GeorgeKeeney

KEENEY FAMILY

The Keeney family
association with San
Saba County Begain in
1865 when Michael
Keeney and his som
George come to Texas
from Missouri. Both men
had served in the Civil
War, and had lost almost
everything. When Michael
and George returned
home neighbors the
family enough cotton to
make a wagon cover, and
a pair of oxen. They
traveled with a group to
Sulphur Springs where
the Keeneys left and
settled in Temple. Michael
and his wife Cinnie lived
and died in Temple.
George Keeney came to
Chappel He had been
wounded in the Civil War
in 1863 and lived in a tent
in Arkansas until he
recovered. George must
have been an inteligent
young man, because after
his arrival in Chappel he
married Sarah Jane
Harrell, daughter of Judge
Joab B.HARRELL. Judge
Harrell had formerly been
the first sheriff of
Williamson County. He
was elected county judge
and was very active in
county affairs for over
thirty years. He and his
wife donated the land for
Chappel Methodist
Church and cemetery.
The community of
Chappel was originally
known as Harrell"s
Chappel.
Judge Harrell gave the
couple some land and
they had a store and a
blacksmith shop in
Chappel, George was
known as a good
blacksmith and he also
built chimneys for
families in the
community, at least one
of which is still in use
today.

George and Sarah were
charter memebers of the
Mehodist camp meeting. In
1869 Judge Harrell, Shorty
Brown, and a drive to New
Mexico, George Keeney went
along on part of the trip as a
camp cook.
George and Sharah Had seven
Children, their son Isaac
Woodsom (Bud) joined another
prominent family when he
married Eva Millican , daughter
of W.W. and Mary Francis
Millican. Oarto of the original
Millican land has remained in
the family is now owned by the
Millican's great-grandsons.
Billie Bub and Phil B. McCoury,
a UYounger son, John D.
Married Lula Low, and after her
death he married her sister
Annie. Thier children include
Annie Lena, (Mrs Bob Sullivan)
who has an active interest in
her family's history. The
children I. W. and Eva included
Ervin Dow, who at one time

operated one of the largest
cedar yerds in the state at
Chappel, Ervin Married
Estelle godwin, and after her
death, he married Mary
Gage, Two of the daughters,
Leola and Thelma (Fritzs),
married cousins Robert
Alexander Broules and
Charles Daniel Broyles,
Juanity (Bode) married
Maynard McCoury.. Another
son , Woodson Monroe
Keeney served as the
Chappel correspondent for
the San Saba paper for
several years before joining
the Navy to serve in World
War II. He also had one of
the first cars in the
community in the early
thirties and his relatives
recall that he often drove too
fast. He married Alice Inez
Krauss in 1930. One story
about his childhood shows
how difficult life could be in
the" good old days"

When Woodson was a young child
he became very ill, Dr Doss
recommended that he be given
whiskey as part of his treatment.
There was none in the house so the
child's uncle John went out
snowstorm to ger the shiskey to
help bring the baby through the
crisis.
The Keeneys have had a long
association with the Chappel Post
Office. The first post office there
was established in 1879 in the
home of George Keeney. In 1906 I.
W. Keeney became postmast , and
he was followed by Ervin D. Keeney.

This Article was Taken Form:
History of San Saba County Texas,
Provided Bty :: Linda Spindor

George Keeney	Born 12/30/1840 Gasconade, Co.Mo Died 06/22/1916 San Saba Co, Tx
Married on January 9, 1867
Sarah Jane Harrell	Born 04/07/1850 Died 06/29/1888 San Saba Co. Tx

Joab R. (Joe). Keeney	Born 11/12/1869
Isaac (Bud) Keeney	Born 10/19/1871
John W. Keeney	Born 04/23/1880
Leola Keeney
Thelma Keeney
Juanita Keeney
Woodson M. Keeney