MARION MCGEHEE

1. Marion McGehee was born to John and Sarah B WILLIAMS MCGEHEE in the year of 1836 in Illinois (1). The family was living in Knox county at the time (2). Marion's family moved to Southern Missouri in the late 1830s and it was there that we find the family in 1840 (3). Marion MCGEHEE is not seen again in records until December 11, 1854 when the marriage records of Lawrence county Missouri state that he married Mary Elizabeth BOWLES (or BOLES). She was the daughter of Thomas Phillip BOWLES of Viringia (4).

In 1856 Hellena A McGehee was born to Marion and Mary Elizabeth Boles McGehee(6). Before 1860 however Marion McGehee had dissapeared. He does not show up on the 1860 census and by 1870 his wife is declared insane. The Boles family states through thier family tradition that Marion left his wife, or they were divorced. Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Boles McGehee was later declared sane again, and she would go on to marry Samuel Critser. She died April 08, 1893. After her death her daughter Hellena McGehee married William Farrell. They had no children. Hellena McGehee Farrell died in 1919.(5)

It shold be noted that at almost the same time (fall 1857), Marion's father, John W McGehee was indicted for murder(7). John W asked for a change of Venue to Jasper county and it was granted but the paper trail dies at that time. There is no further indication of what happened to John W McGehee. In April of 1858 John W's belongings were sold in a probate sale and he was listed as a "non resident" and an "unresident" of Missouri.

So did Marion and his dad take off? Was Marion involved in the murder? Did he simply die a natural death? What was the story?

The other children of John W and Sarah B McGehee begin to appear in Grayson County Texas, almost immediately. Sidney McGehee (Marion's sister) married Richard M Hartzog in Feb of 1859 in Grayson county Texas and on the 1860 census of Grayson county we find another child of John W and Sarah B McGehee, Nancy McGehee, listed as living with the sister of Richard Hartzog.

So where were the rest of the kids? It should be noted that there was a William McGahee(8) on the records of Grayson county in the mid 1860s, and also a "John McGhee" on these same records that cannot be accounted for by any of my records. Is this Marion, or his father hiding? I just dont know. Now it gets better.

A few years ago I was sent the following picture in an email. This Marion McGehee was in California - thats a long way from Southern Missouri in 1860! At the time I had no clue who this was, (and I guess I still dont know for sure) but because of the name "Marion McGehee" someone sent it to me.

I did not think at the time that this was my Marion. I did follow up on it however and I noticed some very close similiarities. For instance here is what I found.

First I just found a census record, which may still be yet ANOTHER Marion McGehee, and not either of the ones that I am speaking of here. The California Census for 1870, Tulare County shows the following.

1870 Tulare County California
Township: Tule River Township
McGEHEE, Marion 30 M farmer IL 265b
McGEHEE, Martha J 34 F house keeper IN 265b (b.Nov)

Ancestry.com had military records for a Marion McGehee in California which were as follows:

LONGEST WHISKERED SHASTA MAN DIES

BALLS FERRY (Shasta County)- June 19, 1918- Marion Francis McGehee, the longest whiskered man in Shasta County, died here yesterday at the home of his stepson, George E. Brown.
His beard was 6 feet 9 inches long and he said he had never shved in his 82 years. He kept his beard pinned up under his chin and unfolded it for public gaze only on special occasions. It was as fine as silk and was kept scruplously clean, his morning task being always to comb out
and braid his beard after his ablutions.
McGehee was an old soldier of the Civil War. He was a resident of this county for forty years, his home being most of the time in Manton, where the funderal was held this morning.

Sacramento Bee 6/19/1918

Then today(10) I found the following information on a website referred to as the "Lingenfelter Archives".

A. ---- FRANCIS MARION MCGEEHEE born in Illinois Jan 22, 1836 died in Manton June 18, 1918 (Will July 3, 1916) married 1st (*) who died at Greenfield, Missouri, 1862; he married 2nd Modesto 1871 Sarah Elizabeth Hargen. Civil War vet. Lassen 1860 census. Paynes Creek blacksmith 1888 and farmer 1896, bad beard 7 1/2 feet long.

Now this of course, caught my attention. So I leave it with you. Below are the similiarities. Tell me what you think! Is this my Marion McGehee in California? Is this not, is it a different Marion McGehee entirely? Are we dealing with three Marion McGehee's? If you notice in the picture above it states that this Marion McGehee in California was a heavy drinker. Is this what ruined the marriage he had in Missouri? Here is a timeline and some other comparisons.

My MARION MCGEHEE
Born Illinois - 1836/37
1854 married Mary E Boles
1856 a daughter named Hellena McGehee is born.
Before 1860 leaves his wife somewhere just a
few miles from Greenfield Mo
Dissapears just before 1860

The California MARION MCGEHEE
Born Jan 22, 1836 Illinois
before 1855 married a woman
..Nov 14, 1855 Helena McGeehee is born

1860 in Lassen Co Ca (11)
1862 Wife dies Greenfield Mo
1862/3 ish California civil war soldier
1870 Tulare county California census?
1871 marries Sarah Elizabeth Hargen Modesto Ca.
May 22, 1871 George McGeehee is born
1878 arrives in Shasta County area (Manton Ca.)
1888 Paynes Creek, Northern California - blacksmith
1896 Farmer - Northern California
Will - July 3, 1916
Dies June 18, 1918 in Balls Ferry (funeral in Manton Ca.).

Last but not least - here is some photographs. I realize that people dont have to look alike to be related, but IF the "California Marion" is my Marion McGehee, then the man in the middle and the man on the right, should be brothers.

From left to right is Robert Carroll McGehee, the uncle of MY Marion McGehee. In the middle is the picture of the "California" Marion McGehee, or Francis Marion McGeehee if I am correct. And then on the right is the brother to MY Marion McGehee, Alexander McGehee. Email me from the link at the bottom and tell me what you think!

Robert Carroll McGehee ----------Francis Marion McGeehee --------------Alexander McGehee

1. 1850 census of Arkansas
2. Black Hawk war records; family history of the death of James McGehee; marriage records of various family members.
3. 1840 census of Lawrence County Mo. (It may have been Barry County at the time).
4. Bowles family records.
5. Bowles family records.
6. Bowles family records, census records (1870 Lawrence county Mo)
7. Lawrence County Court records.
8. Grayson County Marriage records
9. Grayson County Marriage records - John McGehee married Polly Elder.
10.February 28, 2003
11. Lassen County California was not a county until after 1860.