John Blanden Keeney (1859 - 1942)

Born 20 Oct 1859 in Goshen, Lane, Oregon, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Ella Leora (Hurt) Keeney — married 1881 in Oregon, United States

Died 1 Sep 1942 at age 82 in Condon, Gilliam, Oregon, United States

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Biography

Birth

John Blanden Keeney was born on 20 October 1859 in Goshen, Lane, Oregon, United States to Andrew Jackson Keeney (1819-1889) and Hannah Daniels Walden (1830-1860).

Marriage and Family

He married Ella Leora Hurt (1865-1929) on 26 October 1881 in Lane County, Oregon.

Children of the Keeney-Hurt Marriage

1. Maude H. Keeney was born on 1 December 1882 in Goshen, Lane, Oregon, United States. She married Charles Karl Sarbacher (1881-1965). Maude died on 22 July 1958 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States.
2. Rhoda Clyde Keeney was born on 10 January 1884 in Lane County, Oregon, United States. She died on 25 September 1884 in Lane County, Oregon, United States.
3. Ira Marvin Keeney, called Marvin, was born on 7 July 1886 in Goshen, Lane, Oregon, United States. He died on 1 February 1945 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States.
4. Willard Warren Keeney was born on 10 February 1888 in Condon, Gilliam, Oregon, United States. He died on 27 August 1958 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States.
5. Glenn Daniel Keeney was born on 3 October 1894 in Gilliam County, Oregon, United States. He died on 5 January 1954 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States.

Residences

In about 1887 the family moved to Gilliam County, Oregon. He was a farmer and owned several different ranches in that county.

Because John's parents were elderly and his step-mother died in 1892, he moved the family back to his father's family farm near Goshen shortly after Ella gave birth to Glenn in 1894. He took over the farm for several years. His father returned to the farm to live from from 1895 until his death in 1898.

In 1903 the family returned to Gilliam County where John was appointed the U.S. Deputy Marshal. Due to the good job he did in bringing law and order to the cattle and sheep wars, the town appointed him City Marshal of Condon in the early 1900s and he was Chief of Police there in 1911.

In 1931, Ella had died and John was almost killed in a house fire. His son Marvin came home to find the house fully enflamed. He carried his father out and the house burned to the ground with all of their belongings. The only things that John had remaining to him were his old handcuffs and star which happened to be at the home of a friend. Those handcuffs and the badge are on display in an Oregon museum. ^[1]

His grandson, says that John spoke the different languages of the Indians who came through his area and that he traded deer hides with them for moccasins and fringed gloves.

Occupations

He was a lawman of Gilliam County, Oregon and a rancher. The tales of his law days show that he put up with no nonsense at all. One illustrative story on the Ruts West site is of a 4th of July incident.

One 4th of July, Marshal Keeney was called to a barroom because one of the cowhands had indulged in too much rye whiskey and was loud and rampageous, and occasionally shooting his pistol into the floor or ceiling. Officer Keeney came in the door and walked directly up to the drunken wrangler. Put up your gun and come with me, the Marshal said. Go to Hell! was the reply of the cowboy. Without another word, Marshal Keeney quickly landed a blow with the barrel of his pistol alongside the head of the cowpuncher. Little John Keeney and one of the bar patrons dragged him off to the city calaboose, where he bandaged his head, locked him in a cell and left him to cool off until morning.

Death and Burial

John died at home on 1 September 1942 in Condon, Gilliam, Oregon, United States at the age of 82. He was buried in the Condon Masonic Cemetery, Condon, Gilliam, Oregon. Find A Grave: Memorial #40286089

Sources

• 1860 United States Federal Census on 16 July in Coast Fork, Lane, Oregon. ^[2]
• 1870 United States Federal Census in Eugene, Lane, Oregon. Page 27, lines 3-11. ^[3]
• 1880 United States Federal Census on 15 June in Alto, Umatilla, Oregon. ^[4]
• 1900 United States Federal Census on 4 June in Goshen, Lane, Oregon. Page 1B, lines 68-74 for family followed by 2 boarders. ^[5]
• 1910 United States Federal Census on 6 May in Rock Creek, Gilliam, Oregon. Page 6A, lines 2-7 for family followed by 2 boarders. ^[6]
• 1920 United States Federal Census on 8 January in Condon, Gilliam, Oregon. Page 4A, lines 48-50 for family followed on next page by 4 boarders. ^[7]
• 1930 United States Federal Census on April 10 in Olex, Gilliam, Oregon. Page 1A, line 47. ^[8]
• 1940 United States Federal Census on 10 April in Southwest Condon, Gilliam, Oregon. Page 3B, line 61. ^[9]
• Oregon, Early Oregonians Index. Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon. [[2]]
• Oregon Death Index. State of Oregon. Salem, OR. Oregon State Archives and Records Center.
• Find A Grave Index. A headstone photo is available.
• Keeney, Ralph Ray. Wagon Ruts West. Unknown: Keeney, R.R., 1983. It is out of print, but the author had granted pieces of it for educational purposes. The entire article is available here. ^[10]

Footnotes

1. ↑ There are wonderful stories and photographs about him on his profile found here [1]
2. ↑ 1860: Keeney, A.J. 38, head; Cooper, Anna J. 12, stepdaughter; Keeney, James M. 7, son; William D., 4, son; John B. 6 months, son.
3. ↑ 1870: Keeney, A.J. 49, b. MO, farmer, head; Amanda J. 43, b. IN, wife; James 16, b. MO, son; William 13, b. MO, son; John 10, b. OR, son; Martha 8, b. OR, daughter; Benjamin 6, b. OR, son; Alva A. 3, b. OR, son; Thomas P. 5 months, b. OR, son.
4. ↑ 1880: Keeney, John B. 22, working as laborer, single, servant.
5. ↑ 1900: Keeney, John B. 39/b. Oct 1860 (sic), OR, m. 18 years, farmer, head; Ellen L. 34/b. Jun 1865, OR, 5 children born & 4 living, wife; Maud H. 17/b. Dec 1882, OR, daughter; Ira M. 15/b. Jul 1884, OR, son; Willard W. 12/sb. Feb 1888, OR, son; Glenn D. 4/b. Oct 1895, OR, son.
6. ↑ 1910: Keeney, John B. 51, married 28 years, laborer on Wade Ranch, head; Ellen L. 44, 5 children born & 4 living, wife; Maud H. 27, daughter; Marvin 24, (son), Willard W. 22, son; Glen D. 14, son.
7. ↑ 1920: Keeney, John B. 60, farm labor, head; Ella L. 54, wife; Willard W. 30, widowed, farm labor, son.
8. ↑ 1930: Keeney, John B. 67, widowed, hired man on stock farm.
9. ↑ 1940: Keeney, John B. 80, widowed.
10. ↑ Keeney, R.R.: For Andrew Jackson family also see article available here.