Sarah Ann Houston and William McNeely

WILLIAM MCNEELY was born November 2, 1840 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania,^{456, 8986} and died July 31, 1923 in Winfield, Cowley, Kansas.^{456, 8986} He is buried in Cedar Vale Cemetery, Chautauqua County, Kansas.⁴⁵⁶

He married SARAH ANN HOUSTON on November 2, 1870 in Saline County, Missouri,³⁸⁷³ daughter of ELIZABETH GAY and JOHN PURDY HOUSTON. She was born May 22, 1844,⁴⁵⁶ and died April 2, 1927.⁴⁵⁶ She is buried in Cedar Vale Cemetery, Chautauqua County, Kansas.⁴⁵⁶

• Descendant Reports
  • Samuel Houston Descendant Report (Ancestor of Sarah A. Houston)

Children of SARAH ANN HOUSTON and WILLIAM MCNEELY:

1. CLARENCE HOUSTON MCNEELY, b. October 14, 1871, Missouri;²⁵⁰ d. November 11, 1957, Los Angeles County, California.²⁵⁰
2. BERTHA BELL MCNEELY, b. December 6, 1872, Salt Springs, Saline, Missouri;⁴⁵³² m. DR. JOHN CLAY KIRBY on April 19, 1909 in Winfield, Cowley, Kansas⁹⁰⁰¹; d. November 26, 1966, Washington.⁹⁰⁰⁷
3. BLANCHE MCNEELY, b. March 8, 1874, Missouri;²⁵⁰ m. DR. JAMES EDWARD RAGSDALE on June 20, 1913 in Cedar Vale, Chautauqua, Kansas⁸⁹⁸⁷; d. August 22, 1961, Los Angeles County, California.²⁵⁰
4. BESSIE H. MCNEELY, b. October 18, 1875, Missouri;³⁶⁶¹ d. June 21, 1959, Seattle, King, Washington.³⁶⁶¹
5. WILLIAM DEXTER MCNEELY, b. March 13, 1877, Malta Bend, Saline, Missouri;^{456, 10663} m. SARAH RUTH COMPTON on April 2, 1912 in Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas¹⁰⁶⁶³; d. July 29, 1953, Mooreland, Woodward, Oklahoma.^{456, 10663}
6. CHARLES GROSVENOR MCNEELY, b. October 8, 1878, Missouri;²⁵⁰ d. December 22, 1951, Alameda County, California.²⁵⁰
7. MARY MCCREERY MCNEELY, b. 1880;⁴⁵⁶ d. March 17, 1880;⁴⁵⁶ bur. Salt Springs Cemetery, Saline County, Missouri.⁴⁵⁶
8. ELIZABETH RANKIN MCNEELY, b. 1880;⁴⁵⁶ d. December 3, 1880;⁴⁵⁶ bur. Salt Springs Cemetery, Saline County, Missouri.⁴⁵⁶
9. JOHN ANDREW MCNEELY, b. May 15, 1881, Missouri;²⁵⁰ d. May 23, 1957, Los Angeles County, California.²⁵⁰
10. ELEANOR BEATRICE MCNEELY, b. September 19, 1884, Marshall, Saline, Missouri;⁸⁹⁹⁴ m. MERLYN BUSH CALL on September 10, 1913 in Cedar Vale, Chautauqua, Kansas^{8993, 8994}; d. September 7, 1950, Greene, Butler, Iowa.⁸⁹⁹⁴
11. PAUL PIERRE MCNEELY, b. April 18, 1884, Marshall, Saline, Missouri;^{8, 9008} d. April 13, 1979, Pierce County, Washington.⁷⁵⁶



Military Service

Work History

Clubs and Associations

Obituaries

Cedar Vale Messenger, August 10, 1923⁸⁹⁸⁶

Obituary—William McNeely

Mr. Wm. McNeely was born November 2, 1840 at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and passed away Tuesday, July 31, 1923 10:10 p. m. at the St. Mary's hospital, Winfield, Kansas.

When Mr. McNeely was a small boy his parents moved to the vicinity of Rushville, Ill., where he grew to manhood. At this place he received his education and entered the teaching profession.

During the Civil War when the call came for three hundred thousand volunteers, he was among the first to answer and served to the close of the war. Upon his return home he re-entered the teaching profession for a period of four years.

In 1868 he located near Malta Bend, Saline County, Mo., and a few years later moved to Marshall, Saline County, Mo. During his residence of twenty-eight years in Saline County he was engaged extensively in the cattle business and figured very prominently in the life of this county. In 1896 Mr. McNeely with his family moved to Lone Jack, Mo., where he continued in the same line of work. In 1901 he moved to Cedar Vale, Kansas where he resided to the time of his death.

