22–23.  Samuel A. McKenney was born in Monroe County, New York, on Saturday, November 30, 1816, and died in Byron Township, Kent County, Michigan, on February 24, 1876. Elizabeth Jane Norris was born about 130 miles east of Windsor, Canada, on Friday, April 1, 1825, and died in 1907. They were both buried in Winegar Cemetery, Byron Township, Kent County. They were married on Saturday, November 13, 1847. She took the name Elizabeth Jane McKenney. He is the son of James W. and Jemima (Kemp) McKinney. She is the daughter of Ebenezer and Sarah (McKinney) Norris. They had six children:

i.	Sarah McKenney was born in Kent County, Michigan, on November 24, 1848, and died on December 29, 1851.
ii.	Mary Lynn McKenney [#11]: She was born in Westminster Township, Ontario, Canada, on August 16, 1850, and died in Kent County on July 31, 1883.
iii.	Judson McKenney was born near Windsor, Canada, on May 15, 1853. Judson McKenney McKenney: (L to R) Judson, Sophia (Hattie), and Clara He was called "Solon" by his niece, Rose Judson, on the back of a picture. He moved to Byron Township when very young and took up farming. He married Clara S. Gould on February 2, 1885. She was born in Hillsdale County, Michigan on March 23, 1863, a daughter of Nelson and Sarah (Haven) Gould. They had no children but adopted Sophia (Hattie) Wolfe who was born in Ottawa County, Michigan, whose mother, Sophia McKenney Wolf, died during her birth. Her father died when she was four years old. Sophia married and died in the birth of her first child, Clara Colley Tiel. (See picture below) See page 882 of The City of Grand Rapids and Kent County, Up to Date for a more extended biography.
iv.	Junius McKenney [#22D]: He was born in Belmont, Canada, on May 21, 1854, and died in Kent County in 1937. He is the only child of this family to have children.
v.	Isadore McKenney was born in Kent County on January 21, 1858, and died on February 9, 1858.
vi.	Justice N. McKenney was born in Byron Township on December 12, 1859, and died in Byron Township on November 18, 1882. Emma (Merrit) McKenney A census of Winegar Cemetery gives his dates as b Oct 13, 1859; d Nov 16, 1882. He married Emma Merrit who was born May 16, 1863, and died June 18, 1881, age 18. His name is often spelled Justis or Justus but appears as Justice on his gravestone. They are buried in Winegar Cemetery, Byron Township. The Michigan Genealogical Death Indexing System gives his death date as November 13, 1882; cause: accident; occupation: farmer. It gives her maiden name, and cause: dropsy [congestive heart failure].

Samuel McKenney

Elizabeth Jane (Norris) McKenney

McKenney: Junius, Justice, Mary, niece Effie Norris, Judson

Clara (Gould) McKenney and her step-granddaughter, Clara Colley Tiel

Signature taken from tax a December 28, 1858, tax receipt for Ella Judson, Mary Lynn's father-in-law.

His record of death appears on page 212, Liber 01, of Record of Death for Kent County, Michigan:

According to the History of Kent County, Michigan, page 482, Samuel McKinney, pioneer of Byron, was born on February 17, 1816. Web-based census of Winegar Cemetery gives his death and age as d Feb 24, 1876; a 50y 2m 24d from which his date of birth is Dec 31, 1826.

From The City of Grand Rapids and Kent County, Up To Date, on page 881, is taken the following.

Samuel McKenney was a salesman in the early years of his life, but later became an agriculturist. In the fall of 1854, he and his wife came to Byron township and bought eighty acres of partially improved land, on which there was a little frame shanty that served them as a habitation for the time being. There were no roads, save trails tramped out by Indians in their passage from their villages or camps to their trading posts, such as even the present city of Grand Rapids then was, and these red men of the forest frequently passed by the door of the McKenney dwelling. There were about fifteen acres of the farm cleared out from the woods, but eventually Mr. McKenney transformed the whole place into a profitable farm, although he had only the primitive agricultural implements of that early day to work with. On this place Mr. McKenney erected the first barn ever put up in Byron township, and also grew the first apples. There were two schools in that vicinity, but not a church; the village of Byron Center had not then been dreamed of, and the first post office was named Buck Creek.

Mr. McKenney added to his land through his industry and skill as an agriculturist, and eventually possessed 300 acres of good farming land. Having through these virtues earned a competence, he yielded to his natural impulse and tendency toward charity, and willingly aided all enterprises that had the welfare of the community in view. In politics he was a democrat, and held the full confidence of the voters in his neighborhood who held the same political views, and by them was elected collector of taxes—a position he held for eighteen years—and his accurate accounting for the money collected resulted in his election as treasurer of the township. In religion he was a sincere Methodist and was a trustee of the church of which he was a member. So devoted was he to his faith, that he aided financially in the erection of the two churches in Byron Center, and in the death of the excellent Christian the community lost a member who can never be replaced by an equal.

On page 881 of The City of Grand Rapids and Kent County, Up To Date is found a biographical sketch of Mrs. Elizabeth J. (Norris) McKenney from which the following is taken.

Mrs. Elizabeth J. McKenney, one of the most prominent ladies of Byron Township, Kent County, Mich., and well known as one of the early settlers, is possessed of remarkable activity for a lady of her advanced years, she having been born 130 miles east of Windsor, Canada, April 1, 1825, and this mental and physical activity is due, in a great measure, to her amiable disposition and equable temper.

Mrs. McKenney is the eldest of seven children—four sons and three daughters—that resulted from the marriage of Ebenezer and Sarah (McKenney) Norris, and of these children there are four yet living, besides Mrs. McKenney, namely: Nancy Maria, wife of James White of Oakland, Cal.; Ann Eliza, married to David Irwin, a farmer of Byron township; Judson, engaged in the same calling in the same township; and Lorenzo, a farmer in Clay county.

Mrs. Elizabeth J. McKenney was reared and educated in Canada, and on reaching the years of womanhood and discretion was pleased to accept as her husband Samuel McKenney, to whom she was married November 13, 1847, and to whom she bore six children—three sons and three daughters—but of them there are now only two living—Judson and Junius.

Mrs. McKenney's dwelling is the most beautiful in the township, and on the old homestead she is passing her declining years in peace and comfort, surrounded by many warm friends and her children and grandchildren. She is wonderfully well preserved for a lady of her years, and her kind and genial disposition makes her beloved by all her neighbors, who delight in her conversation and enjoy her pleasant companionship.

On page 606 of The History of Kent County it shows that Samuel A. McKenney was the treasurer of Byron township from 1859 to 1865, and from 1867 to 1874.

The following information was extracted from census records at the National Archives in Washington, D. C.

• The City of Grand Rapids and Kent County, Up To Date, p. 881
• History of Kent County, Michigan, p. 482
• Michigan Genealogical Death Indexing System
• Winegar Cemetery Census, on line
• U.S. Federal Census (read directly at the National Archives, Washington, DC
• Federal Land Patent Search Site