Genealogy of Jim McKinney - Stanley Russell McKinney

Stanley Russell McKinney

M, (5 March 1902 - 2 November 1993)

Father*

Joseph McKinney (25 Mar 1876 - 1947)

Mother*

Eva Mary Stanley (10 Dec 1877 - 17 Dec 1967)

Charts

Pedigree for Stanley Russell McKinney

Relationship

Grandfather of James Jay McKinney.

Last Edited

2 Jan 2007

Reference

MMMC

Researcher

Unrelated

Jim Ancestry Verified

Map*

Cherokee Co., KS,

Cherokee County, KS. Where S.R. was born.

Document

Document(s):

Letters to Margaret.

Divorce*

Gene suspected they started not to get along after the death of Gail. Gene said that his Mom did not get over death of Gail and he did not think S.R. did either. Mom still had the flowers and the vase that held the flowers from the funeral. Per Gene, Buster and Margaret had to go to Fort Smith to testify in the divorce., Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones¹

(Witness) Photo

Edna (nee Jones) McDonald with S.R. McKinney's Car. Identified by Ern McKinney?. Photo owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen., Principal=Edna Mae Jones

(Witness) Photo

Circa 1924. L-R: William Bruce, Alice (nee Jones) McKinney, Gail McKinney, S.R. McKinney, and Edna (nee Jones) Bruce. Identified by Enola Ziebol. Date based on apparent age of Gail. Photo owned by Enola Ziebol. , Principal=Edna Mae Jones, Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones

Photo*

circa 1902

1902 circa. Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by photograph - date based on appearance. Photo owned by Buster McKinney.

Birth*

5 March 1902

Cherokee Co., KS

Document

5 March 1902

Document(s):

Birth Certificate.

, Witness=Edwin Gene McKinney

Note

after 5 March 1902

Childhood:
My name is Stanley Russel McKinney. I was born on a farm in Cherokee County Kansas, nine miles out of town from a Doctor. [I was] born in farm house.

[I had a] normal childhood. We moved to another farm four miles away. In Cherokee County, Kansas. The county seat was Colombus. That's where the doctor came from. We moved and I started school when I was six years old [JM: this would be approximately 1908].

We moved to the family home in 1910, I was eight years old. That's where I went to grade school in a little town called Neutral. Also the church was on the same lot with the school house. I went to school there, we walked a mile and a half to school. There were four . . . there was one little 'ol thing I was a little bit proud of, I loved school. I ate school up. The only thing I didn't like about school was English. I was horrible at it, I guess I still am. There were four consecutive years that I got a little pink slip for perfect attendance, no tardy for one year. I had four of those in a row. Farla has them. Then at the end of those four I got a big one from the county superintendent for four years in a row.

I was a softhearted sort of a kid. I would cry at a drop of a hat. I was the ball-baby in school. A kid that balls every time anybody points or teases him. The more you balled the more they tease you. They made life miserable for me. I couldn't keep from it. I was more or less grown before I got over that. Most anything I would ball over it. That's where I picked up the nickname of "Soup." At the old school house, they had an oyster supper. They used to have those gatherings at the schoolhouses and churches, they have oyster suppers, pie suppers, they have box suppers. You'd bid on your best girl's pie over here, or your best girl's cake or whatever. This oyster soup thing was so much for a bowl of soup. They would collect money for ladies or whoever, community and school. There was a kid who lived a half-mile from where we did, about my same age, and he was one of my teasers. He told some of the rest of the kids that I went to the Oyster Supper and I ate so much soup it made me sick. I resented it. I don't even remember whether my dad gave me a nickel to buy a bowl of soup or not. I don't think he probably did. But the nick-name stuck among all of my friends. For seven years, when I left home I lost it, for seven years I never heard it, when I went back to the community and went back to work in 1925 down there. I went to work with a kid that I had grown up with, he started calling me Soup and it started all over again. Up until the time I left that country and went to Las Vegas.

When I finished up what we called the eighth grade, when I was thirteen years old, and I started the high school in the Fall, my dad didn't, . . . he took me out before Christmas, I don't remember just what time before Christmas. But he took me out and put me back to work out on the farm and during the Winter, when I wasn't busy and the weather was bad I went back to the old school house and reviewed what I already picked up in the eighth grade. I got as good education .. I think I got a better eighth grade education than a lot of kids got out of high school. I loved school at that point. A lot of time went by, I worked there for my dad and finally I left home when I was sixteen years old. I didn't get along with my dad. There's no point in going in detail about it, except he was a little to strict on me, I thought. I still think he was. I went to the oil fields.

One of Grandpa Stanley's half-sisters, Aunt Mary Ross, she used to show up once in a while. She lived in Spokan. She had one son who used to correspond with Mother quite a lot. He was from Kansas City. Brokerage business. This cousin of Mother's, Jim Ross, when I left home and went to the oil fields, he was in business in Wichita, KS then. I went to visit hi. He took me out to his house. He and his wife, whose name was Faye. Bear in mind I was only, I was gone from home . . seventeen years old at that time. He decided to get me to . . . offered me a job with his outfit. And I could stay at their place and go to school. Go to high school. I'd never finished. And it wouldn't cost me anything. Doing little jobs. They had no kids. But after you . . . a kid at that age when you are taken out of school and you talk about going back to school . . .and the rest of the kids are already through school, I am too old to do that. So I wouldn't do this. I went on back to the oil fields. Got me a $4 a day job.

