Mrs. Mary McKenzie dies at home of her daughter; Funeral Saturday at 2:30
Well Known Citizen Was Born Here in 1836 -- Held in High Esteem.

The funeral of Mrs. Mary McKenzie (J.). Who died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ella M. Whitney, yesterday afternoon at 2:30.

Mrs. McKenzie was one of the city's oldest native born citizens having been born here on August 13, 1836, and was slightly over 83 years of age. She was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. James O. Sone. She was married in October, 1853 to the late James B. McKenzie, who was a member of Doniphan's expedition to Mexico in 1848 and died 46 years ago.

Ten children were born of the marriage, five of whom are living. They are: Mrs. John W. Ruthven, Mrs. Ella M. Whitney and Baily P. McKenzie of this city and Mrs. Zara M. Rice and Ben McKenzie of Chicago and a brother Samuel B. Sone and a sister Miss Josephine Sone. In addition she leaves 18 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Mrs. McKenzie was a most excellent woman and was held in high esteem by all who knew her. She was probably the oldest native born resident of the county.

Burial will be made in Riverview Cemetery.

Jefferson City, Mo. newspaper obituary


Mary Sone McKenzie as remembered by Bernice Benning McKenzie [a granddaughter-in-law of Mary Jane]

Four of her grandchildren from Kansas City were there for her funeral. Two, Albert B. and William had just been discharged from service in World War I. After the service a cousin said, "I am taking you to visit some cousins and parents." They went to a little settlement nearby and your grandfather (Albert Byron McKenzie) was introduced to several families of black McKenzie's who had been slaves and asked if they could take McKenzie as their name. Seems after James died they took care of the garden and home. After the War they asked to live on the farm as there was no work or any place to live. Some of the younger ones left, but the older ones stayed and died there.

The old stone home in the 1860's was on a farm. Margaret Beaton, a great granddaughter, remembered her grandmother Mary S. McKenzie very well. She said her mother Dulcie McKenzie Beaton took Margaret and her sister Mary to visit this grandmother every summer and to visit the graves of Dulcie's parents. The grandmother, as Marge remembered her, was tiny and very pretty and very peppy. She always set a table out in the grape arbor for all the cousins to have lunch and get acquainted while the grown-ups had their lunch inside. The last time Marge saw her great grandmother was when she was just ten.

Margaret Beaton Bealsworth[sic; should be Bedsworth], a great-granddaughter of Mary and James McKenzie, remembers her great-grandmother very well. For every summer her mother Dulcie took her and her sister to Jefferson City to visit this grandmother and relatives' graves. Margaret thought she was beautiful. She was a small woman with big blue eyes and lovely white hair. Margaret was ten the last time they went before her grandmother died. She was still living in the large stone home where all the children were raised. [This is not possible. According to the 1941 newspaper article reproduced on the memorials for John and Agnes McKenzie, the family sold the home and property in 1888. T.N.] There was an acre or so of ground around the home then. When Bernice Benning McKenzie saw it about 1929 (or 1925), it was a smaller yard full of blooming flowers. House still in fine condition. An aunt Ella [Ellen May "Ella" McKenzie Whitney-Wilson] was one of the nine children who grew up in this home and said she loved to curl up in the wide windowsill in her room and read or play. Aunt Ella visited her niece Dulcie, Albert Byron McKenzie's sister, when my father was a little boy. Margaret said she remembers going to the Riverview Cemetery[sic?]with her mother to place flowers on the graves. The family plot was in the oldest part. Margaret remembered it was very near where the soldiers were buried. All the flags impressed her, there were so many flying in the breeze.

Three of the grandsons returned from the First World War in time to visit their grandmother before she died. Jess, Albert and William McKenzie.

"I saw the house in 1928 when your grandfather (Albert McKenzie), your dad and I spent a long weekend with a cousin of your grandfather's in Jefferson City, Missouri. The yard was full of flowers. A daughter of James we all called Aunt Ella visited Dulcie often. She told me she (Aunt Ella) loved to curl up with a book or her dolls and play in the wide windowsills in her bedroom.

Aunt Ella, who visited Dulcie in Kansas City, Missouri, told Bernice B. McKenzie that the home had five bedrooms.

Home was a large square stone house still standing and in very good condition when Bernice Benning McKenzie visited it in 1928. When the children of John[sic; should be James]and Mary were growing up this home was just outside the town [of Hickory Hill T.N.] and had several acres of land.

She was thought to be very well educated, talented in music and very much loved in the community.

She was a small, pretty woman.

