A Sesquicentennial History of the Green River Missionary Baptist Church
1836 - 1986, Written and Compiled by Wendell Holmes Rone, Sr., For the One
Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Founding of the Church, 1987. By
permission of author. Ohio County

MRS.MINNIE (WALLACE) KEOWN, the wife of JOHN KEOWN, was born in Butler
County, Kentucky on October 7, 1895.  She was the daughter of W. I. Wallace
and Mattie (Austin) Wallace, both of Ohio County, Kentucky.  Brother Keown
was born in Ohio County, Kentucky, on January 23, 1891, and was the son of
N. H. Keown and Isadora (Smith) Keown.
     They were married on September 27, 1913, on an Ohio County Marriage
License, by Pastor Birch Shields.  The bride was a member of the Green
River Congregation, having been received into its fellowship by Christian
Experience and Baptism in September, 1909.  She had been baptized by Pastor
A. B. Gardner.  Her parents had become members many years earlier.  Her
father had been baptized into the Church's fellowship in August, 1892.  The
Record is uncertain as to when her mother joined the fellowship.  Her
father was a member 55 years.
     Mrs. Minnie Keown has the distinction of being the first woman to ever
serve as a Messenger from the Church to the Association.  It was in 1948. 
She attended thereafter in 1950-1954, 1957, 1962-1967, 1969-1970,
1972-1975, for a total of twenty times.  But her service as Treasurer of
the Church, from November 1950, through August, 1972, for a period of
almost twenty-two years was unsurpassed in the Church's history.  Also, she
served on many Committees of the Church, especially those pertaining to
raising funds for the Pastor's Salary, Missions, Building Projects, and the
Cemetery Upkeep.
     Although from the Records, Brother Keown was never a member of the
Church, he greatly encouraged his wife in her participation in its affairs 
and attended services with her.  The Church Clerk records that on May 9, 1956,
Mr. John Keown let the Church have $365.00, interest free, to pay off the
debt on a Bus; and, that the Church in appreciation of this had a supper on
May 18th following to show it.  Mesdames Alton W. Crowe, Hayward R. Casey
and Willie (Virgie) Shepherd served as the Committee on Arrangements. 
Again, it is recorded that, on November 11, 1964, the Church thanked Mr.
John Keown for the "hat and coat racks he had made" and put in the
vestibule of the 1858-1965 building.
     In the picture at the top, the Keowns renewed their marriage vows on their
Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary, on Sunday, September 29th, 1963.  The actual
date of the Anniversary was September 27th.  The young man who served as
the Ring Bearer in the above picture was Tommy Flener.  The others are
unidentified, except the Keowns and Pastor Nafus.
     Brother Keown (b. January 23, 1891 - d. August 14, 1985) and Mrs. Keown
(b. October 7, 1895 - d. February 28, 1976) are buried in the Green River
Cemetery.  She died in her eightieth year and he in his ninety-fourth year.
They had no children.  Her parents - Willie O. Wallace (1873-1947) and M.
T. (Austin) Wallace (1865-1933) - and his parents - N. H. Keown (1864-1952)
and Isadora (Smith) Keown (1860-1955) - are also buried in the Green River
Cemetery.

Keown Smith Shields Gardner Crowe Casey Shepherd FLener Nafus
=
none

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/ohio/keown.mw.txt