[What did you do for amusement?] We went swimming. Stole a few watermelons out of patches. Did the work, going to school, go fishing and hunting. Go to gatherings at the old school house. Pie suppers, box suppers and that sort of thing.

[Were you a big baseball player?] I wasn't good at it. No. I liked to play but I wasn't good at it. [What types of sports did you do as a child?] As a child? We didn't have very much. We had a little bit of baseball. Not very much. Football, we never got into in the grade schools. We played Shinney. And Shinney on the ice. Do you know what Shinney is? You take a tin can and a club and you beat the can and you make it slide across. Somebody else hit it back at you. Hit you in the face it would cut your eye out. We use to do it on the ice. [It was kind of like hockey?] Yes. It was a form of hockey. Other than that . . . ice skating. There wasn't too many things except for . . .manufactured ourselves in a way of games. As far as games inside we used to play checkers and all that sort of thing. Tiddlywinks. Used to . . . Grandfather had . . . what was the name of that board . . . a board about three feet square with pockets in each corner. [Pocket billiards?] No. No. It wasn't billiards. Kokono board. Kokono. Had a little round thingy, and you'd travel across the board with your finger like that. And you'd try to hit the other to keep from going in. That sort of thing. We didn't have too many sports. The only means I had of getting around when I got old enough was an old bicycle.

[What was the average work day like for you on the farm?] It was very average, daylight to dark. You went out with a lantern in the morning to milk the cow. You bedded the horses down with a lantern when they went to bed. We worked in the garden. Not only that on Saturday or Sunday, when the rest of the kids were going fishing we had get stuff ready to go to market Monday morning on Sunday. We had to get ready on Sunday so we could take to market on Monday. So we didn't get to play or go fishing, or play ball, or anything of that kind we had work. Winter time, the farm that my dad bought had been run down pretty good. In the winter time, hitch a team up to the wagon with double side-boards. Ride nine-miles with team. Cold! You didn't ride, you got out and run along side the wagon to keep warm. Get into to town to go the livery stable. They had livery stables in those days. Find a horse manure pile, load it up, haul it back to the farm, go out and spread it on the land for fertilizer. We did that often all winter. There were times when he even had steer manure shipped in from the stockyards in Kansas City in a little old grandola[?]. [?] Usually it was in the winter time when this steer manure was frozen in the car. He didn't want to pay for demurrage on the car. Demurrage is taking too long to unload it. We'd have to get in there with a pick, and pick that steer manure out and throw out in chips on the land. That was the main job during the Winter.

There were three of we boys. Harold, Ernest and myself, there was only a year apart. We never had any problems. We got along with each other, the only thing I had to watch out for Ern and he was the smallest one of the three of us. If I ever got him down and beat him up, I better run like Hell because he would run to kill me. He wouldn't give up. We got along. He followed me to the oil fields the next year. He hadn't grown any hardly and the second year I was away from home he got a job where I was working. I helped him get a job.

I didn't get into the practical joking stuff till I got older. I guess I had a certain amount of wit but I was afraid to use it. I was very timid. I was scared of girls. I wanted to date girls, but I had no way of getting around. My dad had a car. He had a horse and buggy. But he wouldn't let me take it. It wasn't until I left home that I started doing any dating to speak of. Had my first steady date, that I ever had, I was 19 years old with your grandmother.

[How was your relationship with your Father after you left home? Did you leave on good terms.] Yeah there was no. . . There was resentfulness on my part. How he felt about it, I . . . He told me get out or get to working harder. [?] change my ways or get out. I took him at his word. He came to the stairway and Mother was crying. I had a gunny sack, I put my gum boots and my extra pair of shoes and my extra pair of overalls in a gunny sack. He came to the stairway, "Now Russell, I'm not running you off." "No" I said, "but you told me what I could do", "Yeah." Well I slung it on my shoulder and went to the depot and got on the train. Then a couple of years later than that. I went back there to see, Mom. And, they lived nine miles out in the country, they had telephones this time. And I called up out there, at noon, Mother, to ask if any other car, if dad would come out to town to get me. I wanted to come out to visit. He come back to the phone and said he was too busy. Well, so I talked to Mother on the phone for a little while, got back on the train went over to Joplin and got drunk. Nearly out of money, I went back to work again. [Do you think it was just because he didn't want to see you, or had his priorities?] He had his priorities. He had his work to be done. It would have cost him 50 cents for gasoline. I just don't know. We were never close, however. In later years he seemed to have a lot of respect for what I was accomplishing. He seemed to be proud of what I was doing. [How often did you visit home in later years?] We used to go down there, once or two or three or four months, something like that. I used to take the kids down.²

