BIOGRAPHY - WILLIAM KENNEY
WILLIAM KENNEY, a prominent farmer residing on section 21, Wall
Township, claims Pennsylvania as the State of his nativity. He was born in
Washington County, on the 26th of April, 1828, and is a son of James Kenney,
who was born on the same farm as our subject and there still makes his home.
His parents were Benjamin and Elizabeth (Blair) Kenney. The former was born
June 9, 1764; the latter, a daughter of John and Mary Blair, was born
September 17, 1771, and their marriage was celebrated September 17, 1789.
They became the parents of eight children: Margaret, who was born August 8,
1790; Mary, January 22, 1792; John Blair, who was born June 14, 1794, and
died September 14, 1808; Elizabeth, who was born July 6, 1802, and died on
the 22d of December, of that year; Benjamin, who was born December 23, 1804,
and died September 8, 1805; James, January 11, 1806; Wesley, May 8, 1808,
and Rebecca, December 31, 1810. The father of this family died March 28,
1843, and his wife survived until January 26, 1852, when she too was called
to her final rest.
The father of our subject, Rev. James Kenney, acquired his education in the
log schools of that early day, and before he had reached the age of twenty
years he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church and began preaching. For more
than sixty years he has engaged in the ministerial work, in connection with
which he has carried on the operation of that farm which has been his home
throughout his entire life.
About 1828, Rev. Mr. Kenney was united in marriage to Miss Ann Sproat, who
was three years his junior and was a daughter of William and Mary Sproat,
farmer people of Washington County. They became the parents of four
children: William of this sketch; Elizabeth, wife of Asbury Greenfield, of
California; Cyrus, who is living on a ranch in Ventura County, Cal.; John
F., who follows agricultural pursuits in Wall Township. The mother died when
our subject was about ten years old, and a year later his father married
Patience Moore, a native of Greene County, Pa. They became the parents of
eight children: Benjamin F., who is farming in California; Eliza, who became
the wife of John Freeman and died in Florida; Margaret, wife of Wilson Ward,
of Washington County, Pa.; James, who makes his home in the same county;
Josephine, who died in infancy; Kate, twin sister of Josephine, living with
her parents, and Mary M., wife of Lewis Cleaver, a merchant of Washington
County, Pa. The father of this family was one of the most highly respected
citizens of that community. In his social relations, he is a Mason and, in
politics, is a Republican. He cast his first Presidential vote for John
Quincy Adams, and afterwards supported the Whig party until the rise of the
Republican party.
There was not much to vary the monotony of the early life of our subject,
which was spent in farm work and in the attendance at the common schools. As
the family was in limited circumstances, he saw something of the harder side
of life. His health not being very good, he learned the trade of a saddler,
which he followed in the Keystone State until 1853, when, believing he could
better his financial condition, he emigrated to Putnam County, Ill., in the
spring of 1854, and for two years worked by the day as a farm hand. He then
engaged in farming for himself until 1856, when he removed to La Salle
County, where he rented land until 1874, when he came to Ford County, and
bought an unimproved tract of eighty acres. To this he has since added,
until he now owns one hundred and sixty acres, a good farm well improved and
highly cultivated.
In 1850, in the county of his nativity, Mr. Kenney was joined in wedlock to
Miss Mary McVain, who was born in Greene County, Pa., and is a daughter of
Moses and Mary (Keys) McVain. Her father was a native of Greene County, Pa.,
and died when about seventy years of age. He was a blacksmith by trade and
was an industrious man. In politics, he was a Democrat. His wife died when
Mrs. Kenney was only a small child, scarcely nine years of age. In the
common schools, Mrs. Kenney acquired her education. She is a kind and loving
wife and mother, and hand in hand our subject and his wife have walked for
forty-one years. Unto them have been born twelve children, six yet living:
Elizabeth A., a resident of La Salle County, Ill.; Mary E. and Martha J.,
deceased; Mary M., wife of Charles Stonebreaker, who resides in Roberts,
Ill.; James M., who is living in Vermilion County; Asbury G., deceased;
Charles L., a farmer of Wall Township, Ford County; John W. and Maggie F.,
deceased; Leander S., a resident farmer of Wall Township; John F., at home,
and Mabel who has also passed away.
Mr. Kenney cast his first Presidential vote for Winfield Scott, and was an
advocate of Whig principles until 1856, when he voted for Fremont, since
which time he has been a stalwart Republican. He has often been a delegate
to the conventions of his party and served on its committees. For seven
years he has been Supervisor of Wall Township, and was its Treasurer for
about fourteen years. True to every trust reposed in him, his duties were
faithfully discharged, and he won the confidence and regard of all with whom
he had been brought in contact. He is a highly respected citizen of the
community and one who has the best interests of the county at heart.
Extracted 14 Dec 2017 by Norma Hass from Portrait and Biographical Record of Ford County, Illinois, published in 1892, pages 218-219.
