The life of Nettie McKinney Quillan McDowell, Britta' s niece

Another case of 99%. Can't prove it 100%, as I don't have the primary evidence in my hands. But everything fits. I'm talking about the life of Mahala Antoinette J. McKinney, born in Bibb or Shelby County, AL, in June 1859. 

Her parents were John P. McKinney and Mary Ann Green, who had at least nine, maybe ten children, the last recorded of whom was a girl. She was variously listed as Annetta, Antoinette, Mahala, "J.," and Nettie. 

Here's the evidence:

In the 1860 U.S. Census for AL, she is identified as Annetta McKinney, living in Bibb County, with her parents John P. and Mary Ann Green McKinney. The census was taken as of August, so her age of two (born June 1859, 1900 Census) was correct. The original entry is here:

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7667/4211175_00146/17624358?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1860usfedcenancestry%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dmckinney%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dBibb%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d303%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c303%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3dXO%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26uidh%3dwy5%26pcat%3d35%26fh%3d14%26h%3d17624358%26recoff%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

Here's how her family's 1870 U.S. Census entry reads:

In the 1870 US Census for AL, Jno McKinney is 60, living in Brierfield, Bibb County, AL, works in a wagon shop, born SC, a male citizen of the U.S. In the household are wife Mary, 49, daughters Ellen, 15, Susan, 13, and Antoinette, 12. Also son Abram, 19, who works on farm.  All children born AL. Neighbors are Williams, Garrett, Charles Rea, Oakley, Barnes, and a few doors away, Mike & Aunt Britta Flynn. 

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7163/4257570_00853/13049428?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fMS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1870usfedcen%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dmckinney%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dBibb%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d303%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c303%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3dXO%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

By 1880 Nettie's mom, Mary Ann, had probably died. Her dad had remarried (?) but the family had definitely moved to Leflore County, MS. In the 1880 U.S. Census for MS, K.P. McKinney is 71, born SC, in LeFlore County, Beat 3, District 135, widowed. Parents born SC. Also in the household are daughter J or I Quinnon, 21, and son-in-law John Quinnon, 20. Daughter Sarah Ellen and husband J. Pinkney Lemly are on the page after them. J. is born AL, parents born SC, John Quinnon is born AL, parents born AL.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/6742/4241783-00560/9502153?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1880usfedcen%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsln%3dmckinney%26msrpn__ftp%3dLeflore%252c%2bMississippi%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d1733%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c27%257c0%257c1733%257c0%257c0%257c%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%26dbOnly%3d_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26dbOnly%3d_F000279A%257c_F000279A_x%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

How did Antoinette react to her father's remarriage? Unknown—but she certainly "recreated" her identity with two names which had not previously been listed: 

In the 1880  U.S. Census for MS, she is listed as "J." And in Leflore County, MS, she listed her name as "Mahala McKinney" when marrying John Quinnon/Quillan:

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=MSmarriages_ga&rank=1&new=1&so=3&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=ms_db&gsln=quillan&rg_81004020__date=1880&_82004020-gpid=1733&_82004020_PInfo=7-%7C1652393%7C2%7C3246%7C27%7C1733%7C&_82004020__ftp=Leflore+County%2C+Mississippi%2C+USA&uidh=wy5&rs_81004020__date=10

Furthermore, the 1880 MS State Census lists John A. and Mahalia Quillen in LeFlore County. 

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-20950-16592-71?cc=1919687&wc=12299141

Between 1880 and 1900 I have found only one piece of primary evidence to tell us what was happening with Nettie, but we can make some educated guesses:

• Birth of daughter Allice born 1881 in Mississippi (1900 U.S. Census for AL)

• Death of John Quillan by 1891 or divorce from John Quillan before 1891. (There's an interesting twist. Check out the next post in this series!)

• Marriage to W. H. McDowell on November 21, 1891, in Jefferson County, AL (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ86-RL2).

• Birth  of daughter Laura born 1892 in AL  (1886 in 1900 U.S. Census for AL; AL Death & Burial Index, Ancestry.com)

• Death of W. H. McDowell by 1900, as Nettie is a widow in 1900. 

Speaking of  which: 

In the 1900 U.S. Census for AL, Nettie McDowell is living in Precinct 25, Jefferson County, AL. She is 40, widowed, born June 1859 in AL, parents born SC, farmer, rents; three children born, two living. Also in the household are daughter Allice, 18, widowed, born July 1881 in MS, parents born AL; and daughter Laura, 13, born September 1886 in AL, parents born AL. Neighbors include Widiman, Sellars, Massey, Holcomb, Acton, Byars, Heaton, Cox, Hope.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7602/004119989_00397/79800649?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1900usfedcen%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dmcdowell%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dJefferson%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d1498%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c1498%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3dXO%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%252c_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26uidh%3dwy5%26pcat%3d35%26fh%3d7%26h%3d79800649%26recoff%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

In the 1910 U.S. Census for AL, Netta A. McDowell is living in Precinct 8 of Jefferson County. She is 51, widowed, born AL, father born SC, mother born NC, no occupation, two children, two living, rents. Also in the household is daughter Laura, 21, single, born AL, mother born AL, father's birthplace unknown, no occupation. Neighbors include Scott, Moore, Jones, Sellars, Grief, Trucker McKernan (wife Allice--maybe Nettie's daughter?), Williams, O'Barr.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7884/31111_4327199-00411/9547053?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fMS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1910USCenIndex%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsfn%3dnettie%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dmcdowell%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d3%26msrpn_PInfo%3d5-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c0%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3dXO%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26dbOnly%3d_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

In the 1920 U.S. Census for AL, mother-in-law Nettie McDowell is living on Oxmoor Road in the household of Wesley Maynard in Precinct 8, Oxmoor, Jefferson County. She is 60, widowed, can read but not write, born AL, father born SC, mother born NC, no occupation. Also in the household is Wesley, 31, laborer in an ore mine, born AL, parents born US, can read and write; daughter Laura, 31, born AL, parents born AL; grandaughters Nettie, 5, and Allice, 3.5, both born AL. Neighbors: Swett, Patton, Scott, Self, Rose, Ruffin, Green, Davis, Melton, Green Winstead.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/6061/4292991-00494/95725879?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fMS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1920usfedcen%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dmcdowell%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dJefferson%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d1498%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c1498%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3dXO%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26dbOnly%3d_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

Nettie died on March 24, 1929. She was probably buried in the Old Oxmoor Cemetery, which is slowly decaying in Jefferson County. Apparently there are roughly 300 gravesites there with few markers and no caretakers. Her entry in the AL Deaths and Burials Index lists her parents as J. A. McKinney and Mary Ann Green. 

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results#count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3Anettie~%20%2Bsurname%3Amcdowell%20%2Bany_year%3A1908-1930~&collection_id=1307888

And so we've come full circle on Nettie's life. There are some twists, which I will reveal in my next post. 

That's what I love about genealogy—always the unexpected twist. The 1% that maybe disproves the other 99%.

Happy hunting!