Henry M. Keeny, p. 1316

HENRY M. KEENY, one of the most popular, wide-awake citizens of Franklin township, was born January 13, 1837, in West Bethlehem township, Washington Co., Penn., a son of Daniel and Mary (Shipe) Keeny, the former of whom was born in Amwell township, same county, the latter a daughter of one of the early settlers here. Daniel Sbipe served in the war of 1812, and was reported among the missing. After marriage Daniel and Mary Keeny resided in various townships in the county, finally settling in Amwell, where they died. The children born to them were Levi (deceased), Rebecca (widow of Mr. House), Elizabeth, Isaac, John, Abraham, Henry M., Mary A. (wife of J. Bowen, of Canton township), Catherine (Mrs. Charles Van Kirk), Daniel (who enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Fortieth P. V. I., was wounded in the battle of Gettysburg by a shell, and died of blood poisoning at the hospital in Philadelphia), and George (who was in Company B, same regiment as his brother). In politics the father was a Democrat.

Henry M. Keeny began attending school in his native township, about three months of each year being so passed, and this continued till he was eighteen years of age. When nineteen he commenced teaching in the "Red District," where he remained one year; then taught three terms in Greene county, and afterward eight terms under an engagement in Franklin township, this county. On September 1, 1881, he was married to Sarah C., daughter of Robert Chambers, now deceased of Franklin township, and they then settled on the place where they yet reside. Their union has been blessed with the following named children: Bessie E., born November 1, 1882, and Birdie, born December 1, 1883. Mr. Keeny has always been a Republican, and at the age of twenty-one was elected to the office of auditor of Amwell township, serving two years. In Franklin township he has served as auditor three years; school director, twelve years; clerk of the election board, six years; supervisor, three years, and is now serving his fifteenth year as justice of the peace. Mr. Keeny is a typical self-made, and, for the most part, self-educated man, and he is now the owner of 400 acres of valuable land, all accumulated by industry, economy and good management. For twenty-one years he has been a buyer of wool. Some few years back his health commenced to fail somewhat.

Text taken from page 1316 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

Transcribed February 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published February 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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