My Genealogy Hound

HOWARD W. KEENEY, a successful farmer and dairyman of Cuyler, is a son of John A. and Lois (Whitmarsh) Keeney, and was born in Cuyler township, this county, June 13, 1857.

His great-grandfather, Deacon Simon Keeney, in 1795 moved from the State of Connecticut to Central New York and settled in the town of Fabius, Onondaga County. He was the founder of what is now known as Keeney’s Settlement. He was also one of the founders of the Baptist Church in Fabius.

Grandfather John Keeney was born in 1797 in the town of Fabius, where he spent his life engaged in farming. He died in July, 1878, at the age of seventy-six years. He was a member of the Baptist Church and was noted for his hospitality. He was united in marriage to Ann Conable, who died August 31, 1862. They were the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters. John Keeney was a man of good character, and was esteemed as an honest, upright citizen.

John A. Keeney, father of our subject, was born at Keeney’s Settlement, May 16, 1820, and spent the greater part of his life tilling the soil. February 28, 1844, he married Lois Whitmarsh, who was born in Cuyler, March 18, 1819. Shortly after his marriage, he moved to the town of Cuyler, where he lived until 1862, and where all his children were born. He then returned to his native town and retired from active life in 1876. In connection with farming he dealt extensively in live stock, butter and cheese. Politically, he was a Republican. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and held several positions of prominence. He was the father of four sons and one daughter, as follows: Oscar J., born April 6, 1846, died in 1849; George A., born January 12, 1849, married Esther Pope, and now resides in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he is manager of the Lubricating Department of the Tide Water Oil Company; Mary E., born March 24, 1851, is the wile of James H. Andrews, of Syracuse, N. Y., where Mr. Andrews is engaged in the grocery business; Howard W., who heads this personal sketch; and Dr. John H. of Oswego, who was born August 10, 1859, and received his education in Batwia and the Homeopathic College of New York City.

Howard W. Keeney received a common school education, which was continued at Cazenovia Seminary and was engaged in teaching in this county. In 1879, he went to the State of Illinois, where he taught for some time; returning, he engaged in farming in Cuyler township and has remained there ever since. He operates a farm of three hundred acres, and has it stocked with fifty head of fine milch cows.

February 3, 1881, he was married to Miss Alice E. Brown of Cazenovia, N. Y., and they are the parents of two children, Benjamin A. and Mabyn A. Politically, he is a strong Republican, but does not aspire to office. He is a member of the Methodist Church of Cuyler and is a steward and trustee of the church.