(Witness) Census

15 April 1910

Spring Valley Township, Cherokee Co., KS, Joseph McKinney, Head, Age 34,Married 9 years,born in MO,Father born in Ireland, Mother born in MO,General farmer, Looks like he was renting farm but unsure, can read and write Truck farmer working on own account; Eva S.,wife, Age 32, Married 9 years, mother of 3 children all living, born in KS, Father born in IA, Mother born in NC;can read and write;Russell S., son, Age 8,born in KS, Father born in MO, Mother born in KS, did not attend school during past school year;Ernest M., son, Age 6,born in KS, Father born in MO, Mother born in KS, did not attend school during past school year;Herald R., son, Age 5,born in KS, Father born in MO, Mother born in KS, did not attend school during past school year., Principal=Joseph McKinney, Principal=Eva Mary Stanley³

Occupation

circa 1918

Oil Fields and Drilling in Kansas:
I left home when I was sixteen years old. I didn't get along with my dad. There's no point in going in detail about it, except he was a little to strict on me, I thought. I still think he was. I went to the oil fields. I had an uncle who was a doctor in Augusta, Kansas. I guess that's the reason I went to that town, because I rounded[?] there. I got on the train and it was 200 miles away. He was influential in getting me a job. I was 16 years old, 165 [lb.]. They used to say look here my nephew 165, only 16 years old [1918-1919]. I went right out and did a man's work. The only thing I knew about working was farm work. I had to learn everything I knew. I had several different jobs that first winter. I also had the Spanish Influenza that first Winter which was during[?] World War I thousands of soldiers died in camp of Spanish Influenza in 1918-1919. So from there on I worked for first one oil company then another.

[What were the oil fields like at that time. What type of equipment did you use? ] The equipment at that time was steam powered. A lot of it they were still using team [of horses] and wagons to move stuff around with. Other than that, we did everything the hard way. We didn't have a lot of cranes and wenches and that sort of thing. We did it the hard way. At that time I wasn't working on the rig. I was working on the oil leases that were in production. I was servicing these oil wells. They have problems, they had to be serviced. That sort of thing. Then later on I got what they called pumping jobs. Which was overseeing the pumping of so many wells. Twelve hours a day. [What was the pay like?] Well, it was about $1,200 dollars a year. It was considered a good job then. $100 a month, in the pumping jobs we were furnished a little 'ol house, a small kitchen, small living room, small bedroom. And we were furnished fuel, power. Which helped. You could buy a car then for 25% of your annual wage. Now then its about the same thing. Maybe not that good. In 1923 I bought a new car, a new Ford for $365. And I made $1,200 a year. I never became a driller until I left the oil fields. [How did you learn how to drill wells then?] I had been around drilling outfits in the oilfields and when I went back to Baxter Springs in 1925, I went to work with a guy, helping him on a drilling rig. We were drilling prospect holes for lead and zinc. Samples. That's where I started drilling. Then I didn't get into oil and gas drilling business until about a 1 1/2 later when I went to Paola in 1927. That's when I got into the oil and gas drilling business. In oil group[?] to begin with I never did any drilling.

[At what point did you leave the employ of certain companies and start going to business for yourself?] I got a little bit of money, and there was an old rig for sale. I bought it. Went out to the bank, borrowed the money and bought it. [You said some people loaned you some money?] Well, that's after I got into business. That boosted me. I was already in business when these people helped me. Wasn't but a little bit till I bought another one, then bought another one. I had five of them. [You're were drilling in the oil fields of Kansas?] Yeah, oil and gas in Kansas. Most of them dry holes. It's been years since I got any royalties from oil. 25 to thirty years. It's been oil depleted, many years ago. That stuff never did last quite long. I mean, I drew a little royalty for five or six years after I went to Las Vegas, I guess, but that's probably it. [How did that work. When you drilled a well for someone you would get a percentage of it.] Yeah. That's the way it worked. Well, to drill a well, usually at that time, well varied, but we'll say a dollar a foot. That's what the going price was. I'd go out and get a lease, I'll sell 75% of the lease, I keep 25%. I get 75 cents for doing the drilling. The other quarter interest if I get any gas or oil, is just that much better. If I don't , I still made money of that 75 cents. There was no way I could lose. [So you were actually part owner of the well?] Yeah. [Is that called wildcatting?] Well, some of it was. [What's wildcatting?] Wildcatting is going out where there never has been any oil or gas and trying to find it. Ordinarily if you're 25 miles from any producing well then you're wildcatter. Some cases not that far. [Did you ever make any money off a wild cat well?] No. I never did. Well, I contracted some wild cat wells, but I never carried any interest in any wild cat wells. The wells I carried interest in I was pretty darn sure, that I get oil. The chances were much better than they were.

[Did you have any partners?] No. I did two or three times for a short while. But I always got out from under that. Considered pretty much of a loner.

I arrived in Las Vegas the first time on February the 15th, 1946. I was there four days. I had come out of the snow and wet and it was nice and warm. Things were starting to grow in Las Vegas. I went back home and started settling out. I got back to Las Vegas on June the 15th, 1946.

[After leaving home, what towns did you live in?] I lived for a short while in Agusta, Kansas. That was after I left home. Of towns I lived in, none of them were over 15,000. Las Vegas, right near bigger than that when I moved there. It got to be bigger than that. [So you moved from Agusta, Kansas to where?] [Laredo?] for a short while. A little ol' town by the name of Burns. And in Florence, where Margaret was born. All small towns. [Then you went to Paola?] Well, no. 1927 I moved to Paola. Yeah. [Did you ever actually live in Kansas City?] No. [You said you were based out of there but you never lived there. Then you went to Paola to Las Vegas.] Yeah.

