Mary Julia McKinney Whatley

The life of Mary Julia McKinney is pretty straightforward.


Mary Julia McKinney was born February 17, 1843, the second daughter of John P. and Mary Ann (Polly) McKinney. She was probably born in Shelby County, AL, as her parents married in Shelby County in 1841 and were still there in the 1850 U.S. Census. One assumes that her parents gave her the same first name as her mother, but the origin of her middle name is a mystery. Confirmation of her name and parentage comes from FamilySearch.org's AL Death and Burial Index:


https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JDLW-8WY


In the 1850 US Census for AL Mary McKinnie, 8, born AL, is living in Shelby County with her parents John and Mary McKinnie.


In the 1860 U.S. Census for AL, Mary McKinney is living in Bibb County with her parents, J.P. and Mary McKinney. She attended school within the year.


On February 10, 1861, Mary J. McKinney married W(illiam) H(enry) H(arrison) Whatley in Shelby County. Minister of the Gospel William Rogers performed the ceremony. The groom was the son of Mavring (Maben or Marvin) A. and Mary Ann Dowis Whatley.


The Whatleys had at least three children who survived childhood, all born AL: Robert Lee Whatley, born about 1867; Daisy Bell Whatley, m. William Henry Pilgreen, born 1876; and Myrtle Bain Whatley m. W. A. Maynard, born about 1888.

In the 1870 US Census for AL, William H. Watley is living in Calera in Shelby County, AL. He is 27, a laborer, born AL, $150. Also in the household is Mary J, 25, born AL, Robt Lee, 3, and Henry Elliott, 19, laborer, born AL. Neighbors include Pilgreen, Harris, Thos Watley, Jasper Green a few pages over, Crim, etc.


http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7163&iid=4257737_00348&fn=Henry&ln=Elliott&st=d&ssrc=&pid=12419738

In the 1880 US Census for AL, Wm  H. H. Whatley is living in Calera in Shelby County. He is 36, born AL, a carpenter, father born GA, mother born SC. Also in the household are Mary J., 30, keeping house, mother born AL, father born AL, Robert E., 14,  at school, born AL, and Daisy V., 5, born AL. Next door seems to be his mother Mary A. Whatley, 54, widowed, keeping house, born SC, father born GA, mother born SC. In her household is a Green A., farmer, and daughter Susan Oldham, 20.

In the 1900 US Census for AL, William H. H. Whatley is living in Precinct 3 of Calera, Shelby County, AL. He is 57, born April 1843, married 37 years, born AL, parents born GA, a carpenter, owns, speaks, reads and writes English. Also in the household is wife Mary J., born Feb. 1845, 55 years, married 37 years, seven children, three now living, born AL, parents born SC, can read, write, speak English; daughter Myrtle (Daisy), 16, born AL in Aug. 1883, parents born AL, attending school; and B. Lee, grandson, born Jul. 1897, 2, born AL, parents born AL.

William Harrison died on 11 August 1909, leaving Mary a widow. 

In the 1910 US Census for AL, Mary Whatley is living in Precinct 3, District 105, Calera, Shelby County, AL. She is 67, widowed, born AL, rents, three children, two still living. She is living in the household of Arch Maynard and daughter Mirtle Manard. Also in household is Lee Bryon (Bryan Lee) Whatley, 12, nephew of Arch.

In the 1920 US Census for AL, Mary Watley is 77 and living in the household of her son-in-law W. A. Maynard and his wife Mirtle in Shelby County.


Mary Julia died on May 12, 1923, and is buried the Salem Cemetery, Calera, Shelby County, AL, with husband W. H. H. Whatley. 


We know her death date from the census of the New Salem Cemetery in Calera, AL; the URL is located here:


http://files.usgwarchives.org/al/shelby/cemeteries/salem.txt


And from Findagrave.com here:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JDLW-8WY

Nice of her to leave so much easily found information. If only we could say the same about her aunt Britta Ann Green.   ;-)