PRESLEY O'KEEFE

Presley O'Keefe was a Baptist preacher who established/helped establish many Baptist churches in Hamilton County.  During the 1870's and 1880's churches met only one Sunday each month in the community school house. Circuit-riding preachers traveled via horseback on trails and muddy roads to reach their preaching appointments in a county which was ruled by mobs.

Presley O'Keefe was one of the organizers of King's Chapel Baptist Church (now Olin Baptist Church) in 1878.

He was pastor of Hamilton Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church, Hamilton) 1879 1881, and 1883.

Bro. O'Keefe may have been the first pastor of Sweet Home Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church, Evant).  Hamilton County Baptist Associational minutes recorded that he was pastor of this church in 1878 and 1879.

O'Keefe was the pastor of New Hope Baptist Church,  Little Cow House Baptist Church  and Cow House Baptist Church (now Pottsville Baptist Church) in 1881.

Presley O'Keefe was pastor of the Cottage Hill Baptist Church in 1881, 1883-1884.

In 1883 and 1884 he was also pastor of Indian Gap Baptist Church.

From 1883-1886 Presley O'Keefe was the pastor of Sycamore Baptist Church at Busyton (10 miles east of Hamilton.

In 1885 O'Keefe was the pastor of Liberty Baptist Church at Center City, which was  in Hamilton County at that time.

Presley O'Keefe (as his name was recorded in Hamilton County) /Pressley O'Keeffe (as his name was recorded by his family) was born 7 October, 1836, in Oldham, Oldham Co., KY, to Hugh O'Keeffe and Mary Ann (Morgan) O'Keeffe.  On 7 May, 1860 he married Ellendor S. Kuykendall in Belton, TX.   Presley O'Keefe/Pressley O'Keeffe died 15 January, 1920, in Houston, TX.

From Mike Allen: