Connie, In Lawrence County Tombstone Inscriptions, Vol. 6, Spring River and Freistatt Townships, there is no Mahaffey in the index and Kenney on p. 33 in Spring River Cemetery are: Kenney, James C., 1909-1984 Mildred, 1913-( ) Also checked adjacent townships and found only: Kenney, Charles I., 31 Dec 1879 - 14 Dec 1948 Alice Logan, 3 Jul 1881-2 Oct 1972 in Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora. This is most likely the Charles I. Kenney who is listed as secretary of the United States Publishing Company of Aurora which published "The Menace" an anti-Catholic newspaper which had a national circulation of over 1.5 million in July 1914, just before the proprietors incorporated under the U.S.P.C. name. [Ozark Region: Its History and Its People, 1917, vol. 2, p. 94]. I don't know if he is related to your Kenney family or not. His death certificate or obituary might name his parents. The name Kenney is also mentioned twice in volume 3 of the Ozark Region which contains Lawrence County Biographies. The first time is definitely your family. On p. 82 in the sketch of Abner Meredith Collins, pp. 81-83, it states: "September 30, 1880, Mr. Collins married a second time, the date being September 30, and the bride Miss Laura E. Kenney. They were married at King's Prairie in Barry county. Her parents are Robert N. and Martha (Wilson) Kenney. Mr. Kenney was a farmer, but for many years held office in Moniteau county, Missouri. Mrs. Collins was one of six children. When her father died, at the age of seventy years, he had never been outside the state of Missouri. By this wife Mr. Collins had two children. One of them was Loren Ellsworth Collins, a blacksmith of Verona. He married Bernice Ashley and in 1908 they had a child Robert Quinn, born August 14. In 1913 the wife died and is buried in Spring River cemetery. The other child was Lola, born December 22, 1887. She died when but a little child." There is more on Abner Collins ancestry, his first wife and her children, and he and Laura, too, if you are interested. However, the information in these sketches is not always accurate. Did you have Martha Kenney's maiden name Wilson? Perhaps you should look in Barry County since they were married there in 1880 and her father died about nine years later. Their marriage may be recorded in Barry Co. because it is not in Lawrence Co. I found the following stones in Spring River Cemetery inscriptions: p. 18 Collins, Abner M., 1833-1929 Laura E., 1854-1922 Collins, Donnie S., Apr. 27, 1891-Sept. 10, 1946 Collins, Loren E., July 4, 1884-Jan. 16, 1946, Missouri/Cpl 110 Trench Mortar Btry/35 Div/ p. 32 Collins, Berniece Ashly, Oct. 22, 1881-Feb. 17, 1913 The second mention is on p. 85 in the sketch of Nicholas Monroe Browning of Verona. He married Emma Kenney in 1878, but it does not identify her parents, though it seems likely she too is related. In the 1974 History of Lawrence County, there is also a sketch of Nicholas Monroe Browning which mentions his wife Emma J. Kenney who died 2 Jan 1891, buried in Spring River Cemetery, and their 3 children. He remarried in 1896. They are also mentioned on p. 453 in the history of the Browning Family. Their marriage is recorded in Lawrence County, Book C, p. 68, 28 Feb. 1878. Spring River Cemetery, p. 14: Browning, Opal, dau. of M. & M. N. M. Browning, Nov. 12 1879-Sept. 18, 1887 [this is Emma's daughter according to the sketches] Emma J., wife of N. M. Browning, Apr. 18, 1853-Jan. 2, 1891 Monroe, Feb. 12, 1853, Jan. 30, 1834 [probably 1934, but sketch in 1974 History says 1933] Lyda R. Browning, Dec. 15, 1869-Oct. 16, 1940 In Goodspeed's 1888 History, Lawrence Co. section, p. 158 of reprint, E. Mahaffey is listed a merchant of Verona in 1888 whose stocks were assessed that year. Deaths, Births, and Stillbirths for Lawrence County, Mo., 1883-1893, p. 30: Mahaffey, female, b. 15 July 1883, 1st child Mother: [blank] Father: R. Mahaffey Dr. Z. C. Denney, Mt. Vernon This could be Russ Mahaffey, but his wife is not named. However there is a marriage record in Book D, p. 94: Mahaffey, R. H. to E. E. Hoover, 19 Oct 1882, by L. A. Dunlap, M. G. The only likely E. E. Hoover in the 1880 Lawrence County Census is Ellen, age 20, Ky, also in Spring River Twp., family #255 headed by James M. and Mollie V. Hoover. A couple of months ago I assisted a collateral Patton-Guthrie-Lewis relative with this same Hoover family. I will cc: her on this message. She is Michelle Daniel at <raisinette55@hotmail.com>. I will include part of that message here. She subsequently has confirmed the family connection I made and may also have found additional information: ********appended message begins here******** There is a likely family for Sarah's parents in the 1880 Lawrence Co. census. Richard L. and Sarah (Hoover) Lewis are living with his parents in Spring River Twp., family #188. A few pages later in family 255 are: Hoover, James M., 49, Tn, --, -- Mollie V., 30, Ky, Va, Ky Samuel E., 21, Ky, Tn, Ky Ellen, 20, Ky, Tn, Ky James L, 19, Ky, Tn, Ky William B., 16, Ky, Tn, Ky Joseph M., 14, Ky, Tn, Ky Sidney L., 14, Ky, Tn, Ky Marth S., 11, Ky, Tn, Ky Lorenza D., 10, Ky, Tn, Ky Ulysses, 4, Ky, Tn, Ky Clara, 2, Ky, Tn, Ky There are some other Hoover families in Lawrence Co. in 1880, including another James M., but I would check out this one first. Lawrence Co. Tombstones, Vol. 6, Spring River & Freistatt Twps., Spring River Cemetery, p. 32: Hoover, J. M., 8 Feb 1831 - 4 Aug 1904 Mollie V., 1 Mar 1850 - 7 Jun 1931 Based on the age of Mollie and the age of the children, it is possible that Sarah's mother (also, Samuel through Lorenza's mother) died in the early to mid 1870s. Then their father remarried to Mollie V. and had Ulysses and Clara in Kentucky before they moved to Missouri in late 1870s. If you can check the 1870 Kentucky Census, you may find James M. Hoover with his first wife, Sarah's mother, and Sarah, age about 7 living in the household, along with the Samuel through Lorenza. Secondly, you might write the Probate Clerk at the Lawrence County Courthouse in Mount Vernon for a probate file for James M. Hoover who died in 1904. There is one in Box 45, file 1026, but I am not sure this is your James M. Hoover. This seems an early file number for a death in 1904. There was another James M. Hoover in Lawrence County at this time and it could be his probate file. You could also check for an obituary for James M. Hoover in 1904 which might or might not name his children. Thirdly, Samuel E. Hoover married Elizabeth Ellen "Bettie" Browning, daughter of Elisha Browning and Guley Rinker. Sam and Elizabeth are also buried at Spring River, but Sam's stone was illegible. Elizabeth's says 1856-1954. If you can find his date of death, you may find his sister, Sarah named in an obituary. Maybe some of the Browning family researchers on MOLAWREN-L can help. I don't find any more data on them in the Browning sketches in the 1974 History, but someone may have found some more information on them since then. ********appended message ends here******** I also suggest you contact Ruth Browning at: RBROWNING@harding.edu She is a very knowledgeable Browning researcher. I will also cc: her on this message because she may have more information on Emma J. Kenney Browning. Also in Ruth Browning's SW Mo. Newspaper Abstracts, Vol. 3 & 4 Combined, p. 45, under Marriage Licenses and Marriages from Chieftain and Fountain & Journal: Marbut, James P., and Miss Panthe A. Flippin, both of Verona, married on Apr. 3, 1881, Escorts were Mr. James Collins, Mr. William Marbut, Miss Hattie Mahaffey, and Miss Ada Flippin. I didn't find any Mahaffey or Kenney in the Lawrence County Probate Index to 1908. Since Russ, Sarah, and Clementine are all listed as born in Tennessee, have you looked for them and their parents in Sistler's 1870 Tennessee Census Index of Heads of Household and their 1860 Tennessee Census? Hope this helps. Ross Cameron >>> bradbury@ptialaska.net 08/09 3:54 PM >>> I am researching a Mahaffey and a Kenney family who are in Spring River Township in the 1880 census. Robert N. Kenney and his wife Martha. Robert is 61 and Martha is 57. I believe Robert is from Moniteau County. Also there is a Russ Mahaffey and his sister Sarah, who are living in the same township. Russ is25 and Sarah is 21. I believe they are the siblings of Margaret Clementine Mahaffey who married Abraham Jackson Kenney in 1879 in Lawrence Co. Margaret is 18 in the 1880 census. This seems a little strange that these three Mahaffeys would be there - seemingly parentless. Is there someone who can check the cemetery books for Mahaffey and also for the Kenney's? Thank you so much for your help. Connie

Ross: I'm printing this off as I "speak" here as I was just on my way to the FHC to read some films. Thank you so much for all the information. It will take me awhile to digest it. I will follow up on the things you suggestions. One never knows where the information is going to come from. Again, thanks. Connie >

Ross: Please ignore the message I just sent you. I gave you some misinformation. I got interupted in the middle - in fact three times - and starting and stopping just didn't work. I mixed the families up. I will send the correct information later. Connie