Amanda Jane Morse was born on 20 May 1827 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana, United States to Samuel Benjamin Morse, known as Benjamin, (1808-1892) and Sophronia Mead (1808-1878).
Siblings
Anna Malissa Morse was born on 8 March 1830 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana, United States. She married William Thomas Russell (1833-1916) c. 1854. Anna died after 14 June 1900 when she appeared on the United States Federal Census in North Sheridan, Yamhill, Oregon, United States.
John Mead Morse was born on 26 August 1833 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana, United States. He married Carolyn Knox (1840-1921) in 1859. John died on 26 April 1919 in Lane County, Oregon, United States.
Aremantha Erametor Morse was born on 12 June 1836 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana, United States. She married Isaac Allen (b. c. 1834- ) in 1854 in Lane County, Oregon. Aremantha died on 7 January 1879 in Lane County, Oregon, United States.
Rosalia Morse was born on 23 January 1840 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana, United States. She married John Laban Buoy (1831-1896) on 25 December 1856 in Creswell, Lane, Oregon. Rosalia died on 6 December 1900 in Creswell, Lane, Oregon, United States.
Marriages and Family
She married twice:
Alfred A. Matthews on 19 February 1852 in St. Joseph County, Indiana. He died before 1860.
Andrew Jackson Keeney as his third wife on 22 December 1861 in Lane County, Oregon when she was 34 and he was 39. They had four children who lived and probably one who died as an infant, according to her gravestone.
Child of the Matthews-Morse Marriage
Rebecca Ann Matthews was born on 18 December 1852 in Indiana, United States. She married Marcus Kelly (1853-1895) on 11 October 1874 in Oregon. Rebecca died on 5 July 1880 in Lane County, Oregon, United States.
Children of the Keeney-Morse Marriage
Martha Ellen Keeney was born on 1 December 1862 in Goshen, Lane, Oregon, United States. On 19 September 1886 she married Nelson Erastus Handsaker (1860-1920). Martha died on 6 December 1911 in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, United States.
Benjamin Franklin Keeney was born on 14 October 1865 in Goshen, Lane, Oregon, United States. He married 1) Martha Alice Cummings (b. 1870) on 23 October 1886 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon. They divorced c. 1899 and married 2) Charity Alice Taliaferro (1877-1943) in 1902. He had children with both. Ben died on 14 August 1935 in Goshen, Lane, Oregon, United States.
Andrew Alva Keeney was born on 14 December 1866 in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Andrew married 1) Naomi V. Wallis, known as Nannie, (1875-1903) on 18 October 1899 in Lane County, Oregon and 2) Alice Nelson Robinson (1877-1957) in Manhattan, New York on 27 November 1905 as a widower. Andrew died on 5 February 1954 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States.
Thomas Paine Keeney was born on 19 December 1869 in Lane County, Oregon, United States. He married Elizabeth Ann Williams, known as Lillian, (1876-1942) on 19 December 1898 in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington. Thomas died on 28 June 1947 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States.
Death and Burial
Amanda died on 2 October 1892 in Lane County, Oregon, United States at the age of 65. She preceded her husband in death. She was buried in the Keeney Cemetery, Pleasant Hill, Lane, Oregon. Find A Grave: Memorial #38300031
Sources
Keeney, Ralph Ray. Wagon Ruts West. Unknown: Keeney, R.R., 1983. It is out of print, but the author had granted pieces of it for educational purposes. The entire article is available here. [1]
1830 United States Federal Census in Manchester, Dearborn, Indiana. [2]
1840 United States Federal Census in Saint Joseph County, Indiana. [3]
1850 United States Federal Census on 6 October in Penn, St. Joseph, Indiana. [4]
1860 United States Federal Census on 17 July in Coast Fork, Lane, Oregon. [5]
1870 US Federal Census on 16 June in Eugene, Lane, Oregon. [6]
1880 United States Federal Census on 8 June in South Eugene, Lane, Oregon, USA. [7]
Washington, Select Death Certificates, 1907-1960
Find A Grave Index, 1819-2012. Her headstone photo, contributed with the permission of the photographer, Jim P., mentions an unnamed infant by Amanda and A.J. Keeney.
Oregon, Early Oregonians Index.
Footnotes
↑ Keeney, R.R.: For Andrew Jackson family also see article available here.
↑ 1830: Tally only. 4 total persons. Those would be Morse, Benjamin, his wife Sophronia, Amanda Jane and Anna Malissa, daughters.
↑ 1840: Tally only. 7 total persons. Those would be Morse, Benjamin; his wife Sophronia; Amanda Jane 12, daughter; Anna M. 10, daughter; John M. 6, son; Aremantha 3, daughter; and newborn Rosalia, daughter.
↑ 1850: With her parents Benjamin 41 and Sophronia 41 and siblings Anne 19, John 16, Aremantha 13 and Rosalia 9.
↑ 1860: Morse, Benjamin 52, farmer, head; Sophronia 51, wife; Matthews, Amanda J. 33, widow, daughter; Matthews, Rebecca A. 7, granddaughter.
↑ 1870: Keeney, A.J. 49, farmer, head; Amanda J. 43, wife; James 16, son; William 13, son; John 10, son; Martha 8, daughter; Benjamin 6, son; Alva A. 3, son; Thomas P. 5 months, son.
↑ 1880: Keeney, A.J. 58, farmer, head; Amanda 53, wife; Martha 17, daughter; Benjamin F. 14, son; Andrew 13, son; Thomas P. 10, son.
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Amanda by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Amanda:
PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE the placement of the reference and footnote notations. 1/2 of the census data and other is lost if you do. No rule that I know of that says you have to have no space between "Sources" and References or can't have footnotes. And yes, I have read the "Help" page. Thank you.