J16251. He is listed as an Iron Fitter.

Percy emigrated to Canada aboard the Athenia, arriving in Canada on 4 Jul 1926. He was followed by Mabel and Marjorie aboard the Doric, leaving Liverpool, England on 16 Apr 1927. Ship's records show that the last address for the Fletcher family in England was 20 Chorlton Street, Openshaw, Lancashire, England.

Percy and Mabel settled in Canada and lived their lives out there. For the latter part of their lives, they lived at 514 Lakeshore E, Mississauga, Peel, Ontario, Canada.

Both Percy and Mabel are buried in Springcreek Cemetery, Mississauga, Peel, Ontario, Canada. Look for the following Find A Grave memorials: 13934899 and 13934904.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

British Update

I've updated the tree book. Click here to download the latest PDF of the book.

The National Archive of the UK released the 1939 Register, which was taken just prior to World War II. According to the website Find My Past, the register is accurate because the register was used for rationing. Because of its use, people tended to take it seriously and provided accurate information. I found some information for the British members of the McKee family. Here's the updated information.

1.1.2.4.4
John William Smith DOB 18 Mar 1897 Ashton Under Lyne, County Lancashire, England DOD Bef 1957
Marriage 31 Jul 1920 Ashton Under Lyne, County Lancashire, England
Isabella Young DOB 7 Apr 1898 Ashton Under Lyne, County Cheshire, England

1.1.2.4.10
Richard Smith DOB 3 Sep 1904

1.1.2.4.12
Henry "Harry" Smith DOB 18 Mar 1908

1.1.3.3.2
Ernest Dodd DOB 13 Feb 1890 Ashton-Under-Lyne, County Lancashire, England DOD 1961 Ashton-Under-Lyne, County Lancashire, England
Married 18 Aug 1917 Ashton-Under-Lyne, County Lancashire, England
Clara May Webb DOB 1892 Ashton-Under-Lyne, County Lancashire, England

1.1.3.3.3
Sarah Ann Dodd DOB 17 May 1893 Ashton-Under-Lyne, County Lancashire, England
Married 4 Apr 1915 Ashton-Under-Lyne, County Lancashire, England
Henry "Harry" Ibbotson DOB 1886 Stalybridge, County Lancashire, England DOD Bef 1939
Children:
Ernest Edmund Ibbotson DOB 16 Oct 1915 Ashton-Under-Lyne, County Lancashire, England DOD 1991 County Cheshire, England
Eunice Ibbotson DOB 1917 Ashton-Under-Lyne, County Lancashire, England
Alan Ibbotson DOB 20 Aug 1918

1.1.3.5
Albert Dodd DOB 8 Apr 1866
Mary Jane H. Hibbert DOB 23 Dec 1868

1.1.3.5.6
Alfred Dodd DOB 21 Aug 1901

1.1.3.5.6.3
Glenys Dodd DOB 1941 Stalybridge, County Cheshire England; DOD Jan 1942 Stalybridge, County Cheshire, England
Note: Glenys was previously unmatched with parents. She is the daughter of Alfred Dodd and Florence Elizabeth Jones.

1.1.3.7.1
Elizabeth Bowen DOB 2 May 1903

1.1.3.10.2
Frank Wallwork DOB 23 Sep 1895 DOD 1962 Ashton and Mossley, County Lancashire, England

If you have anything to add, please contact me.