My Genealogy Hound

Colen L. McKinzie, another of the successful farmers of this section, is a native of North Carolina, born in Moore County, August 9, 1823, the eldest son born to the union of Kenneth and Elizabeth (Fry) McKinzie, both natives of North Carolina. The parents were married in North Carolina, and moved from there to Henderson County, Tenn., thence to McNairy County in 1832, where the father died April 9, 1850, in his eighty-second year. Soon after his death his widow moved to Houston County, Tex., in 1857, and resided there with her youngest son until her death, which occurred in her eighty-ninth year. Kenneth McKinzie was a soldier in the War of 1812, participating in many battles. He was a farmer nearly all his life. In early life he was a wagoner from Fayetteville, N. C., to different places. He was quite old when he married, and he and wife were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, In his politics he was a Whig. His father and mother were both natives of Scotland, and came to the United States before the Revolutionary War, locating in North Carolina. There were born to Kenneth McKinzie and wife five children, four of whom are still living, viz.: Colen L. (the subject of this sketch), Margaret Ann (widow of Michael Bryant, residing in Miller County, Ark.), Eliza J. (deceased), Daniel (a farmer and blacksmith residing in Houston County, Tex.), Isabella P. (widow of George R. Brashears, who resides in Houston County, Tex). The immediate subject of this sketch spent his school days in McNairy County, Tenn., and being the eldest son he considered it his duty to care for his parents in their old age, accordingly he remained with his father until his death. He was a wagoner from the time he was twelve years of age until eighteen years. When he was twenty years of age he commenced to learn the blacksmith’s trade, at which he worked until 1869, at Montezuma, McNairy County, Tenn. In 1859 he went to Red River County, Tex., and in 1861 came to Ouachita County, Ark., remaining there until 1876, when he went to Nevada County, where he has made his home ever since. During his residence in Ouachita County he operated a water saw and grist mill and cotton-gin, and was also interested in farming. Since coming to this county he has devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits, also operating a mill and cotton-gin until very recently, when he sold out this interest to Moore & Bonner. He does blacksmith work for himself and neighbors. He now owns 220 acres of land in Ouachita, and 100 acres in his home farm, cultivating over 100 acres. Before the war he had hammered out two slaves, which he lost, together with other property. In 1851 he married Miss Margaret Jones, of Montezuma, Tenn., who bore him five children (all dead), and died in Ouachita County, in 1864, in her thirty-fifth year. Their children were: Kenneth (who died in infancy), Virginia B. (died when twelve years old), Joseph D. (died at the age of thirteen years), Mary E. (who was nine years old at her death), and Colen M. (who was an infant). In December, 1865, Miss Mary L. Umstead became his wife. She was born in Gibson County, Tenn., in 1840, a daughter of Wyley Umstead. The fruits of this latter union have been seven children, viz.: Ina A. (wife of Green Wylie, a farmer of this county), Elizabeth (deceased at the age of six years), William W., Henry B., Aurora Isabella (at home), and two infants dead. Both Mr. and Mrs. McKinzie are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. McKinzie is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Union Labor man in politics.