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DON McKINNEY's FAMILY HISTORY HOME PAGE

I have dedicated this web site to my parents, Donald & Eda Faye (Thomasson) McKinney, who are buried at the Fort Riley Military Cemetery, Kansas. The main emphasis of this site will be to honor them and their ancestors, maintaining their legacies with stories & narratives, thus keeping their memories alive in our hearts. I am especially grateful to all my relatives, close & distant, who have, through the years, contributed to my knowledge of our family heritage. Our parents met & married while both were stationed with the military at Fort Riley, Kansas during World War II. Dad was a cowboy from Wyoming who had joined the U.S. Horse Cavalry & mother was a small town Arkansas girl who joined the WAACS.

I have been interested in genealogy & the research of my own personal family history for many years. I also enjoy locating & visiting ancestral home sites & cemeteries throughout various areas of our country.

Sometimes, I feel compelled to write and/or publish articles concerning our ancestors who endured the hardships and turmoil of many years ago. I don't pretend to be a creative writer who garnishes his material with flowery fiction. I am not a poet, philosopher or an intellectual who creates inspirational material promoting spiritual growth to help find one's "Inner Self". I will leave that to the many talented individuals who are so gifted. I am also not a spinner of mythical "Tall Tales" or mystical fantasy land "Fairy Tales"--I merely chronicle the lives of my ancestors based on legitimate facts & traditions relating to them.

I think everyone should try to "get to know" their ancestors. Even though they have long since passed away, they can still be very inspirational. Most of our ancestors were good, decent people but perhaps far from perfect. Hopefully we can learn from them & try to appreciate their sacrifices & struggles which can help us all gain a better understanding of our own virtues & shortcomings as we do our part to help improve society for the future. Not caring about our heritage is like not caring about ourselves.

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THE BUTTONS AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE & OTHER UNDERLINED LINKS BELOW WILL LEAD TO NARRATIVE MATERIAL CONCERNING OUR WYOMING & ARKANSAS ANCESTORS.

BELOW ARE SOME OF OUR ANCESTRAL FAMILIES:

Pedigree Chart for our father: DONALD EARL McKINNEY SR

Pedigree Chart for our mother: EDA FAYE THOMASSON

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Most of our ancestors came to America before the Revolutionary War from the BRITISH ISLES:
ENGLAND, WALES, IRELAND, SCOTLAND
(Click on links above for a brief generalized overview of ancient ancestral roots. After the withdrawal of the ROMAN EMPIRE during the 5th Century A.D., the British Isles gradually, through the next few centuries, became another "melting pot" of various CELTIC, TEUTONIC, SCANDANAVIAN & NORMAN warrior tribes who invaded/settled the area during those medieval times.)

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Our father, DONALD EARL McKINNEY SR, was born & raised in LANDER, FREMONT COUNTY, WYOMING, the son of EARL & AMELIA GRACE "Dottie" (FARTHING) McKINNEY, area cattle ranchers.

Donald Sr's ancestral familes include:

McKINNEY: Donald McKinney Sr's paternal grandfather, EDWARD COFFIN McKINNEY, settled in Fremont County, Wyoming abt 1885 from Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii, where he was born. Sometime, during the 1890's, after his marriage to LENORA SARAH "Nora" GAYLOR, he changed the family name from McKENNEY to McKINNEY, probably to be consistent with the spelling used by local record keepers after his arrival in Wyoming. (See GAYLOR family below)
Ed & wife Nora operated various horse & cattle ranches in Fremont County, Wyoming. Ed's brother & descendants, who settled in neighboring Utah, retained the McKenney spelling.
Edward McKinney's father, ANDREW JACKSON McKENNEY, SR, was born in Stetson, Maine, however, shortly before the Civil War, while still a teenager, boarded a ship which sailed to the opposite ocean, ending up in Oahu, Hawaii. While on Oahu, Andrew married widow LOUISA GRACE (RICHARDS) ROWAN, originally of Cornwall, England.

2001 TRIP TO KANEOHE, OAHU, HAWAII

Previous generations of our McKINNEY/McKENNEY family were settlers of Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine.
Our earliest known ancestor was JOHN MACKENNY, an immigrant from SCOTLAND who was transported to Boston, Massachusetts in 1652 after he & other Scots were captured by Oliver Cromwell's English forces during the civil wars of that era. After serving his 7 year indenture in the Boston & surrounding area, he moved to Scarborough, Maine which was then a province of Massachusetts colony.
There is some speculation from several researchers & descendants that our ancestor, John Mackenny of Scarborough, Maine was associated with or his surname evolved from certain Clans of Scotland. MacKENZIE, MacKINNON (of Skye), MacKEAN/MacIAN (of Clan Donald/MacDonald) etc. I no longer lean toward MacKENZIE (pronounced with silent Z during 1600's). I have seen no conclusive evidence to support any theories of his association with a particular clan or any specific area in Scotland where he resided. Any "legitimate" information will be greatly appreciated.

