My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Knox County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Taylor McKenzie was born in Henry County, Ky., December 9, 1833, and is a son of John McKenzie, a native of Henry County, and a farmer and stock raiser in that county all his life. He was numbered among the substantial farmers of that county, and owned about 200 acres of land. He died at the age of seventy, and was buried in Henry County. His wife immigrated to Missouri with her sons, where she died at the age of sixty. Our subject is a second son of a family of eleven children, ten of whom are living, and eight of whom live in Knox County. He was here reared, receiving but a limited education, and at the age of twenty-five immigrated to Knox County, and began farming near his present home. He was shortly after united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Budd, daughter of Sylvanus Budd, formerly of Kentucky, and after his marriage continued the occupation of farming. During the war he served in the Confederate Army from 1862 until the close, but was in only a few regular engagements. He fought in the battle at Kirksville, under Porter, and was also in several skirmishes in the south. After hostilities ceased our subject returned to his wife, who was in Henry County, Ky., where he lived working at the carpenter’s trade about two years. In 1867 he again, returned to Knox County, where he has resided ever since, now owning a fine farm of 280 acres, well stocked, which is the result of his own labor and economy. Four years ago Mr. McKenzie lost his wife who was a Christian lady, and a member of the Baptist Church, and by whom he had nine children, six of whom are living: William E., Benjamin S., Fletcher B., Litha E., Maud M. and Claude A. (twin girls). In October, 1886, our subject was married to Mrs. Alice (Kinman) Laytham, a widow with seven living children, one having died. They are Ida, Effie, James, Claude, Joe, May and Lee. Mr. McKenzie is a Democrat, and well known as a man of high principles and character.

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This family biography is one of 204 biographies included in the Knox County, Missouri portion of the book,  The History of Lewis, Clark, Knox and Scotland Counties, Missouri published in 1887.  For the complete description, click here: Knox County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Knox County, Missouri family biographies here: Knox County, Missouri Biographies

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