In 1870 he was married to Sarah Ann Houston, daughter of John P. Houston, Malta Bend, Mo., one of the most prominent families in the county. To this union were born eleven children, nine of whom survive, Clarence H. McNeely, William McNeely and Grosvenor McNeely of Quinlan, Oklahoma, John A. McNeely of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Paul P. McNeely and Bessie H. McNeely of Seattle, Washington, Mrs. Bertha Kirby, Cedar Vale, Kansas, Mrs. J. E. Ragsdale, Billings, Iowa.

Mr. McNeely was upright and honest in all his business dealings. He was a man of sterling traits of character and high ideals. He had great faith in his fellow-men and in the integrity of human nature. He was retiring, gentle, kind, generous, forgiving and possessed that rare quality of looking on the bright side of life a real optimist. To the very last his mind was keenly alert and busy planning as though he had years ahead of him.

Mr. McNeely has been a member of the Masonic order from early manhood. He was also a member of the G. A. R. Cedar Vale Post No. 99, Department of Kansas.

The funeral service was held Sunday afternoon, August 5, 1923 at four o'clock at the residence. Rev. George Tyner of the Episcopal church, Winfield, Kansas officiated. Interment was made at the Cedar Vale cemetery in charge of the Masonic lodge. The following were pall-bearers: H. L. Cox, A. N. Shaver, A. H. Shrader, Dr. H. E. Wells, E. E. Willson and L. M. Hubbard.

County Liner and Cedar Vale Commercial, August 31, 1923⁸⁹⁹⁹

Pays Tribute to Wm. McNeely

From the Weekly Democrat News, Marshall, Mo.: Dr. M. T. Chastain received word today from Dr. J. E. Ragsdale of Billings, Mont., who married Miss Blanche McNeely, formerly a music teacher in Marshall, that Mrs. Ragsdale's father, William McNeely, had died, July 31, at Winfield, Kansas.

One by one, the old and former citizens of our county are passing away. It is certainly a time for "memory and for tears."

Shortly after the Civil War we had an immigration of honest, intelligent and trustworthy citizens from Illinois and Ohio, knowing what good land was located in the Malta Bend country and made they no mistake in so doing. Mr. McNeely was a quiet, unobtrusive man, attending strictly to his own business. Those who knew him best loved him most. He was the salt of the earth. The loss of such a man in an community cannot be estimated. Good citizenship is the most valuable asset a community can possibly have.

Mr. McNeely was born in Pittsburg, Pa., 82 years ago, moved from there to Illinois and later to Saline County, Mo. He married Sarah Houston, sister of the Houston Brothers of Malta Bend, 52 years ago. They had 11 children, two of whom died in infancy. His wife and nine children survive. They are: Clarence, Will and Grosvenor of Quinlan, Okla.; Paul and Bess of Seattle, Wash.; Mrs. Bertha Kirby of Cedar Vale, Kansas; Mrs. M. B. Call of Greene, Iowa; Mrs. J. E. Ragsdale of Billings, Montana and John, whose home is in Texas. All the children except Paul were born on the farm at Malta Bend. After selling the farm he moved to Marshall and built what is not the Hupp home on Eastwood Street. He moved from Marshall to Jackson County, Mo., and from there to Cedar Vale, Kansas.

He was a mason and actively interested in farming and stock raising.

A good citizen, an honest and upright man, true to his God, his country and his family. What nobler heritage can a man leave to his family?

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
September 9, 18508960	Ashland, Schuyler, Illinois	Caleb Houston Elizabeth Purdy John Purdy Houston Daughter Sarah Ann Houston Harriet B. Houston
July 19, 18608959	Oakland, Schuyler, Illinois	John Purdy Houston Ellen McNeely Sarah Ann Houston Harriet B. Houston Alice J. Houston Florence Anna Houston Elizabeth Houston Martha Houston
August 19, 18708958	Grand Pass, Saline, Missouri	John Purdy Houston Ellen McNeely Sarah Ann Houston Alice J. Houston Florence Anna Houston Elizabeth Houston John Lincoln Houston Lawrence Nelson Houston Sherman Purdy Houston Belle Houston
June 4, 18808957	Grand Pass, Saline, Missouri	William McNeely Sarah Ann Houston Clarence Houston McNeely Bertha Bell McNeely Blanche McNeely Bessie H. McNeely William Dexter McNeely Charles Grosvenor McNeely Elizabeth Rankin McNeely
June 5, 19001754	Van Buren, Jackson, Missouri	William McNeely Sarah Ann Houston Bessie H. McNeely William Dexter McNeely Paul Pierre McNeely
April 29, 19108717	Jefferson, Chautauqua, Kansas	William McNeely Sarah Ann Houston Paul Pierre McNeely