Key Boys of Yesteryear

The photo on the left is of Jeremiah Andrew Key. He is my great-grandfather and the father of  the  David Mervin Key, the  grandfather for whom  I was named and whose photo is on the right. Jeremiah was the son of Obadiah Key and the grandson of Elijah Key who had settled his family in Keysville, Missouri.

David, my grandfather, died in 1927, about two years before I was born. He must have moved to Oklahoma as a young man. I say that because my father, Thomas Edward Key, was born in Francis, Oklahoma (in 1906). Francis is very near Ada, where my Mother was born (in 1908) and raised.

I guess I will have to keep on wondering what kind of military uniform it is that David has on. NAH!! A kind soul of a lofty military stature has authoritatively informed me that it is not a military uniform at all.

 MK late add-on (19 Mar 2005):
This photo, though imperfect, is very precious to me because of the rarity of photos of the Key men at such an early time and, indeed, of any photos at all of my Grandpa Key.

From the apparent age of my father, Tom Key, in the photo, it is certain that it was taken around 1912 and when Grandpa Key's fifth son, Earl, born in 1909, was too young to be interested in having his photo taken.

The photo only recently came to me courtesy of two of my first cousins: Harold Hilliard, a son of my Aunt Luella Key Hilliard, and Don Turley, a son of my Aunt Carmen Smith Turley.

Grandma Key and Her Kids    Indian Page

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