Mike Keeney came to Coleman in 1904 from Bell County (see Isaac
Keeney). On July 20, 1904, he married Miss Belle Fry, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Fry, born March 11, 1886 in McClellan County.
They had nine children:
(1) Ethel, born December 12, 1905 - died December 30, 1983,
married first, Don Jennings in 1929 (he died in 1959), married second,
Tom Watson in 1933 (see Richard A. Moore), two daughters, Billie Merryman
(see Oliver Merryman) and Ruby Jackson.
(2) Lula Mae, born September 3, 1908, married Archie Mitchell, died
April 2, 1984, buried in Coleman. Lula Mae lives in Coleman.
(3) Gladys, born July 19, 1910, (see J. W. Slayton) and the parents
began to wonder if they would have any boys.
(4) Raymond was born July 27, 1912, (see Henry Lobstein).
(5) Isaac “Ike,” born September 30, 1914, now lives in Abilene.
(6) Elizabeth “Sis,” born June 11, 1917 - died August 29, 1978 (after
a long fight with cancer) buried in Coleman. She had four boys and
two girls.
(7) John, born November 9, 1919, now lives in Crane.
(8) Christine, born May 22, 1922 (see Wylie Ernest Turner).
(9) Doris, born January 9, 1924 - died October 21, 1934.
Mike Keeney died May 24, 1924. He lived a short life, but his children,
grandchildren and their children number into the hundreds in the county.
Mrs. Belle Keeney was both father and mother to her nine children and provided
for them very well. They made their home in the Cross Roads community,
northeast of Coleman, better known as the Keeney oil field. Mrs.
Keeney was honored with a party at the city park building for many years.
Each year friends and relatives met and had dinner and then sit and talk.
Sometimes the young, and even the old, would play baseball or shuffleboard.
Belle died January 20, 1976, after a short illness in the Coleman hospital,
buried at Coleman. She was known to many as Aunt Belle. She
was the backbone of her family and was a Baptist.
Forty-seven years ago, the annual Keeney reunion was started in Christoval;
then several years ago the group voted to change the location to the Coleman
City Park. Sometimes we are like the Hatfields and the McCoys.
There are names like Smith, Mitchell, Merryman, Jennings, Campbell, Jackson,
Keeneys, Hunter, Fenton, Evans, Love, Neff, Odom, Parker, Fry, Turner,
Wilson, Trammell, Horton, Dean, Mathews, Strength, Beal, Slayton, and all
are related to the Keeneys. I know I have left some out.
(Images to be added)
The Mike Keeney Family. Ethel, Belle, Lula Mae, Gladys
(front) Christene, Elizabeth (Sis), Isaac, Raymond (back).
The Mike Keeney Family: John, Christene (front), Raymond, Elizabeth
(Sis), Isaac (Ike) (middle), Lula Mae, Doris, Belle, and Gladys (back).
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