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Her Tree Story, My Genealogy Blog
Her Tree Story,
My Genealogy Blog

McKemie Family Notes

Compiled by James Franklin McKemie
and dated December 29, 1960

I, James F. McKemie, 55 years of age, born July 28, 1905 at Ashford, Alabama, Houston County, wish to consolidate some information I have had handed down to me, and supplement it with other records I have developed myself. Some of this information is from notes made by a Professor W. J. McKemie of Thomaston, Georgia, dated December 6, 1901.

He and I descended thru a common ancestor, one Johnstone McKemie, who died in 1824 and was buried in Fairfield District or possibly should say Fairfield County, South Carolina, and who had married Mary Pearson in 1790.

Professor McKemie pronounced the name as though it sounded like McKamie ( the Mc as Ma or Muh, the Ma part of it like the ma part of machine, not like Mac and the Kemie part sounded like Kamie or Camey, like “he came to dinner”) MaKamie sound but spelled McKemie.

All of my people have pronounced it as though it sounded like MaKimmie ( the Mc as Ma or Muh, the Ma part of it like the ma part of machine, not like Mac. The Kemie part of it sounds like Kimmie rhyme with Jimmie, Jimmie McKemie.)

We all know that when you give the name McKemie, even this day and age, the other party will write it down like McKennie, McKemmie, McKenzie and like most anything else you can think of, except correctly as MCKEMIE. Consequently the old hand written records of past generations have certainly done everything to obliterate the true spelling of MCKEMIE.

Professor McKemie, in his notes dated December 6, 1901, says that John McKemie, Presbyterian minister, owned the home in which Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, although records claim it had earlier been sold or deeded to George McKemie. We do not know just what the relationship was between John and George. This home was in Waxhaw Settlement on south line of North Carolina. It is not known where John was born nor when he was born, but indications are he was born in 1740. He had descended thru John McKemie, a brother of Francis McKemie, the first Presbyterian minister in America. This earlier John had come from Ireland to Chester County, Pennsylvania. His descendants or he had moved from Pennsylvania into Virginia and into North Carolina. Some descendants migrated west into Kentucky and Tennessee but for the most part they stuck together and continued into South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and then into Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas.

The John McKemie of Waxhaw Settlement had descendants who had moved into Fairfield District (County) South Carolina. There we find Mary Pearson, born January 30, 1768, died Sept. 19, 1824, married in 1790 to Johnstone McKemie, born when unknown, born where unknown, but died 1824 (same year as his wife). He was buried in Fairfield District in family cemetery of his father-in-law near Broad River. The father-in-law was General John J. Pearson of revolutionary War fame.

Johnstone McKemie and Mary Pearson had five sons and two daughters.

Their first son was John McKemie, born 1792 in Fairfield District. He died during Civil War fighting in retreat from Fort Donaldson in Tennessee. Prior to outbreak of war he had been living in Louisiana and Arkansas, having moved out of Louisiana to Arkansas.

Second don was Phillip McKemie born 1795 in Fairfield District. He died in 1848. Do not know exactly where but it seems he died on Alabama side of river just across from Columbus, Georgia. He had no sons but one daughter. Could be incomplete record of course.

Third son was William McKemie, born December 17, 1799. He died in 1872 and buried in Mooty Cemetery near or at LaGrange, Georgia. He was father of Professor W. J. McKemie mentioned above. Professor McKemie had a daughter, Florence McKemie, who lived and died at Thomaston, Georgia. Died at very ripe old age of something like 80 years of age, never married. I knew her and visited with her as late as about 1940. She had been very interested in records pertaining to the McKemie family and had been very active in work in Daughters of the American Revolution, etc.

Fourth son was James McKemie, born May 10, 1802. I descended thru him and will go back to him in a moment.

Fifth son was Robert Pearson McKemie, born 1807 in Fairfield District. He was a Methodist minister and died in 1878 in Whitesboro, Texas. He had a grandson William McKemie, who dies possibly around 1948 at Wichita Falls, Texas. I had visited with him in his home and he had a son, Robert McKemie, as I recall at the moment, who is now living in Dallas, Texas, running a building materials supply yard, or similar business. He would be possibly 30 or 35 years of age at this time.