As told to Curtise McKenzie, a great-great granddaughter from her website "COMPENDIUM OF MY LIFE")


1830 United States Federal Census

Name: Michael Sone
Home in 1830: , Cole, Missouri
View Map
Number of persons in household:
Ages of persons in household:
Foreigners not naturalized: View image


Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002

Name: James Sone
Marriage Date: 12 Feb 1835
Marriage County: Cole
Spouse Name: Eliza Peyton


Missouri Marriages to 1850

Spouse 1: Peyton, Elizabeth
Spouse 2: Sone, James O.
Marriage Date: 12 Feb 1835
Marriage Location: Missouri
Cole County


1850 United States Federal Census

Name: Mary J Sone
Age: 14
Estimated birth year: abt 1836
Birth Place: Missouri
Gender: Female
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Cole, Missouri
Family Number: 533
Household Members: Name Age
Samuel V Sone 35 [census actually says "James O Sone" T.N.]
Eliza Sone 34
Mary J Sone 14
George W Sone 12
Josephine Sone 9
Isabella Sone 7
Thomas J Sone 6
William Sone 5
Samuel Sone 2
Elizabeth Sone 0
Elizabeth Peyton 29
Andrew Walker 24
John Shepherd 25


Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002

Name: Mary J Sone
Marriage Date: 13 Oct 1852
Marriage County: Cole
Spouse Name: James B Mc Kinzie


1860 United States Federal Census

Name: Mary J McKenzie
Age in 1860: 24
Birth Year: abt 1836
Birthplace: Missouri
Home in 1860: Clark, Cole, Missouri
Gender: Female
Post Office: Jefferson City
Value of real estate: View image
Household Members: Name Age
J B McKenzie 33
Mary J McKenzie 24
Jno McKenzie 7
James O McKenzie 6
Wm McKenzie 3
Eliza McKenzie 8/12
Joseph Bond 24


1870 United States Federal Census

Name: Mary McKinsey
Birth Year: abt 1834
Age in 1870: 36
Birthplace: Missouri
Home in 1870: Clark, Cole, Missouri
Race: White
Gender: Female
Value of real estate: View image
Post Office: Jefferson City
Household Members: Name Age
James McKinsey 42
Mary McKinsey 36
John McKinsey 17
James McKinsey 14
William McKinsey 10
Eliza McKinsey 8
Robert McKinsey 6
Sarah McKinsey 4
Ellen McKinsey 2


1880 United States Federal Census

Name: M. J. Mc Kenzie
Home in 1880: Clark, Cole, Missouri
Age: 43
Estimated birth year: abt 1837
Birthplace: Missouri
Relation to Head of Household: Self (Head)
Father's birthplace: Missouri
Mother's birthplace: Tennessee
Neighbors: View others on page
Occupation: Keeping House
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Gender: Female
Cannot read/write:
Blind:
Deaf and dumb:
Otherwise disabled:
Idiotic or insane: View image
Household Members: Name Age
M. J. Mc Kenzie 43
John F. Mc Kenzie 26
William N. Mc Kenzie 22
Eliza A. Mc Kenzie 20
R. G. Mc Kenzie 16
Z. A. Mc Kenzie 13
Ella Mc Kenzie 13
B. P. Mc Kenzie 9
B. G. Mc Kenzie 7


1900 United States Federal Census

Name: Mary J McKenzie
[Mary McKenzie]
Home in 1900: Jefferson, Cole, Missouri
Age: 63
Birth Date: Aug 1836
Birthplace: Missouri
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relationship to Head of House: Head
Father's Birthplace: Kentucky
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother: number of living children: 7
Mother: How many children: 10
Marital Status: Widowed
Residence : Jefferson City, Cole, MissouriColeCole, Missouri
Occupation: View on Image
Household Members: Name Age
Mary J McKenzie 63
Ella McKenzie 29
Bailey McKenzie 29

When the 1900 census was taken, the family was renting a house at 112 Lafayette St. in Jefferson City, Mo. T.N.


1910 United States Federal Census

Name: Mary McKensie
[Mary McKencie]
Age in 1910: 73
Estimated birth year: abt 1837
Birthplace: Missouri
Relation to Head of House: Mother-in-law
Father's Birth Place: Missouri
Mother's Birth Place: Virginia
Home in 1910: Jefferson Ward 2, Cole, Missouri
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Gender: Female
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Richard E Whitney 49
Ella M Whitney 40
Mary McKensie 73
Bailey McKensie 38

When the 1910 census was taken, the family was renting a house at 324 Adams St. in Jefferson City, Mo. It was reported that Mary had 10 children of whom 6 were still living. (Son John Fountain had died in 1905.) T.N.


1920 United States Federal Census

Name: Mary J McKenzie
[Mary J Mc Kenzie]
Home in 1920: Jefferson City Ward 2, Cole, Missouri
Age: 83 years
Estimated birth year: abt 1837
Birthplace: Missouri
Relation to Head of House: Mother
Father's Birth Place: Missouri
Mother's Birth Place: Missouri
Marital Status: Widow
Race: White
Sex: Female
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 192
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Ella Whitney 65
Mary J McKenzie 83
Bailey McKenzie 38

When the 1920 census was taken, the family was renting an apartment at 402 High St. in Jefferson City, Mo.

Here is Mary's Death Certificate.