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:
Hugh O'Keeffe b: December 25, 1804 in
Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland
d: 1885 in Mound, Coryell Co., TX
. +Mary Ann "Polly Anna" Morgan b: December 25, 1804 in Henry
Co., KY d:
January 1898 m: August 30, 1826 in LaGrange, Oldham Co., KY Father: John
Sledmore Morgan, Jr. Mother: Reede