Mary (Shoemaker) Keeney
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Mary Catherine (Shoemaker) Keeney (1820 - 1896)

Mary Catherine Keeney formerly Shoemaker
Born in Virginia, United Statesmap
Daughter of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of — married Jul 1837 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe, Indiana, United Statesmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 76 in Caldwell, Canyon, Idaho, United Statesmap
Problems/Questions
Profile last modified | Created 27 Feb 2014
This page has been accessed 575 times.
This profile is part of the Brownsville, Oregon One Place Study.

Contents

Biography

Mary Catherine Shoemaker was born in 1820 in Virginia, United States.

Marriage and Family

She married Capt. Jonathan Keeney in July of 1837 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe, Indiana. Mary tolerated with grace his roving ways which continued all of his life. In 1846 she accompanied him on the Martin-Blakely wagon train consisting of 10 wagons to the Pacific coast in Oregon. He was the head guide or scout (He had been offered the leadership and turned it down). They arrived at the Old Fort Boise in mid-August. His own personal family wagons amounted to six and they traveled ahead of the others so that he could mark the trail for those who were behind. They reached The Dalles in Oregon ahead of the others. This trip would be the first time that wagons would travel over the Cascade Mountains. They reached the Willamette Falls, present day Oregon City, in September with the other wagon trains following. He settled with his family on the Calapooia River which is near present day Brownsville, Linn, Oregon on 15 September 1846. The River was named for the Kalapuya Native American tribe. There are various spellings of the Native American word.

Children of the Keeney-Shoemaker Marriage

  1. James Benton Keeney was born on 12 April 1838 in Miller County, Missouri, United States. He died on 13 June 1911 in Albany, Linn, Oregon, United States.
  2. George W. Keeney was born on 9 August 1841 in Missouri, United States. He died on 23 October 1862 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States.
  3. Eli F. Keeney was born in 1845 in Missouri, United States. He died on 31 October 1879 in Boseman, Gallatin, Montana, United States.
  4. Elias Joseph "Joe" Keeney was born on 22 August 1847 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States. He died on 25 September 1938 in Livingston, Park, Montana, United States.
  5. Sarah M. Keeney was born in 1850 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon. She died on 27 July 1855 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States.
  6. Mary Catherine "Kitty" Keeney was born on 28 February 1852 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States. Mary married William Hockensmith who was born in 1842 on 24 February 1870 in Idaho. Kitty died on 7 August 1937 in Albany, Linn, Oregon, United States.
  7. Peter Lethrow Keeney was born on 17 November 1854 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States. He died on 13 April 1928 in Malheur County, Oregon, United States.
  8. Nancy Ann Keeney, known as Nannie, was born on 25 November 1856 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States. She died on 29 April 1945 in Emmett, Gem, Idaho, United States.
  9. Unknown Keeney, infant son, was born on 13 July 1859 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States. He died on 18 July 1859 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States.
  10. Susan Elizabeth Keeney, known as Betty, was born on 9 November 1860 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States. She died on 11 May 1932 in Caldwell, Canyon, Idaho, United States.

Oregon Via the Oregon Trail

She went with her husband on the Oregon Trail in 1846. They settled first in Brownsville. Mary's adventures in Oregon with the Indians were many because her husband was often off on one of his many wanderings and she was left at home to handle the homestead and all the children. She raised several Indian orphan children too.

Death and Burial

Mary died on 18 April 1896 in Caldwell, Canyon, Idaho, United States at the age of 76. She died at the home of her daughter Susan Elizabeth. She was buried in the Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, Canyon, Idaho. Find A Grave: Memorial #35975364

Sources

  • Keeney, Ralph Ray. Wagon Ruts West. 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.
  • Oregon Compiled Census Index, 1841-1890. 1845 in Linn County, Oregon. Jackson, Ronald V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Oregon Census, 1841-1890. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
  • 1850 United States Federal Census on 15 September in Linn, Territory of Oregon. [1]
  • 1860 United States Federal Census, 19 July in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon. [2]
  • 1870 United States Federal Census, 25 July in Ada County, Idaho. [3]
  • Find A Grave Index. A headstone photo is available.

Footnotes

  1. 1850: Keeney, Jonathan, 40, head; Mary 30, wife; James 10, son; George 8, son; Eli F. 5, son; Elias 2. son.
  2. 1860: Keeney, Jonathan 45, head; Mary 43, wife; George 19, son; Eli 15, son; Elias 12, son; Catherine 8, daughter; Lethrow 5, son; Nancy 4, daughter; Overton, George 28.
  3. 1870: Keeney, Jonathan 55, farmer, head; Mary 51, wife; Nancy A. 13, daughter; Elizabeth 9, daughter; Smith, Hawkins 30, farm worker; Catherine 18.




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Comments: 1

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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.
posted by Darlene (Scott) Kerr