2003 TRIP TO SCARBOROUGH, MAINE

Our other ancestral families connected to this McKenney family & countries of origin:
BRAWN (DEVON. ENGLAND?)
CUMMINS (BRITISH ISLES)
JAMESON (Antrim, NORTHERN IRELAND, Scots-Irish-Settled Boston, MASSACHUSETTS 1718)
HOLMES (ENGLAND-Settled MASSACHUSETTS 1600's)
Other families who remained in England
RICHARDS (Cornwall, ENGLAND), SAUNDERS (Cornwall, ENGLAND)
MAY (Cornwall, ENGLAND), THOMAS (Cornwall, ENGLAND)


FARTHING: Donald McKinney Sr's maternal grandparents, EDWARD & ELIZA (KIMBER) FARTHING, settled in Fremont County, Wyoming in 1881. They arrived in America 1879 from Isle of Wight ENGLAND.
Our other ancestral families connected to this FARTHING family who remained in England:
KIMBER (Isle of Wight ENGLAND), FLUX (Isle of Wight ENGLAND)
MOORS (Bourton, Dorset ENGLAND), READ? (Mere, Dorset ENGLAND)


GAYLOR: Donald McKinney Sr's Great-Grandparents, ANDREW "JACK" & SARAH ELIZABETH (PENDLETON) GAYLOR settled in Fremont County, Wyoming in 1880 from Cheyenne, Wyoming, arriving in Wyoming about 1876 from the Cherokee Nation/Indian Territory (Okla) & prior to that Sacramento, California, Barry County, MO & Fannin/Collin counties of northeast TX.
Earlier generations of the GAYLOR family came from Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia. (Country of Origin: Probably BRITISH ISLES with-Settled NORTH CAROLINA 1700's)
(Note: Unproven family tradition with the Wyoming relatives, probably a myth, of some "INDIAN BLOOD" in the Gaylor ancestry)
Our other ancestral families connected to this Gaylor family & countries of origin:
SIMPSON (SCOTLAND or IRELAND "Scots-Irish"-Settled Shenandoah County, VIRGINIA late 1700's)
ROWLAND/ROLAND (Probably BRITISH ISLES-Settled VIRGINIA late 1700's)
DOWNEY (Probably IRELAND "Scots-Irish"-Settled SOUTH CAROLINA 1700's)
PENDLETON (Norwich ENGLAND-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's)
CARTER (Bedfordshire ENGLAND-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's)
KILGORE (SCOTLAND or IRELAND "Scots-Irish"-Settled NORTH CAROLINA mid 1700's; Later VIRGINIA)
OSBORNE (Probably Warrick ENGLAND-Settled VIRGINIA early 1700's)

INTERESTING NOTE:
Donald McKinney Sr is related to JUNE CARTER CASH through their Kilgore/Carter ancestors.
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Our mother, EDA FAYE "Tommie" THOMASSON, was born & raised in the small southern town of MAGAZINE, LOGAN COUNTY, ARKANSAS, the daughter of GORDON OWEN & HESTER BEATRICE (JONES) THOMASSON, the father serving as a rural mail carrier & postmaster for many years.

Eda Faye's ancestral families include:

THOMASSON: Eda Faye's paternal grandparents, HORACE GORDON & ADA (OWEN) THOMASSON settled in Logan County, Arkansas about 1903 from Lincoln County, Arkansas. Horace was an educator/superintendent of schools in that area of Arkansas for many years. He was the son of WILLIAM LAFAYETTE & EVELINE ELIZABETH (FISH) THOMASSON, prominent farmers of Lincoln County, Arkansas. While still residing in Lincoln County, Horace married ADA OWEN the daughter of JOHN MALONE & MARY BARBARA (GRUMBLES) OWEN, a neighboring farm family. (See OWEN family below)
Earlier generations of the THOMASSON family settled in Arkansas during the 1850's from York County, SC with origins in Virginia. Our immigrant ancestor, THOMAS THOMASSON, arrived in VIRGINIA in 1677 from London, ENGLAND. Thomas's parents were GEORGE & CATHARINE (HUTTON) THOMASON, of LONDON, ENGLAND, who were close friends of poet John Milton. The father George was a book publisher in London, well known in literary circles as the collector of the Civil War Tracts. George is also believed to have been born about 1602 in SUDLOW, CHESHIRE, ENGLAND & was the son of George Thomason Sr, a farmer from that area of northwest England. The Cheshire area of England is just northeast of Wales, not far from southern Scotland.
There is some speculation from some researchers & descendants that the ancient ancestors of our Thomason family of Cheshire, England (later London) originated in SCOTLAND & were associated with CLAN MacFARLANE. Some Thomason's originated from Scotland & were associated with that clan, however, I have seen no real evidence to support the theory that the Thomason families of 16th Century Cheshire were connected to those Scottish groups. Any "legitimate" information will be greatly appreciated.