Drilling stories:
[One of the stories I heard was about maggots in your toes.] You've heard that little ol' story. No point go into that. Other than that. I had an ingrown toenail. It got awful sore. I was working in the oil field. My clothes were all greasy. My boots were all oily. I was staying in a Carter Oil Company bunkhouse. I was working nights sleeping daytime. No screens on the windows. And this toe, had this big sore around this ingrown toe nail. Flies were coming in you know. I got digging around in there, and dug out four or five of them little ol' maggots. I went to town in a hurry. Scared . . . I went to the Doctor, I think I got them all out when I got there. The Doctor put some stuff in it. I had trouble with the thing. It didn't healed up. I finally got up nerve enough one day, and sharpened up my pocketknife. I came right down the middle of my toenail with my pocketknife, right down to the quick. Clear back to the cuticle. And cut that part of it out myself. [Just cut the toenail off?] Half of it. [The side that was infected.] Yeah. Then it healed up. When it grew back I tried to take care of it. Which I was successful in doing. It never did get that sore again. Another thing, I talked about my Dad not being able to stand pain. I've always been able to stand pain pretty well. I've been hurt a few times. Things slowed up, one thing or another, and sit them and watch them while they did it. [?] with out any [?] or anything. I've just hardened myself to pain so I could withstand it. [?] several times. Not serious wounds but things you know where there was pain. I had my head sewn up one time. I had a rod fell down and hit it across the top of the head there. Went to the Doctor, he put in seven or eight stitches. and curichrome would just come out, curichrome hadn't put on a mark or two or anything. The Doctor sewed it all up. And put a patch over my head. I went along and drove 35 miles in my Model-T to play ball that afternoon. [Baseball?] Yeah.

As an adult, I became a practical joker. I did all kinds of things. Played tricks on people. People played tricks on me. I hung snakes up where they would walk into them with their face. I had a rattlesnake one time in the back end of a truck behind a car, and I told this buddy of mine "reach in under that tarp and get me that wrench." He reaches in and gets a hold of that big ol' snake, he didn't know it. Then he came out of there with a hammer chasing me half a mile. He wanted to kill me. All kinds of things. I had a guy work with me one time chew gum. He chewed gum. He just kept chewing gum. Round about the time Pheneament came out. You know what Pheneamint is. Pheneamint is a laxative. So they had Pheneamint shaped just like some of these other candy, you know. We got out there to the rig, in a little ol' doghouse. He's always choosing gum and I switched the . . . put the Pheneamint over here. So he started chewing this gum. So along about the middle of the afternoon, we were working out behind a house. There wasn't anyplace to go much. There was a [head drill?] about as far as it is to Torrey's [around 300 yards] back out there where he could get behind something. In the middle of the afternoon, he says "I got to go." Well he went, he went pretty fast. He got about half way to the rig, he tore his clothes off. I don't remember how he found out. I had him running for the head drill all afternoon. He got even, I don't remember just how. We were always playing tricks on each other. Well I will tell you another thing. One of the things he got even with me. These are things, you know, don't talk about too much. Cold weather, we go out to the rig at daylight. Daylight, 6:00 o'clock in the morning, snow on the ground. Cold! He and I had a rule with each other, no out-buildings or anything, we had a rule with each other, if you go and took a crap within throwing distance of the rig, you got throwed at. So we stayed out pretty well. What I did, [?], not much snow on the ground, while he was operating round the other side, I had to go and I went right round, behind the doghouse. I didn't think he would see me. I just got down and squatted good. And a snowball, he . . . Tricks [?] men play on each other. [Doghouse is where you slept?] Doghouse is where we built a fire to keep warm by. Where we was working. Little ol' house eight feet square on skids. Had a stove in it. You went in and out, in and out to keep warm. I don't many others that come to mind. I killed a big ol' bull snake, one time, about six feet long. And I was working from 12 to 12. This little guy, that was working against me, he came on at midnight. We had six or eight of these motor houses, one at each rig. We'd make our rounds to see if everything was alright, and this motor house had a door about the size of this on one end, a big door on the other end. So we go down this cat walk and walk in to this door to go into the motor room. Just inside the door on the rafter about four or five feet in, convenient, I had this big ol' snake hanging there on a string. When he walked in to it he walked right into its face. He never did know who done it. [Where was this back in Kansas?] Oh yeah back in Kansas, this is 50 years ago.²

Photo

before 1920

1920 before. Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by photograph - date based on appearance. Photo owned by Buster McKinney.

Photo*

circa 1921

1921. S.R. McKinney, Edna Jones (Alice's sister), and Tag in front of Con and Effie's (Alice's sister) house, White Oil Corporation. Identified by Edna Jones. , Principal=Edna Mae Jones

Photo*

1921

1921. Marriage photo. S.R. and Alice McKinney. Identified by Margaret. Photo owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen.

1921. Marriage photo next to oil derrick. S.R. and Alice McKinney. Identified by Jim McKinney. Photo owned by Jim McKinney.