Now back to the fourth son James McKemie born May 10, 1802, in Fairfield District, died November 22, 1888 in Clay County, Georgia, near Fort Gaines, Georgia, and buried at Wesley Chapel, possibly 10 miles east of Fort Gaines. James married his first cousin, Frances Jane McKemie, daughter of UNCLE John McKemie, said uncle having died in Twiggs County, Georgia. (This John McKemie now would be brother of the Johnstone McKemie who had married Mary Pearson) (This John McKemie who died in Twiggs County Georgia, had a will recorded in Book “G” 1823-1833 in Jasper County Georgia). Frances James was born May 10, 1808 and died September 18, 1873. Do not have date they married, but they had four sons. Two of these sons, whose names I do not have at the moment, went away to the War Between the States and were never heard of thereafter. It was a great blow to the father and mother of these two men to just have them fade away without ever knowing where or when they came to their death. The other two sons were James Francis McKemie born in Fairfield District South Carolina May 2, 1828. He was a Methodist preacher or circuit rider and went from church to church by horse-back. He died December 17, 1887 and was buried at Wesley Chapel in Clay County Georgia about a year earlier than his father who was also buried there as related above. James Francis McKemie had spent his boyhood and early youth in Troup County Georgia. Understand they had moved from Fairfield District about 1830, year or so after he was born. They then moved from Troup County to Clay County Georgia in early part of 1852. On October 7, 1852 he married Ann Elizabeth Greene of Clay County. Do not have date of her birth but at his death, he was survived by his wife and ten children, four sons and six daughters.

Back to the other son of James McKemie and Frances Jane McKemie. Their son, not to be discussed, was the one through whom I descended. He was Robert Pierson McKemie (they had no doubt intended to spell it Robert Pearson McKemie). Robert Pierson McKemie was born August 20, 1847. He must have been born in Troup County Georgia and went to Clay County Georgia about 1852 when about 5 years old. He married Mary Ann Amanda Colley December 5, 1872. She was born December 7, 1854. He had moved with his family from Clay County Georgia about 1895 to Ashford, Alabama in Houston County. He died and was buried in Ashford. Date of death March 2, 1917. His wife died just a few months later, November 5, 1917, also buried at Ashford. They had nine children, five sons and four daughters. These nine were my uncles and aunts. The son (my father) William Rogers McKemie born in Clay County Georgia March 30, 1884, married November 13, 1904, Iva Eulalia Killingsworth of Clay County Georgia. He had gone to Alabama in 1895 but went to Arlington, Georgia where the wedding took place and he took his bride back to Ashford. My mother was born January 13, 1887 she had lived as a girl at Bluffton, Georgia. In my early childhood, we visited my grandmother and spent many happy days in these visits at Bluffton. When Grandmother Killingsworth died, she was buried at Wesley Chapel Georgia.

At the time of this writing William Rogers McKemie and Iva Eulalia Killingsworth McKemie are living at Columbia, Alabama, Houston County. They are in their seventies. He retired from the grocery business at 70 years of age and they are going strong at the present time.

Their children, three sons and four daughters are as follows: (1) James Franklin McKemie, born July 28, 1905, at Ashford, Alabama, married on October 19, 1929, Margaret Louise Fullington, born May 30, 1906 at Pinehurst, Georgia. Wedding at Mulberry Street Methodist Church chapel in Macon, Georgia; one daughter, only child, Susanna Louisa McKemie born July 22, 1943 at Kansas City, MO. The three now living at 1104 Fern St. Homewood, Birmingham, Alabama. (I am the writer of this report). (2) Gladys Lucile McKemie, born June 14, 1907, Ashford, Alabama; married T. C. Stewart and they have one child, Llanelle, the three presently living at Mobile, Alabama. Llanelle about 18 years old. (3) Wilma McKemie, born April 21, 1909, Columbia, Alabama, married A. H. Collard, no children, now living 1060 Radcliff Place, LaHabra, California. (4) William Rogers McKemie, born April 8, 1912, Columbia, Alabama, married Wilma Wilberding at Cincinnati, Ohio. Have two sons and one daughter. One of their sons, the oldest, is married and living at Charleston, S. C. Rest of the family is presently living on West Davis Ave, Davis Island in Tampa, Florida. (5) Iva Genevieve McKemie, born March 9, 1918, Columbia, Alabama; married to Thomas Stoudenmire, February 24, 1939 at a home wedding in Columbia, Ala. Only one child, daughter Brenda Llanelle born April 1, 1941. They are presently living at Camilla, Georgia. (6) Floyd Merrill McKemie, born April 5, 1923, Columbia, Alabama. He was in a bomber squadron based in England in World War Two; was in group that made first daylight raid on Berlin, Germany and after three or four more such daylight raids over Berlin, his plane was shot down over Berlin and he bailed out by parachute and spent considerable time in prison camps before liberation by American forces. Returned to America and went back to Kansas City, Missouri, to continue his university studies. He had been in Kansas City with his brother James prior to Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. Back in Kansas City, he married Josephine Miller of Kansas City, Missouri. (7) Betty Jean McKemie, born October 13, 1933, Headland, Alabama married to B. F. Oakley at Columbia, Alabama, at Columbia Methodist Church. No children YET. Presently living in Dothan, Alabama.

I do hope that some people will be able to pick up a thread in this story and put some additional information together for their own line of the family.

Sincerely,
James Franklin McKemie