I’ve been a genealogist for about 10 years and in that time, I’ve acquired a love for my ancestors and a yearning to know more. Because of this, I’ve been to Ohio and Milton PA to meet with distant cousins and research. I’ve learned that 75-85% of my heritage is German/Swiss. My paternal and maternal lines are French & Swiss respectively. I’ve come by my knowledge of who my father’s & mother’s ancestors were somewhat easily. Though there’s a line in my family tree that took longer to research than the rest. That’s the Keenan family of Chester County PA. For the past 9 years, I could only get back to 1837. Then thanks to the help of a fellow genealogist in early 2009, I was able to confirm earlier ancestors and get back to at least 1750. My Keenan family is from the Nantmeal area of Chester County. The patriarch being James Keenan (1777-1837) who married Anna Maria/Mary Sheneman (1786-1871). His father was Edward. James & his wife had a total of 11 children, whom I confirmed earlier this year. One of their children was Benjamin, named after Anna’s father. Benjamin married Mary Norton, had 4 children & lived in Reading, Berks County PA. It’s their son Benjamin Jr that I was stuck on the past 9 years. He married Barbara Glauner and lived in Lancaster County PA. They had 13 children. One, Newton, married Ella O Kauffman and had 11 children (possibly 13, as there’s two unnamed Keenen infants born in the 1920’s & buried in the same cemetery as Newton & Ella, who are the oldest Keenens in the cemetery). They also lived in Lancaster County PA, only northwest from where Benjamin Jr lived. Their daughter/my grandmother, Ivy, married Karl Keller and had my mother. Benjamin Jr’s parents were a mystery simply because the last name was misspelled in the 1850 census, so no one could find his family. It’s the help from the other genealogist that helped me find them. You wouldn’t believe how many Keenan/Keenen descendants there are that come from James & Anna Maria alone. I have papers upon papers of descendants.
My Keenans were Irish immigrants. Settled in eastern Chester County PA and worshipped as Episcopal. James moved to Nantmeal from the Vincent Twp area about 1815. His burial place has eluded me till this year, when I found it just outside Elverson, in (Old) St Mary’s Episcopal Cemetery. If anyone needs directions to this St Mary’s (yes, there’s more than one), let me know. It was a dream come true to finally confirm where he was buried and cross off one more mystery. My Keenans from Benjamin Jr to the present spelled their name as Keenen, but the relationship is in stone. It’s been a long time coming, but what people didn’t know before, they do now or will. I’ve done alot of work on my Keenan line and am proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish. They’re not to be confused with the Keenan family of Pheonixville, Chester County PA. These are two entirely different lines. In my research, I’ve discovered that I’m part French, Swiss, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, German, & English. I’m equally impressed with the lives my ancestors led and am all too excited to “blog” about them. I’m open to any questions or comments anyone might have.
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