1921. Marriage photo. S.R. and Alice McKinney. Identified by Jim McKinney. Photo owned by Jim McKinney.

. Alice McKinney wedding ring, ring owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen. . Identified by Margaret. Photo owned by Jim McKinney. , Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones

Marriage*

26 July 1921

Kansas City, Jackson Co., MO, Marriage:
[Where along the way did you meet my Grandmother, Phoebe Alice Jones?] That was shortly after[?], 1919 or 1920 somewhere along the line. Her sister and her husband worked an oil lease that I was working on. Effie. The oldest. Edna was one of the youngest. I met her [Phoebe Alice Jones] when she came out to visit them. She went to work in the boarding house, while she was living with them. That's where I started courting her. That's where she asked me to marry her. [When did she ask you to marry her?] When? About 1919 or 1920. [How long had you gone out before you actually got married?] Oh I don't know. I just don't remember that. Maybe six months. On and off. I had no transportation, [?] when she walked. [What day did you actually get married on?] 26th day of July. [What year?] 1921. Went down to court house, bought a license walked over to the judge and he married us. [Did you have any of your family around?] No. Just she and I. She had went back to Missouri. And I was in Kansas. And we met in Kansas City. We got married. Another little thing getting back to your grandmother. Her asking me to marry her. That's the only way she would, is get married. [She would?] That's the only way she would! [She would?] She wouldn't unless I married her. [OK I see.] See what I mean. Just wanted to clarify that., Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones²

Photo*

circa 1922

1922 circa. . S.R.McKinney & Gail. Identified by Margaret - date based on Gail appearance. Photo owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen. , Principal=Russel Gale McKinney

Photo

1922

1922 circa. S.R., Gail and Alice McKinney. Identified by Margaret - date based on appearance of Gail. Photo owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen. , Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones, Witness=Russel Gale McKinney

Photo

circa 1924

1924 circa. Back Row L-R: Mrs. Hull, Mrs. Thomas 2nd Row L-R: Gale McKinney, S.R. McKinney, Alice McKinney, Mr. A.J. Thomas, Mr. Ed Hull Front row L-R: Ethel Thomas, Arthur Thomas, and Billy Thomas. Identified by photograph - date based on appearance of children. Photo owned by Jim McKinney. , Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones, Witness=Russel Gale McKinney

Photo

circa 1924

1924 circa. S.R.McKinney, Gail and Margaret. Identified by Enola. Photo owned by Enola Ziebol. , Principal=Russel Gale McKinney, Witness=Margaret Helen McKinney

Photo

before 1925

1925 before. Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by photograph - date based on appearance. Photo owned by Buster McKinney.

Photo*

before 1925

1925 before. S.R.McKinney with Ern McKinney. Identified by photograph - date based on appearance. , Principal=Ernest Melvin McKinney

Photo

circa 1925

1920's. Flossie (nee Jones) Lawshe's inccription states "just got in from work". Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by photograph - date based on appearance. Photo owned by Jim McKinney.

Photo

circa 1926

1926 circa. S.R.McKinney, Gail and Margaret. Identified by photograph - date based on appearance of Margaret. Photo owned by Buster McKinney. , Principal=Russel Gale McKinney, Witness=Margaret Helen McKinney

Photo

circa 1926

1926 circa. S.R.McKinney, Gail and Margaret. Identified by other photographs - date based on Margaret's appearance. Photo owned by Jim McKinney. , Principal=Russel Gale McKinney, Witness=Margaret Helen McKinney

Photo

circa 1926

1926 circa. . S.R.McKinney & Gail. Identified by ? - date based on Gail's appearance. Photo owned by Jim McKinney. , Principal=Russel Gale McKinney

Photo

circa 1927

Paola, Miami Co., KS,

1983/05. House in Paola, KS where Buster was born, circa 1927. Identified by Gene McKinney. Photo owned by Jim McKinney. , Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones, Witness=Margaret Helen McKinney, Witness=Russel Gale McKinney

Photo

circa 1927

1927 circa. Alice, Gail, Margaret and S.R.McKinney. Identified by Margaret - date based on appearance of children. Photo owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen.

1927 circa. Alice, Gail, Margaret and S.R.McKinney. Identified by Margaret - date based on appearance of children. Photo owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen. , Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones, Witness=Russel Gale McKinney, Witness=Margaret Helen McKinney

Photo

circa 1927

1927 circa. L-R: Morris, Gail, Margaret & S.R.McKinney. Identified by Margaret - date based on Margaret's appearance. Photo owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen. , Principal=Russel Gale McKinney, Witness=Margaret Helen McKinney, Witness=Joseph Morris McKinney

Note

circa 1930

Comments on Depression:
[What was the depression like?] The depression, well. . . [How did it affect you?] It affected me like everyone else. Except that I was more fortunate than a lot of people. There were a lot a people who were in the bread line, couldn't find a job anywhere. I was [?] 21/2 or 3 dollars a day during the depression. I happened to be a community where they were developing some gas wells. There was a market for the gas. They was doing quite a bit of drilling. I was making 7 dollars a day. Which was unusual for that time.²

Photo

circa 1930

1930 circa. Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by Margaret - date based on appearance. Photo owned by Margaret (nee McKinney) Lewellen.

