| Elias Key The search for the grandfather of walter
Mack Key bagan in earnest after receiving a copy
of a document written by Myrtle Key
Collier Sisson
(descendent of John Samuel Key). She recounted a
story told to her by her grandmother. It tells of
a young couple who runs away from to marry and
after having a baby die tragically. The Cox
family, who lived nearby, adopted the child. This
baby was Walter Mack Key's grandfather. Combined
with research completed by Jack Key and Malia
Jordan, we finally were able to determine that
our missing ancestor was Elias Key.
All information about the life
of Elias Key has been obtained from census
records, deeds, vital records and veteran pension
files.
Elias was born around 1830-1832
in Illinois. At the age of 19 (1850), he was
living with William and Elizabeth Morris in
Camden County, Missouri. He was a farmer. Since
he was in the Morris household, we presume that
his father had died and his mother, Elizabeth,
had remarried.
He married Evaline Cox in
Benton County, Missouri on May 15, 1853. Their
children were William Riley, John Samuel, Elias
Jackson, Mary Elizabeth, Elish Andrew, James A.,
Nancy J., and Elvina. See the family gedcom for
other descendents.
During the Civil War, Elias
enlisted on Sepptember 22, 1863 to the Missouri
State Militia at Linn Creek in Missouri. He was a
private in the 47th regiment, Company E. In 1870,
Elias, Evaline and their children lived with
Elizabeth Morris in Camden County, Missouri, in
Russell Township. By this time William Morris was
deceased.
Evaline died sometime after
1874, but before mid-year 1876. Elias married
Mary Davis on July 3, 1876, in Benton County,
Arkansas. Elias and Mary had two children,
Sherman Joshua and Orphadella. Elias and Mary
lived in Baxter County, Arkansas in 1880. He made
his living as a wheelwright.
In 1890 on the Oregon County,
Missouri Veterans Census, Elias identified
himself as a Union soldier. He died shortly after
June 1890, but before February 1891 in Thayer,
Missouri. His widow, Mary, filed for a pension
from the federal government but was ineligible
because his service had been with the State
Militia. One picture survives of Elias in his
later years.
Possible parents of
Elias Key
The only clues to the ancestry
of Elias are:
- His mother's name
was Elizabeth
- Elizabeth was born
in Kentucky
- Elias was born in
Illinois
- Based on family
tradition, Elias' father was
named William
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Our current
investigations have identified few candidates for
his parents,
So the search continues.
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