Russell Orr McKinley

                                         Grandpa Russell Orr McKinley feeding a bear while working on the Alcan Hiway.  One story he told was that some of the guys put honey on someone's feet and the guy woke up to a bear licking his feet and toes.  

These are a few pictures of my grandpa, Russel Orr McKinley.  He has his mother's maiden name for his middle name which I think was popular back then.  He is fishing in the top picture.  The second one was when he was in Alaska working as a cook while they were building the Alcan highway.  He said they put honey on one of the guys feet while he was sleeping and the guy woke up to a bear licking his feet.  This is grandpa feeding one of their bears.

Russell Orr McKinley on right with Ruth

Russell Orr McKinley in a field.  

Russell Orr McKinley and wife Ruth Lucille Wright 

Russell Orr McKinley on left

This is from Carol Wilson on Feb 7, 2013

Marilyn (Shive-maiden name)- Mom’s cousin. 

Margaret, Marilyn, Myrna were Russell Orr McKinley’s nieces. His sister’s (Mary Louise) kids in Tangonoxie.

Kenneth was Russell’s full brother.  Mary Louise and Merle McKinley were ½ brother and sister to Russell and Kenneth.  Mary Louise was married to LaRue Shive and he died from TB  

Russell’s mother was married before and had Russell and Kenneth with Andrews.  They got divorced and mom didn’t know what happened to him.  Andrew’s was mom’s biological grandfather.   Russell didn’t even know about it until he went to Alaska to work on the Alcan highway. Mom wrote a letter to Mary Louise, (Russell and Kenneth’s ½ sister) but she wrote a nasty letter back to mom and shamed her for even asking.  Mary Louis was just protecting her mothers reputation, but mom wanted to know about her biological grandfather.  I couldn’t find any record that Margaret Ethel Orr (Russell’s mother) and her new husband Albertus George McKinley ever legally adopted Kenneth and Russell. Russell Orr McKinley was born 9-21-1905 and Kenneth was born 1907. Margaret married Lloyd Andrews April 23, 1905.  The math indicates she was about 4 months preganant when she married Lloyd Andrews.

Kenneth McKinley had a daughter that was maybe adopted named Helen Marie and they moved to Deluth, Minnesota. 

Merle McKinley had one daughter named Patty.  Her married name is Richie.  Patty has 2 daughters.  Merle was married to Aunt Elizabeth.  They had a farm around Ames, Iowa. Patty lives in Orlando, Florida now.

Merle worked for John Deer and farmed.  They moved close to Aunt Elizabeth’s sister (Ruth).  Ruth was married to Chuck but mom couldn’t remember last name. 

Russell had relative’s Faye and Ed in Gardner, KS.  They had a grocery store.  Mom thinks they were some sort of cousins.  I have not explored this yet.

Orr was Russell Orr McKinley’s mother’s maiden name.

 

Russell worked on the Alcan and there was construction company from Iowa.  Mom thought the name was Frank Eblum?  Mom thinks they were distant relatives of Russell.  

I received your letter and am enclosing a list of ancestors.  That you may want for your records.  I don't believe your grandmother can give you any additional ones.  I'm glad you said you didn't want to upset her by asking about an earlier marriage that no doubt was an unhappy one.  What earthly purpose would it serve but satisfying a curiosity?  Surely wouldn't add any stars to the crown of the one asking.  Sort of like stomping in the face of a person already down on his back.  I'm sure she would enjoy having you visit her.  Maybe you could do some shopping for her since you don't have to drive as far as the rest of us do to get there.  Hope you get the job you'd like to have.  after the children are grown and gone it's good to have something away from house to do.  Good to build up Social Security also.  Love Aunt Mary Louise

This was the letter mom received when she was trying to do some genealogy research.  Mom (Carol Wilson) found out her biological grandfather was not Albertus George McKinley but Lloyd Andrews, born 1884.  Lloyd was married to Margaret Ethel Orr (mom's grandmother) for a short time.  Margaret married Lloyd April 29, 1905.  She was pregnant with Russell and that is probably why it was a touchy subject.  She had both Russell Orr McKinley and Kenneth by Lloyd.  She then married Albertus George McKinley in 1908.  I have never found any adoption records for Russell or Kenneth.  Grandpa would have been about 3 and Kenneth about 1 when their mom remarried Albertus George McKinley.  

I already have this genealogy info logged but it was just part of the letter.

This is Lloyd H Andrews obituary.  134 So 17th. Died Tuesday at age 54.  He was born 4-8-1887.  Born Havelock  Pershing auditorium employe  Lincoln resident  seven year member VFW Post 131.  Survivors wife Anna, son, Ronald, Griffith, Indiana, daughter, Mrs Carol Jaquet Chicago, mother, minnie, Lincoln, brothers, Leroy, Wesley, both Lincoln, Marvin, Kansas City, Mo, sister, Mrs Phyllis Marshall, Chicago, two grandchildren.  So we have lots of uncles, aunt, and lots of cousins we were never allowed to know about.  No mention of his first sons with Margaret Ethel Orr McKinley.  Russell Orr and Kenneth Eugene McKinley. They never knew where he lived or when he died.  Russell Orr found out when he went to work on the AlCAN Hiway that Lloyd H Andrews was his father.  