Our other ancestral families connected to this Thomasson family & countries of origin:
JACKSON (Antrim IRELAND "Scots-Irish"-Settled SOUTH CAROLINA mid 1700's)
GORDON (SCOTLAND or IRELAND "Scots-Irish"-Settled SOUTH CAROLINA 1700's)
MORRISON (Antrim IRELAND "Scots-Irish"-Settled SOUTH CAROLINA mid 1700's),
FISH (Probably Great Bowden & Harborough ENGLAND-Settled CT/RI New England 1600's; Later NEW YORK, SOUTH CAROLINA)
GOINGS (UNKNOWN "????"-Settled SOUTH CAROLINA 1700's)
McCANTS (Probably Wigtownshire SCOTLAND"Scots-Irish"-Settled SOUTH CAROLINA 1700's)
Our other ancestral families connected to earlier Thomasson generations:
COZART (HOLLAND "French Huguenot" origins-Settled NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY 1600's; Later NORTH CAROLINA)
McALLISTER (SCOTLAND-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's)
POLLARD (WALES-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's)
HUTTON/FETHERSTONE (London ENGLAND)


OWEN: Settled in Lincoln County, ARKANSAS 1850's from Tippah County, MISSISSIPPI. Earlier generations of the OWEN family settled in Mississippi 1840's from Morgan County, ALABAMA; with origins in Fairfield County, SOUTH CAROLINA. (Country of Origin: WALES-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's)
Our other ancestral families connected to this Owen family & countries of origin:
ELLIOTT (IRELAND "Scots-Irish"-Settled VIRGINIA 1700's; Later NORTH CAROLINA)
GRUMBLES (Middlesex ENGLAND-Settled MARYLAND/DELAWARE early 1700's; Later SOUTH CAROLINA, ALABAMA)
KENDALL (Lancashire ENGLAND-Settled SOUTH CAROLINA around 1800)
COOK (ENGLAND-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's; Later GEORGIA)
HENDRY (Isle of Arran SCOTLAND-Settled NORTH CAROLINA mid 1700's; Later GEORGIA)


JONES: Eda Faye's maternal grandparents, DR WILLIAM ENOCH & ANNIE PHOEBE (EAST) JONES arrived in Sebastian County, Arkansas in 1870 when they were infants with their respective parents. Dr Jones' parents, ENOCH MARION & MARIAH ELIZABETH (YEATES) JONES, left Decatur County, TN during the Civil War & settled in Newton County, Arkansas, where he was born. William E. Jones left the family farm to receive his education, later becoming a prominent physician/surgeon in Little Rock. He had married Annie East, daughter of Rev MARTIN ALONZO & ELIZABETH HARRIET (JONES) EAST, a neighboring farm family. Rev East was also an ordained Methodist minister. (See EAST family below)
Earlier generations of the JONES family had settled in Franklin County TENNESSEE from GEORGIA with origins in 96 District SOUTH CAROLINA. (Country of Origin: ENGLAND or WALES-Settled SOUTH CAROLINA 1700's)
Our other ancestral familes connected to this Jones family & countries of origin:
HARDCASTLE (ENGLAND-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's; Later NORTH CAROLINA)
WILKINSON (ENGLAND-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's; Later NORTH CAROLINA)
(Note: Unproven family tradition of some CHEROKEE ancestry, ??????, with Hardcastle/Wilkinson lines)
YEATES/YATES (BRITISH ISLES-Settled NORTH CAROLINA 1600's)
WILLIAMS (BRITISH ISLES-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's; Later NORTH CAROLINA)
DELANEY (IRELAND with possible? "French Huguenot" origins-Settled PENNSYLVANIA & VIRGINIA 1700's; Later TENNESSEE)
SHERRILL (Devon ENGLAND-Settled NEW YORK 1600's; Later NORTH CAROLINA & TENNESSEE)
(Note: Unproven family tradition of some CHEROKEE ancestry, ??????, with Delaney/Sherrill lines)

EAST: Settled in Sebastian County, ARKANSAS in 1870 from Independence Co Arkansas,
arriving in Arkansas during the 1840's from Madison County, Illinois.
Earlier generations of the EAST family settled in Illinois from Robertson Co TN & prior to that Oglethorpe Co GA, with origins in Henry County, VA. (Country of Origin: Benington, Lincolnshire ENGLAND-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's)
Our other ancestral families connected to this East family & countries of origin:
EDWARDS (Glanmorganshire WALES-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's)
CASON (Cambridge or Hertfordshire ENGLAND-Settled VIRGINIA 1600's; Later NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA)
SMITH (BRITISH ISLES)
JONES-another line (Probably WALES-Settled PENNSYLVANIA 1600's/1700's; Later TENNESSEE)
HOWARD (BRITISH ISLES)
RUTHERFORD (Probably Roxburgh County SCOTLAND-Settled VIRGINIA early 1600's; Later TENNESSEE)
MARSHALL (BRITISH ISLES)

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THIS PAGE & MY ENTIRE FAMILY HISTORY DOMAIN IS PROTECTED BY AWARD WINNING "SITELOCK SECURE".
I PAY A MONTHLY FEE FOR THIS PROTECTION vs A SSL CERTIFICATE.