Photo

circa 1930

Paola, Miami Co., KS,

Photo taken May 1983. House in Paola, KS where Gene was born, circa 1930. Identified by Gene McKinney. Photo owned by Jim McKinney. , Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones, Witness=Margaret Helen McKinney, Witness=Russel Gale McKinney, Witness=Edwin Gene McKinney

Document*

after 1930

KS,

Document(s):

Notice of divorce proceedings.

, Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones

Note

after 1933

Relationship with kids
See after I moved out, I never did renege on my responsibilities to my family. I was proud of my kids. I always was and I always will be. And I lived within a block in a separate house from where the kids lived with their mother. And they had an open account down at the grocery store and over at the clothing store. Whatever they wanted they went and bought and I paid for them. Now she didn't overdo this thing, she was a good moral mother. She took the kids to Sunday School, and church, and all this sort of things. By being close, I had supervision over my kids. Anything went wrong, I was called in to correct. And I think, that the way I handled it with the kids that I held their respects until they were older for what I did. Desert them I didn't. I never did desert them. They always had everything they wanted. So I think I had a great lot to do with the way they were raised up. As far as right and wrong, and all that sort of thing is concerned. I mean they were not honery kids, just little 'ol things, here, there and yonder. Nothing serious. I don't remember anything in your Dad, see he graduated out of high school when he was 17. And other than that got married and went back to Las Vegas with us.

[When did all the kids decide to come to Las Vegas?] Of course Buster he was in the Marines. He got out and come up there. Then your dad came and then Margaret, she came shortly after. Then Gene was out there for one summer. So I always have said I must not have been to damn mean a dad or they wouldn't have followed me. [Why did Gene stay in Kansas? Because that is where he went to school?] Yeah he went to school back there. And he wasn't cut out for the drilling business at all. He was a greenhorn. The boys played tricks on him. [Like what?] Like going down the road over here and there's a big pile of rocks. "Gene, do you know what that is?" "No, what's that?" "A pile of rocks." He wasn't cut out for that sort of thing.²

Note*

after 1936

Per Gene, after S.R. left he'd come by every so often to take us to the rig. He'd come by and take us to see Grandpa and Grandma. He lived with Ern at the time.¹

Note

circa 1942

Comments on not serving in World Wars:
[When World War I came along you were too young, right, to join up? I heard stories that you wanted to join up?] No, I didn't. I never did want to join up. I wanted to stay out of it if I could. Probably would have drafted me, if I hadn't been drilling oil and gas wells, which they considered, contributory to the war effort. [That's World War II?] Yeah. [How about World War I?] World War I, I was too young. I was 16 when it was over. [You didn't want to join?] I was only 16 when it was over. You couldn't. There were some kids that got in 14, 15, 16, but I never had any desire at that time. See since I was separated, that's the reason they would have drafted me because I was considered a single person. I wasn't divorced, but I was separated. Of course, the separation went on for years. [You didn't want to go off to war. Why was that?] I didn't believe in war. Maybe I wasn't patriotic enough, I don't know. Anyway, there were thousands and thousands of people who were drafted who didn't want to go. I wasn't about to enlist. I could have. I had a business going. I couldn't go off and leave that business.²

Note

after 1946

Las Vegas, Clark Co., NV, Life member of Elks Lodge in Las Vegas. Was Vice President and Director of Southern Nevada Water Well Driller Association and was one of three men on the State Advisory Board to the Governor of Nevada on licensing well drillers.⁴

Divorce

circa 10 December 1949

Las Vegas, Clark Co., NV, Marriage Years and Divorce:
The early part of the marriage, I guess I was. I will go ahead and state this. That I knew I had made a mistake after I got married. [How soon after?] Not very long. [How did you know you made a mistake?] Well I just knew I wouldn't be happy with all I had. I had a lot a pride, I was going to make it work anyhow. [Why did you know you made a mistake?] Well, one of the reasons was being incompatible. She was very poorly educated. She barely got out of the forth grade. She could barely write her own name. And me I am going to be smart, I am going to educate her. I am going to teach her to write. I am going to teach her to read and I am going to do these things. And I tried to do that. It was impossible. [She just didn't want to learn.] Yeah. She had a one track mind. Insanely jealous. [edited] That I . . . like I said before, then along came a great baby. We were very proud. Which this was before things went break [?] apart. I was very, very proud. There wasn't anything going to happen, I was going to make it work. There had never been any divorces in the McKinney's that I knew of, and I wasn't about to be the first. And as things got further along, I got accused later of being untrue and so forth. Which caused me to be untrue! [edited] I feel like that you feel like I am criticizing your grandmother, which in a sense I am, I guess. You couldn't change her mind about anything. And as time went by, I . . . kids came along and kids came along, [?] I started being accused of things I didn't do. Therefore I started doing things I was being accused of. And finally it just came to a climax, I told her I wanted to move out. All of the things I did, I mean, one of the main reasons I did, because, the way we were getting along, and both us fighting in front of the kids. It was better off for me to be gone than it was to fight in front of the kids. That's the way I looked at it. And I left and went back on account of the kids. I went and left again and went and tried on account of the kids. I went back three times. The last time I went back and came back in home, at two o'clock in the morning. I'd been out on rig site[?], I got into business then, I was making a little money, that was another thing. If I got $400 for doing a job I ought to have $400. She'd say "where is the money? You're chasing or you're using it on your women. " and all that sort of things. Which I started doing. And when I went home this one night, Margaret was about 12 or 13 years old, and she started accusing me of having been out, and pulled me into the room where Margaret was asleep, and woke Margaret up in bed. [Edited, She said I was untrue] That's when I left. Now she isn't here to protect herself from what I am telling you. You'll just have to accept it, what I am telling you. Whether I was or whether I wasn't, that was nothing to get a child, a twelve year old girl mixed up in. So you asked for this story. [How old was my Dad, Larry McKinney, at this time?] Four years old. [I take it your marriage was already going bad before Gail died?] Oh no. No, no, no it wasn't until after he died. He died in 1930. [So up to that point there were no problems?] [There were some problems, yeah. But there hadn't been any break up until after that. It went on until 1937 before I moved out.

