Frances LaRhetta 'Rhetta' Thompson (1879-1961) and John William McKay (1870-1940), married 1896, and their fourteen children

Rhetta was born the eldest child of William 'Will' Henry Thompson (1856-1936) and Frances 'Fannie' Melissa Townsend (1857-1921) 23 July 1879 in Hamilton County, Texas.

According to the TSHA article on Hamilton County by Victoria S. Murphy, the population was 200 by 1873.

1880 census - Hamilton Co TX
Thompson William H 23 farmer TX, Frances M wife 22 keeping house TX, Frances L 10/12 TX.

Retter Thompson and Wm Mckay married 9 February 1896 in Hamilton County (Texas Marriage Index).

John William McKay was born about 17 July 1870 in Birmingham, Alabama to Marion Alexander 'Alex' McKay (ca1851-before1900) and Sarah Ann Sophronia 'Fronie' Coker (1854-1928).

1880 census - Fox Creek, Clay, Alabama
McKay Marion A head 29 blacksmith AL, Saphronia wife 26 keeps house can't write AL, John son 9 AL, Loma dr 7 AK, Jane dr 5 AL, Ida dr 2 AL.

Daughter Artie Frances McKay born 17 May 1897 in Texas.

Son Homer John McKay born 7 December 1898 in Evant, Hamilton, Texas.

1900 census - Hamilton Co TX
John William McKay, his wife Rhetta McKay, his mother Sarah Sophronia McKay and his siblings Lomie, Ida, Tom and Zedie are listed in the 1900 census, enumerated in June. Rhetta is recorded as having no children though she would have had Artie and Homer by the time the census was enumerated.

Son Charles Thomas McKay born 13 October 1900 in Hamilton Co TX.

Son William Alexander McKay born 23 October 1901 in Texas.

Daughter Tress Loretta McKay born 4 Dec 1904 in Texas.

Daughter Nola McKay born 26 November 1906 in Comanche, Comanche, Texas.

Daughter Alpha Argona McKay born 7 April 1909 in Evant, Hamilton, Texas.

1910 census - Stonewall Co TX
McKay JW head 38 farmer rents farm, Rhetta wife 29 seven children all living, Artie 12, Homer 11, Charlie 9, William 7, Tressa 5, Nola 3, Alpha 1. Rhetta is recorded as having no occupation. Artie, Homer and Charles laborers on home farm. John was born in Alabama, others in Texas.

Daughter Virgie (Carolyn Lee) McKay born 30 Oct 1911 in Texas.

Daughter Dealva (also known as Dee Alva) McKay born 8 November 1913 in Rotan, Fisher, Texas.

Daughter Maudie McKay born 10 March 1916 in Rotan, Fisher, Texas. Maudie is my maternal grandmother. I was named Loretta McKay after her mother.

Daughter Alta Aletha McKay born 13 March 1918 in Hamilton, Hamilton, Texas.

1920 census - Hamilton Co TX
McKay JW head rents 48 can read and write born AL father b AL mother b AL farmer, Rhetta wife 40 R/W TX TX TX no occupation, William son 17 TX R/W laborer on home farm, Tressie dr 15 TX school R/W laborer on home farm, Nola dr 13 TX school R/W laborer on home farm, Alpha 11 TX school R/W laborer on home farm, Vergie (Carolyn) dr 8 TX school R/W, Dealva dr 6 TX, Maude dr 3 TX, Alta dr 1 TX.

Twin daughters born 2 December 1920 in Rotan, Fisher, Texas. First Ozelle McKay (Lena Bell on her birth certificate) and then Estelle McKay.

Birth of daughter Frankie (Sandra) B McKay 5 December 1922 in Fisher County, Texas.

1930 census - Fisher Co TX
McKay John W head home rented lives on farm not a veteran, Rhetta wife, daughters Alpha 21, Verdie (Carolyn) 18, Deavla 16, Maudie 14, Alta 12, Ozella 9, Estella 9, Frankie (Sandra) B 7.

1940 census - Rotan, Fisher, Texas
McKay John W head 68 AL highest grade completed 6 unable to work, Rhetta wife 60 highest grade 4 TX in home housework, Ozell dr 19 highest grade high school 4 TX public emergency work week of Mar 24-30 NYA Typing income in 1939 28, Frankie (Sandra) B dr 17 TX highest grade H2 in school.

John William McKay, a retired farmer, died 16 July 1940 in Rotan, Fisher, Texas according to his death certificate. Primary cause myocarditis, contributory cause senility. His birthdate is recorded as 17 July 1870. Father Alex McKay born in Al, mother Fronie Cocker (Coker) born AL. Wife Mrs J.W. McKay of Rotan TX.

Rhetta died 3 February 1961. According to her death certificate she died at Hamlin Memorial Hospital in Hamlin, Jones, TX, length of stay 5 days. Cause of death Cardiac (illegible). Her usual residence was three quarters of a mile east of Roby TX. Father William Thompson, mother Fannie Townsend. Informant Mrs. J. W. Young (Artie), daughter, Post TX.

According to an article in the Abilene Reporter-News ('Mrs. McKay Dies; Rites Set at Rotan,' Thursday 2 February 1961): Roby (RNS) — Mrs. J. W. McKay, 81, longtime Fisher County resident, died at her home here at 2:50 a. m. Wednesday.

According to the article 'McKay Rites Set at Rotan' (Abilene Reporter-News, Thursday 2 February 1961): Roby — Funeral for Mrs. J. W. McKay, 81, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Rotan Church of Christ, with Ed Bryant, Roby Church of Christ minister, and Martin Kamstra, Rotan minister, officiating. . . . Grandsons will be pallbearers.

Rhetta and John William's graves are at the Belvieu Cemetery (also known as Rotan Cemetery) in Rotan, Fisher, Texas.

My mother, Billie Joyce Wilkins Masters (1934-2019), said everyone loved Rhetta and that 'a lot' of babies were named after her but that I was the only one named Loretta McKay. According to the family story, passed on I suppose by her children, Rhetta's husband was so much taller that she had to stand on a stool to kiss him. My mother told me that one of Rhetta's babies was born very small and the doctor said it wouldn't live. The family called an Indian (Native American) healer who told them to put the baby in the oven where it was warm. They did and the baby lived. I remember looking at a letter that Rhetta had addressed to my mother in a spidery hand. Why does her writing look like that? Because she's old, my mother said. I visited Rhetta with Mother when she was very old and I was very young, she was in bed. She had dementia in the end and would wander in time, Mother said, thinking the school bus was coming. My grandmother told me that the undertaker said that her father 'was the strongest man he ever laid away.'

lili li née Loretta McKay Masters
great-granddaughter and namesake of Frances LaRhetta 'Rhetta' Thompson McKay

17 May 2023

Find the full story at https://www.familysearch.org/photos/documents/174285101. Rhetta's ID on family search.org is M738-BL3.