This is an article from the newspaper.  I rewrote it so you can read what it said: 

A 54-year-old workman was killed today in the collapse of a sewer excavation in Southern Jackson County.  (Just a note: Russell's biological dad, Lloyd Andrews, died at age 54)

The victim was Russell McKinley, of 1412 A Broadway.  Although frantic efforts were made by fellow workmen to uncover McKinley, who was buried in a 12-foot ditch by heavy clay, he died during the few minutes it to uncover his head and shoulders.

  Heard Boards Crack

The accident occurred in the Belvidere Heights addition on the southeast corner of U>S> 71 and M-150.  McKinley was working in the ditch with William Hendricks, 47, of 3033 Park Avenue, and Dewey Bailey, 25, of 1708 the Paseo, Negroes.  They said they were completing installation of a joint in the tile sewer pipe and had only about 3 minutes work remaining, when the boards shoring up the sides began to crack.  "I heard the boards cracking," Bailey related.  "I yelled to get out."  

Two Get Out

Bailey and Hendricks ran from the center of the 30 foot long ditch to the east end and scrambled out.  They said McKinley started to the east, saw the dirt falling, turned to run west, but was trapped.  In a moment his body was covered with dirt.  Other workmen of the Inter-Mountain Construction company ran to the ditch and using hand shovels uncovered McKinley's head and shoulders.  A Grandview doctor arrived as the men continued to work and pronounced McKinley dead.  The accident occurred about 9:45 o'clock.  The body was removed about an hour later.  

This is the obituary for Albertus George McKinley.  

 This is grandpa's, Russell Orr McKinley, obituary and funeral info.  He was born in Kansas City, KS and buried in Fairview Cemetery in Liberty.  His funeral was at Carson Chapel in Independence.

I think this is a picture of his sister Mary Louise 

This is Russell Orr's death cert.  

Obituary for Kenneth E. McKinley.  They called him Mac also.  He was Russell Orr 

McKinley's full brother.  Merle McKinley and Mary Louise McKinley were just 1/2 siblings.  Kenneth and Russell's father was Lloyd H Andrews.  His obituary is below, and I have found very little information about him, but I have been able to trace his great-great grandparents. 

 

This is Lloyd H Andrews obituary.  134 So 17th. Died Tuesday at age 54.  He was born 4-8-1887.  Born Havelock  Pershing auditorium employe  Lincoln resident  seven year member VFW Post 131.  Survivors wife Anna, son, Ronald, Griffith, Indiana, daughter, Mrs Carol Jaquet Chicago, mother, minnie, Lincoln, brothers, Leroy, Wesley, both Lincoln, Marvin, Kansas City, Mo, sister, Mrs Phyllis Marshall, Chicago, two grandchildren.  So we have lots of uncles, aunt, and lots of cousins we were never allowed to know about.  No mention of his first sons with Margaret Ethel Orr McKinley.  Russell Orr and Kenneth Eugene McKinley. They never knew where he lived or when he died.  Russell Orr found out when he went to work on the AlCAN Hiway that Lloyd H Andrews was his father. 

 I found an old record for Lloyd Andrews when he lived at 628 Stewart Street in Kansas City, MO.  It was his military registration.  It showed he worked for Kansas State Penitentiary.  He was single when he registered.  He answered he was medium height and medium build.  Light brown eyes and dark brown hair,  Dated June 5, 1917.  The math doesn't add up.  I show he died in 1973 but his obit stated he was 54.  He was born in 1887 so I need to research when he died.  He would have been 30 when he registered. 

  

March 13, 1959.  Marjorie McKinley and family. L-R: Merle-Russell, Marjorie, Mary Louise and Kenneth.  Marjorie must have been related to Alburtus George McKinley.  This picture was taken 6 months before Russell died in the cave in.  newspaper article is above.  

This is Margaret Ethel Orr and her father in the 20's. Margaret Ethel Orr is the mother of Kenneth and Russell Orr McKinley.  I think she is in her early 30's in this picture. She was born 12-1-1886 in Union County, Indiana.  She died in 7-28-1982 at age 95 in Kansas City, KS.  Buried in Memorial Park Cemetary, Kansas City, KS.  She outlived both of her 2 younger sisters, Bessie Orr B: 1890, D: 1958.  and Mabel Luella Orr B: 1892, D: 1978.  This is the only picture I have of Her father, James Andrew Orr Born: 1858 Union County, Indiana and Married Mary Alice Ardery on Dec 23, 1884, in Union County, Indiana at about 20 years old.  Mary was born in 1864 and died 1895 at about 31 years old.  Margaret Ethel Orr would have been about 9 years old when her mom died.  Bessie would have been about 5 and Mabel Luella would have been about 3 years old.  On the 1900 census James listed he was a widower.  James died June 25, 1942, at age 84.  I don't know if he ever remarried but back then the surviving spouse married relatives.  Mary Alice Ardery had 2 sisters and 3 brothers: Augusta, Caroline, William, Martha Ann, and James N Ardery.  I can trace the Ardery family to William Ardery in Ireland in 1695. This ancestry stuff never ends. Here is a link to follow up on the Ardery family:  Website for Ardery

See Alexander Ardery info

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/A/Ar.htm info on County Down website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Down