|
Alexander McKee Family |
|
Randolph County, Illinois, United States of America |
|
Mary Jane (McKee) Booth |
|
1.2.2 Mary Jane McKee b. 1838 Randolph County, Illinois d. 12 Mar 1883 Hopkins County, Texas m. 10 Aug 1858 Chester, Randolph County, Illinois Ananias Jackson Booth (Sr.) b. 1833 New York d. Sep 1891 Charleston, Delta County, Texas
1.2.2.1 Sarah “Sally” C. Booth b. 8 Feb 1860 Randolph County, Illinois d. 1898 Texas 1.2.2.2 Charles A. Booth b. 9 Feb 1861 Randolph County, Illinois d. 10 Feb 1907 1.2.2.3 Martha Duncan Booth b. 22 Feb 1862 Randolph County, Illinois d. 8 Feb 1939 Taiban, De Baca County, New Mexico 1.2.2.4 Ananias Jackson Booth (Jr.) b. 10 May 1863 Randolph County, Illinois d. 15 Oct 1937 Snyder, Scurry County, Texas 1.2.2.5 Joseph Alexander Booth b. 8 Feb 1865 Sparta, Randolph County, Illinois d. 17 Jul 1924 Thurber, Erath County, Texas 1.2.2.6 Mary Jane Booth b. 22 Jun 1867 Randolph County, Illinois d. 1.2.2.7 Lucinda Ann Booth b. 12 Apr 1869 Randolph County, Illinois d. 30 Jul 1919 Burkburnett, Wichita County, Texas 1.2.2.8 George Edward Booth b. 3 Feb 1872 Sparta, Randolph County, Illinois d. 15 Nov 1918 Erath County, Texas 1.2.2.9 John William Booth b. 4 Mar 1875 Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas d. 1 Sep 1953 Sherman, Garyson County, Texas 1.2.2.10 Margaret Elizabeth Booth b. 29 May 1880 Sulphur Bluff, Hopkins County, Texas d. 17 Aug 1960 Big Springs, Hopkins County, Texas |
Lucinda Ann BOOTH |
Ananias Jackson BOOTH (Jr.) |
|
As the end of the 1850’s approaches, the MCKEE family has a happy event—at least I think it’s happy. Joseph’s daughter, Mary Jane, marries Ananias Jackson BOOTH. I have only limited information on Ananias’ early life. He is born in New York in 1833. At some point, he moves to Randolph County and marries Mary Jane on 10 August 1858.
I have no information on relations between the MCKEEs and BOOTHs. However, they take a distinct turn for the worse on 22 March 1861 when Joseph MCKEE files suit against Ananias Jackson Booth. I have a standing request with the Randolph County Genealogy Society asking for a copy of any documents they find for court case 4049. According to a BOOTH descendant, BOOTH family lore says the BOOTHs eventually leave Illinois because of the MCKEEs. The descendant didn’t know the source of the problem. I’m sure that the details of this law suit would go a long toward explaining the family rift.
In 1862, Ananias enlists for Civil War service in Company C of the 81th Illinois Infantry. No pension record exists for Ananias. However, a military record, which notes that he is absent without leave, does exist. Two events occur during the time that Ananias is AWOL: brother-in-law Joseph A. McKee dies in Memphis, Tennessee and Mary Jane has child number four. One can imagine that either or both events may be a reason that Ananias is AWOL. At the end of the war, Ananias is mustered out at Vicksburg, Mississippi. He returns home to Mary Jane and his many children.
The 1870 census find the BOOTH family in Randolph County, Illinois. However, family relationships must be getting increasingly stressed. Based on the births of children, the BOOTH family moves from Illinois to Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas sometime between 1872 and 1875. The entire BOOTH family moves and as near as I can tell, they never return to Illinois.
Ananias and Mary Jane have their youngest two children in Hopkins County, Texas. Mary Jane lives out her life in Texas, unexpectedly preceding her father in death.
When Mary Jane dies, she is the last of Joseph MCKEE’s children from his first marriage. Joseph’s only other living child is Robert James MCKEE from his second marriage. At the time of Joseph’s death a year later, he has one other living grandchild (Joseph James MCKEE) beside the BOOTH children. His son Robert goes on to marry and have children. However, the bulk of Joseph’s descendants are in the BOOTH line.
After Mary Jane’s death, Ananias marries again. According to a Henderson relative, Ananias is wealthy but unlucky. His second wife is caught putting poison in the well water to kill him. Leaving her, he tells a daughter, Sally, and her husband, Bill Burns, that if they will give him a home for the rest of his life, he will deed all his property to them, but the deed isn’t recorded at once. While Ananias is helping Sally and Bill Burns move into his home, he accidentally drops a gun and kills himself. Bill Burns—knowing that the deed had not been recorded—mounts a horse and rides to the county seat and records the deed before Ananias is buried. No other BOOTH realizes anything out of Ananias’ fortune.
If the lore is true—and I have no reason to doubt it—the BURNS family has limited luck with their good fortune. Sally dies in 1898 at age 38. Bill BURNS appears to abandon the raising of his children and dies at age 60 in Bowie County, Texas. Many of the BURNS children can be found in the censuses in the custody of Sally’s oldest son, Henry Eugene BURNS.
Other researchers have reported that Mary Jane is buried in Dike Cemetery, Hopkins County, Texas. I haven’t confirmed that as fact. A burial location for Ananias seems to not be know at this time. As more records are added to Find A Grave, perhaps burial locations will be found.
In the meantime, lots and lots of BOOTH researchers are looking for information. I’m hoping that when they find this site that they will contact me ([email protected]). |