Priscilla (Whitaker) Keel (1784 - 1870)

In your comments, it is stated Priscilla Whitaker Keel was born in AL. She married Jesse Keel in Pitt Co. NC. Jesse and Priscilla, some of their children and her Whitaker family traveled from NC to AL together. I believe she was born in NC also, probably Pitt Co. A lot of this information can be found in the "Keel and Whitaker wanderings" Book. The book states Jesse and Priscilla spent their first winter under a brush arbor in what is now Paint Rock Valley in Jackson Co. AL. They eventually settled on a nearby mountain which is now known as Keel Mountain. The part about Priscilla's death is true. Gilmore Springs Cemetery is located on the east side of Keel Mtn. Priscilla's gravesite is unknown. I do not believe any graves have identifying markers. Most plots have stacked stones 2 to 6 inches thick over the graves. Digging a deep grave on this mountain side was very difficult. I believe the shallow graves were dug, then stones were stacked, to prevent varmints from disturbing the graves. Jesse was buried in Keel Cemetery on Keel Mtn. near the old homestead, which over looks the small town of Paint Rock. Some cousins and I placed a six foot spire there to identify his grave. It had only been marked with a rock about the size of a basketball with JK scratched into it. The grave and this rock was identified in the "Keel Book". If I remember the date correctly, in 1799 Priscilla was espoused to Frank Robinson. They did not have a resident preacher of the gospel in their area at the time. Frank secured a license to marry Priscilla along with a bond. The bond made it possible for them to live together as a married couple until a traveling preacher came back into the area. The bond was a binding agreement, by law Frank must marry Priscilla. Frank was killed by lightning on his horse, taking shelter under a tree prior to their wedding. Priscilla was pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she named Wherry Whitaker, because she and Frank Robinson were never married. Wherry was one of the children that came with Jessie and Priscilla from NC. This is documented on Ancestry .com.