Story
1850 | North Bend, Dodge, Nebraska, United States
Emily Jane Jenkins was born Apr 7, 1850 in Sperryville, Rappahannock County, Virginia and died Aug 9, 1894 in Union Township, Dodge County, Nebraska at the age of 44.
She married James Grier on Feb 14, 1869, in Henry County, Illinois, where both their families lived. They were married by Clergyman J. M. Rayser, Minister of the Gospel. He was born in 1834 in Ireland and died on Jan 1, 1881 in Illinois at the age of 46.
Her second husband was William McRae, who worked for her husband on the farm and lived with them. They married on Jun 26, 1884. He was born about 1855 in Novia Scotia of parents who were both born there. According to the marriage license recorded in Colfax County records, page 278, Emily J. Grier was 32, white, born in Virginia, residing in Colfax County, Neb, daughter of Albert Jenkins and Polly A. Locker. William was 34, white, born in Cape Britain Glen, son of David McRae and Catharine McCharles. Witnesses were John M. Devine and S. C. Webber, both of Schyler, Neb.
William McRae and Emily Jane Jenkins obtained a divorce, according to a November 1898 court paper. (Henry County Illinois Circuit Court Chancerty Case Lucy Funk vs. Matilda A. Quick Et AL File No. 2241A First Decree, which stated, in part, ". . . that the said Emily J. McRae departed this life, intestate, on or about the ninth day of August A. D. 1894, the owner at the time of her decease in fee simple of an undivided one eleventh equal part of the above described real estate, that she left surviving her as her sole and only heirs at law eight children, viz. Albert Grier, Mary Chambers, Emma Street, and Arthur Grier, born unto her by inter marriage with one James Grier, long since deceased and prior to the death of said Albert Jenkins, and Kenneth McRae, Rachel McRae, William McRae, and John D. McRae who are minors and born unto her by a former marriage with one William McRae from whom she duly obtained a divorce for his fault in the lifetime of the said Emily J. McRae. . .")
The 1885 state census for Nebraska, Colfax County, Colfax Precinct, Midway Borough, enumeration district 192, OS page number 9B, taken on Jun 8, 1885, shows William McRoy, age 32, birth place Nova Scotia. The enumeration district for Emily J. McRoy was shown as 152, with the census taken on Jun 9, 1885. She was shown as age 32 (actually, she was 35), birth place Virginia. The "Crier" (Grier) children living with them, all born in Illinois, were Albert, age 12 (15, actually), Mary, 14 (almost 14, actually), Emily, 12, and Anther (Arthur), 10. "Downell McKoy" (Kenneth McRae) was shown as age 1/12 (actually, he was 3 or 4 months old), born in Nebraska.
Her tombstone states, "Emily J. wife of William McRae Died Aug 9, 1894 Aged 44 Y's." She is buried in the Purple Cane Cemetery, Dodge County, Nebraska. The cemetery is well maintained, and is located five miles west, four miles north, and ¼ mile west of North Bend, Nebraska. The legal description of the location is N ½, N ½, NW ¼ of Section 19 Township, 18 Range, 5 Union Township. Within the cemetery, her plot is about fifty family plots into the cemetery, going west.
The children of Emily Jane Jenkins and James Grier are listed under James Grier.
The children of Emily Jane Jenkins and William McRae were:
vi Kenneth, b. Feb 1885, m. Eva --
vii Rachel, b. May 1886, m. -- Jones, d. after Jan 26, 1956
viii William, b. May 1889, d. after Apr 7, 1954
ix John D., b. May, 1891.