Now you left out one little thing there between 1937 and 1946. [What's that?] I am not going to tell you about it. That's apart of my life, that's nobody's business, except those that already know about it. The reason I lived the way I did live wasn't the way I wanted to live. It was because your Grandmother wouldn't give me a divorce to let me live like I wanted to live. So I lived like I wanted to live anyhow. I don't know if that makes sense or not.

Talk about going broke. I guess it bore on my mind a lot. With the divorce thing with your grandmother. See I was in court seven times over a period of thirteen years, before I got a divorce. She had reason and she wouldn't. I didn't have reason and I couldn't. That's why I got beat all along. But the main thing about going broke is this. I had a good start in business and the first time I sued for divorce, she agreed, but she wanted everything I had. I'd have to go back to work with my hands. I couldn't stay in business. So I go to work and I mean she agrees to take so much money to settle. I go to work I make money, I work my butt off. Next year, she still wanted it all, she wouldn't settle. I wasn't about to let myself go broke. I just wasn't going to do it. Go back to work for someone else when I had a good start. Until this very day, I mean in recent years, very often I dream about being broke. Just the other night I dreamt I was broke all I had was eight dollars. Time after time, I wake up had a dream about never had a quarter. One time I borrowed money from mother for a postage stamp in my dream. I guess I had a horror of going broke. The other amusing thing about this divorce thing . . . or the most amusing. Arkansas had the same laws that Nevada had as far as divorce is concerned. Six weeks residence, no problem. So I heard about Arkansas. My operation at that time was just out of Kansas City and there was 300 miles down to Fort Smith, Arkansas. And when you establish residence in the state where you want to get a divorce you supposed to be seen, every day, some time during that period by somebody. Well with the train service I could get on a train down at Fort Smith, Arkansas and go to Kansas City and transact business, and get back the same day. So I went down there and I filed for divorce. The lawyers always tell you there is no problem. They don't tell you. But believe me, if it is contested bitterly, there isn't any easy way, if it is contested. There is no way. But the funny part of it is I went down there to get a divorce and that ol' judge down there allowed your grandmother to transport her attorney and witnesses at my expense. Then just beat the hell out of me. I laugh about it now. Cost me three or four thousand dollars. So I thought about going to Mexico. This sort of thing. But, if its going to be contested . . . . actually you get a Mexican divorce but it won't be recognized back in this country if its contested. So I learned a lot about that. Not only that, while I was down there I had . . . Ern was working for me and a couple more guys . . . they were drilling a well, a pretty deep well, they got into a lot of problems . . . and I was directing the operations by telephone in Fort Smith, Arkansas [S..R. laughs]. It was really something else.

[Why did you decide to come to Las Vegas?] One of the reasons was the divorce thing. And I got beat in Las Vegas the first time. [What divorce?] Yeah. [Is that where you actually got divorced in Las Vegas?] Yeah. And I tell you, she fought it bitterly. And she would have been a lot better off if she had got herself a job and had something to do rather than just sitting around mooning about it or whatever. I shouldn't criticize her, like I said she was a good moral woman she was a good mother to the kids and all this sort of thing. That's why I respect that. She was a good mother to the boys. But so I sold out my rigs, which was personal property. [Stuffed] the money in my jeans, and I was gone. A three year separation. Well, when it came to trial, here she come, fighting it. And here came a affidavit though the court, a piece of paper, that your grandmother laid out in front of your dad, "here sign this, son." It was an affidavit that I came home and slept with her one night during that three year period. And I didn't. And they threw it out. Then I had to wait again, and establish three years separation from the time she said I had. Then there was no alternative. She couldn't find what I owned. [In Las Vegas?] Yeah, or any place else. But the point of that was, there was a continuation of alimony and support money and a property settlement which I had the money to take care of it. So I don't mean anything that I'm saying here, I don't mean to appear to be derogatory towards your grandmother or anything of the kind. She was like she was. We couldn't get along. We were incompatible. I told you the main reason why I left, for good. On account, that it was better for the kids, if I was away, than if I was there. Now you can call me a nasty old man or a mean old man or whatever. But if I had the whole thing to do it over, I think I'd do it about the same way, because it all turned out all right. I've been the happiest man on earth for the last forty years. Maybe the unhappiest the first forty of my life.

[When did you actually get divorced? ] Seven days before I married Catharine. [When did you marry Catharine?]
December the 17th, 1949.

