FOURTH GENERATION

12. * Cornelius Washington "Corneil" MCKISSICK^{(25) (26)(27) (28)} was born on 19 Apr 1816 in near Shelbyville, Bedford, TN. He was a Farmer between 1850 and 1860 in Fremont County, IA.⁽²⁹⁾ Cornelius had a field of 40 acres in the SW1/4 of S19 which cornered with his field of 67 acres in S20. He died on 27 Mar 1893 in Madison, Fremont, IA. ⁽³⁰⁾ Cornelius had been ill all winter from a cancer on his face. He was very low, and unable to take any, but liquid nourishment during his last few days. He died on Monday morning. The funeral services at Mt. Olive Church on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. He died at the age of 76 years 11 months 8 days. Both Cornelius and Hannah lived with their son James when they died. He was buried on 29 Mar 1893 in Mount Olive Cemetery, Fremont County, IA. ⁽³¹⁾ Cornelius McKissick settled in a area east of present day Hamburg which became known as McKissick's Grove. {Postoffice, 1851-69} Inside McKissick Grove there were two settlements, one was French and the other was Mormon, They were used as a resting place before the move westward. When a cemetery was begun, it was called McKissick's then Farmer's (after Thomas Farmer who first owned the land) and finally, Mt. Olive. The first burial record was that of Mrs. Freeman, said to be the wife of a hired hand, who died in 1845. A church called "Nishnabotna Church" was built next to the cemetery in 1845. Reports have it that the first Baptist church built in this area was on land next to the cemetery, so it could be the same. Later, the church became "McKissick Grove Presbyterian Church". For a time the land was in Missouri. Then in 1848, surveyors moved the Missouri line south and the McKissick Grove community became a part of Iowa and with it the cemetery. Mt. Olive is still in use and cared for be the Mt. Olive Cemetery Association. New additions were acquired in 1926 and in 1974. When he was eighteen months of age he moved, with his father's family, to Saline County, Missouri, remaining five and a half years, when he moved to Clay county, Missouri, remaining until 1840. He was one of the first settler in the timber three mile east of Hamburg, Iowa, latter to be called McKissick Grove. The first settler in Fremont County, Iowa was Major Stephen Cooper. He settle there in the spring of 1836, by a permit from the Government to carry on farming for the Pottawattamie Indians. He represented Holt County, Missouri, in the Missouri Legislature, in the year 1842. His claim was sold in 1843 to Captain Whitehead. He stayed till the establishment of the boundary between Missouri and Iowa. In 1848 it was sold to James Knoxsen {Knox}. The next two settlers is order, were A. J. Singleton, who settled on the south side of Pleasant Grove. In March, 1840, C. W. McKissick, came to what is now Madison Township and homesteaded a farm there. A year later, two of his brothers, Jacob and Pinckney came and settled on adjoining homesteads. This settlement became known as McKissick Grove. Cornelius and Jacob came near to losing their lives a number of times while defending their claims. Later two other McKissick brothers, Daniel and William, came and a sister Mrs. Jane Fletcher. Mrs. McKissick came in 1841. Others that came and settled were John Cooper, Major English, Fugetts {Fugitt}, Cowles all settling in McKissick Grove. Acords, Scotts, Hunsackers, Loveladys, Buckmans, Richards settled near Singleton in Pleasant Grove. The McKissick brothers acquired a large tract of land near the Missouri River which is known as McKissick Island and this and the accretions have made a sizable and controversial piece of property. The earliest proven dates recorded for Madison Township is as follows:
1840 - Jacob McKissick, farmer and stockmen,
1840 - C. W. McKissick, farmer
1844 - William A. McKissick, farmer
1845 - John McKissick, farmer
1845 - John McKissick was born. James and Nancy Parman, farmers.
1847 - Townson Fugitt, farmer
1849 - The following is a list of farm land entries filed at the Iowa land office for land in this township; first was David M. English, followed by Samorie, Seabo, Trudo, Graivremond, Merriville, Farmer, Bollman, Calkins, Pearman, Daniel McKissick, Jacob McKissick, Spidle, Buncker, Argyle, and Finley.
1852 - James F. McKissick, mechanic
1852 - James McKissick was born.
