Background by Barry

Twenty years ago I would browse the web looking for information about my McKee Irish roots. I would encounter Kevin’s McKee webpages and be amazed at the information he was providing about McKee families worldwide – he was a pioneer!

At that time I (wrongly) thought my family was from Armagh, and I didn’t recognise the close connection with Kevin’s Donegal family; I never contacted him directly before he died.

Today, Kevin’s daughter Sarah continues his interest, and she has agreed to including some of their work here as a tribute and a THANK YOU to Kevin!

Introduction by Sarah

My branch of the McKee family came from Donegal, Ireland to Peterborough, Canada and then to Marysville, Kansas. I have had the great fortune of inheriting much of the McKee history and lineage information from my father Kevin McKee who researched our family’s history for over 20 years.

I will be traveling to Marysville, Kansas to see where my family came from and look forward to sharing what I find.

Sarah’s Pages – McKee Genealogy

Kevin McKee WebPages

Sarah’s Trip to Kansas (Summer, 2019)

I started in Kansas City, Missouri, then headed west into Kansas. It was a landscape of lush, green rolling hills, trees, grass, and crops. Every now and again, there would be a herd of cattle on the side of a hill; some eating grass, others lying down, some standing next to a lovely little pond. These were long stretches, and every now and then, there would be a tiny town (some unincorporated). I drove through a town called Home, Kansas, which greeted you with a big sign that said, “There’s no place like home. Home, KS” and the town was all but a few blocks, complete with idyllic homes with porches that were adorned with rocking chairs or a swinging bench. About half way to Marysville, there were huge wind turbines, which were a stark contrast to the vastness of green. I went over a bridge that was marked as a Pony Express bridge, and the highway I was on was known as the “Pony Express Highway”. I tried imagining the horse-mounted riders on their way to deliver messages, newspapers, and mail, as they did in the late 1800s. Time is such an incredible thing.

As I drove into Marysville, it was clear that it was a historical site, and a fairly large town compared to the others I drove through.

I turned off the highway and down through residential streets, past a park, and found the cemetery to my right. I parked and wandered in, finding a large, detailed board with all of the names of those buried, along with a map. I took a photo of the names and locations of my ancestors, and walked to their location. The cemetery is maintained and kept nicely, and there were many headstones dating back to the 1800s, although many illegible.

I found the headstone of my Great Great Grandparents, Edward James (EJ) McKee and Anna (Randolph) McKee. EJ was one of the best known merchants in Marysville, as the proprietor of a hardware store. I couldn’t find the exact location of the hardware store, as it had changed a couple of times during his ownership, but I do know that it was on Broadway, which I was able to see and photograph. I was also able to find an address of their family home via a 1900 census record. The home is still in its original location and form and it looks as if the current owners have taken very good care of it. It is in a lovely neighborhood, surrounded by large trees and a brick road instead of pavement.

I also found the headstones of EJ’s parents, Robert Finlay McKee and Sarah Elizabeth Crawford (whom I am named after). Robert’s parents, William and Mary, were both born in Ireland, and are buried in Marysville, KS as well.

Anna’s parents and grandparents are also buried there. Anna’s father was Thomas Christy Randolph. I discovered his obituary online and he was quite a remarkable man, having fought in several battles for the union, and he became a teacher afterwards. He was highly regarded in the community. Anna’s grandfather, George Washington Tarvin, was a doctor for the union during the Civil War. It was great to be able to see both sides of the family.

The McKees attended the First Baptist Church, which is still there. EJ and Anna were active members, both helping with Sunday school. It was recorded in a book about the history of Marysville that at one point the church was referred to as the “McKee church” because there were so many McKees that attended. The church is a huge brick building that sits on a massive piece of land. I didn’t go inside, but photographed it from the outside. It is quite remarkable.

It was overwhelming and fascinating to be able to see where my ancestors lived, worked, and are buried. The town still maintains a lot of charm, with a quaint downtown that looks not far removed from the turn of the century. In the center of town, there is a Pony Express statue, surrounded by bright flowers occupied by bumblebees and butterflies. Across the street, is a mural painted on the side of a building that has the outline of the state of Kansas, with big, bright sunflowers and says (with a heart on the location of Marysville) “Love from Marysville”, which is just what I felt that day.