Buster's Memories of parents divorce:
I was in 5th grade when he left permanently. Remembers that they lived in a house when he started kindergarten. That house was four or five blocks from a well driller named Willis and his wife. This was the first Buster remembers of Mom raising heck about S.R. being gone all the time with this Willis woman. Buster never knew if it was true.

Does not remember actually having to testify in trial. We went to Fort Smith, Arkansas with Mom and her attorney in a nice Ford convertible to testify. Margaret and he just cruised around Fort Smith while the others were in court. Does not even remember seeing court room in Paola. Since he worked summers with his Dad he remembers hearing from both his mom and dad on their side of the story. Finally time them he was tired of hearing about it., Principal=Phoebe Alice Jones²

Photo

before 1968

Las Vegas, Clark Co., NV,

1968 before. Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by Buster McKinney. Photo owned by Buster McKinney.

1968 before. ? and S.R.McKinney. Identified by Buster McKinney. Photo owned by Buster McKinney.

1968 before. ?,?, and S.R.McKinney. Identified by Buster McKinney. Photo owned by Buster McKinney.

Note

16 July 1974

Torrey's Hole, ID, Copy made by Margaret in 1995: Dear Daughter -
Surprise! Your Dad is writing you a letter!
That seems to be the best way to get a letter from you, you didn't write much on your "Father's Day" card.
We, of course are at the cabin up on the river where it is nice and cool, very little fishing as the river has been unusually high due to heavy snow melting in the mountains.
We are both feeling fine, have a little garden up here, also we always set out flowers which are blooming and gives the place a pleasant look.
Catherine has been sewing on a dress for Farla to wear to Nancy Schow's wedding in Las Vegas on August the 10th.
Farla and Tom plan to go down on Friday and come back on Sunday, so it will be a quick trip, don't know yet whether I will come or not but Catherine probably will.
Uncle Ern had another heart seizure a while back but seems to be doing all right except he don't dear do much in the way of exertion.
Uncle Harold has joined a senior citizens group and has taken up dancing! Never danced a step in his life before, seems to be enjoying himself which is good,
Farla told us on the phone that Cindy and her kids were in Twin Falls for a week or so but we didn't get to see them.
How is your ugly dog? Did she ever grow any?
I suppose Lew is busy as usual.
I've been busy all summer up to now, repairing a few things, painting our wood fence and watering and keeping the lawn mowed. We have a large lawn up here.
I went over to Montana a while back and caught some real nice fish.
Had a letter from Lee Alice a while back, she is quite a card.
I haven't heard from the boys, except for fathers day cards, they are as good about writing as I am.
I guess this is about it for now, Catherine is setting the table like we were going to eat pretty soon, so Bye Bye, and will look foward to your answering this soon.
Love Dad

Photo

1982

ID,

1982. At cabin near Stanley, ID. Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by Jim McKinney - date Jim took it. Photo owned by Jim McKinney.

Photo

1986

1986. Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by Jim McKinney. Photo owned by Jim McKinney.

Photo

after 1986

1986 after. Stanley Russell McKinney. Identified by Jim McKinney. Photo owned by Jim McKinney.

Document

1988

Cabin near Torrey's Hole, ID,

Document(s):

Interview with Jim McKinney at cabin near Stanley, ID.

Death*

2 November 1993

Twin Falls, Twin Falls Co., ID⁴

Document*

2 November 1993

Document(s):

Obituary and Funeral program.

Burial*

after 2 November 1993

Sunset Memorial Park, Twin Falls, Twin Falls Co., ID⁴

Photo

after 2 November 1993

Twin Falls, Twin Falls Co., ID,

1993. S.R. McKinney's Funeral. L-R: Susan McKinney, Craig McKinney, Lee McKinney, Chad Schiermeier, Ryan Schiermeier & Rob McKinney. Identified by Jim McKinney. Photo owned by Jim McKinney.

Photo

after 2 November 1993

Twin Falls, Twin Falls Co., ID,

1993. S.R. McKinney's Funeral. L-R: Gene, Susan, Craig, Lee, Rob, & Buster McKinney. Identified by Jim McKinney. Photo owned by Jim McKinney. , Witness=Edwin Gene McKinney

Photo

after 2 November 1993

Twin Falls, Twin Falls Co., ID,

1993. S.R.McKinney gravesite. Sunset Memorial Park, Twin Falls, ID. Photo owned by Jim McKinney.

Family

Phoebe Alice Jones

Divorce*

Marriage*

26 July 1921

Divorce

circa 10 December 1949

Children

Russel Gale McKinney (8 Sep 1922 - 13 Sep 1930)
Margaret Helen McKinney (9 Feb 1925 - 14 Mar 2008)
Edwin Gene McKinney+ (24 Oct 1930 - 26 Dec 2002)

Citations

[S42] Interview with unknown informant (unknown informant address). Unknown repository (unknown repository address).
[S46] Interview with unknown informant (unknown informant address). Unknown repository (unknown repository address).
[S5] 1910 US Federal Census: Spring Valley,Cherokee Co. KS Supervisor Dist. 3,Enum. Dist. 42, Sheet No. 1A, Lines14-18. Family 4. Page 151.
[S47] Unknown article title, S.R. McKinney Obituary., unknown location, November 5, 1993.