An Iowa-Missouri boundary dispute was settled in 1851, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of Iowa. Cornelius was one of two men appointed Judges to preside over the hearings which later settled the boundary. When this was settled a part of the land that was once in Clay County, Missouri was divided and claimed by Kansas the piece of land then became Doniphan County, Kansas. The following was taken from "Some Bits of Early History" written by Mr. Charles Thiessen and printed in the Reporter in 1934: Cornelius McKissick and Giles Cowles are the two outstanding men among the pioneers of this section and their influence upon the affairs of this section in an early day are more or less known, and while little has been recorded, yet it is enough to show the impress of their influence for law and order, although sometimes it was necessary to take the law in their own hands. This was never done as the head of a mob, but rather in a single-handed manner, when they went after "their man" as was necessary in those times. They were outstanding characters in the community and could always be depended upon in time of stress, and always on the right side. Cornelius McKissick was a dead shot with pistol or rifle, and this was known to all who lived in these parts. Cowles and McKissick were after a couple of horse thieves sometime in the '40's, and had them located near where the pop factory now stands. Cowles had winged his man, but McKissick was a bit slow in covering his man, and Cowles kept urging him to get his flintlock going before the other man could shoot. McKissick, in his slow, easy manner, said there was no hurry, and turned to spit. Cowles saw thing were getting a bit too hot, so shot the other horse thief. The law in those days was "get your man" and while McKissick was very deliberate he was man to be feared when he had a gun in his hands. Bushwhackers were out for a thrill in those days much as our present day bandits of today, and their thrill came partly from stealing horses, which added the feature of profit as well. McKissick always kept his guns ready, and tried them out every day, his usual practice being to shoot squirrels out of the trees with is pistol. Once word was sent to McKissick that a gang was coming out to get him. When asked what he thought about it, he just laughed, remarking, "they know better then to come, for they know two or three will not come back." To enter a country so wild and engage in its settlement rewuired not only a willing heart, but the ability to do and dear. The best acres and beautiful forests of Fremont County meant arduous to those who came to claim theirs. The first murder trail of Oregon, Missouri was that of Cornelius McKissick who shot to death Mr. Zadock Martin in Nodaway Township Apr. 24, 1843. About three years after he had settled on his claim in Madison Township, a great bullying fellow, named Zadok Martin, "jumped" the claim and told the neighbors he expected to drive McKissick off or make him pay well for the privilege of staying. The two men met one day and Martin said to McKissick: "I am making a claim here, and I have seen you hauling rails off it; I want you to stop that." McKissick replied: "This is my claim; I have been here three years; but I will not quarrel with you. Martin followed up McKissick for three or four days, and at last came upon him where he, his brother, and his brother-in-law were making rails. A companion was with him, Martin was armed with a heavy dog-wood bludgeon and his companion with a rifle. The pair cornered McKissick and Martin drew his club; but McKissick drew his rifle and shot his assailant, who turned, walked a few feet, fell, and never breathed again. McKissick was arrested and tried at Oregon, the county seat of Holt county, Missouri. He was found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree and given three years. A new trial was granted. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was fined $500 and given six months in jail. The fine was remitted because he had no money and he was later discharged from jail on account of the jail being unfit for human occupancy. The neighbors, who knew the circumstances, thought this was unjust, and petitioned the legislature of Missouri to remit the fine, this was granted. For an account of the coming of Mr. McKissick refer to the chapter on "Old Settlers and Settlements." He held numerous township offices, and had been intimately identified with the history of the county from the very earliest days. Was well know for the fact that he was a very good shot with a gun.
Cornelius was said to have planted the first orchard in Fremont County, Iowa.

He was married to * Hannah Francis CHANEY (daughter of * Nathan CHANEY and * Hannah GROOMS) on 28 Aug 1842 in Liberty, Clay, MO.⁽³²⁾ Listed in Hannah's death notice, it states that Cornelius went back to Missouri to marry her. * Hannah Francis CHANEY was born in May 1818 in Clark County, KY. She died on 7 Jun 1912 in Madison, Fremont, IA. ⁽³³⁾ She went in from working out side and laid down and died in her sleep. Funeral services were conducted at Mt. Olive Church near the place of her 70 years residence, on Wednesday at 2 o'clock p.m. By Rev. A.W. Tandy. She was survived by Joseph McKissick of N. Yakima, Wash., Mrs. Susan McMillian of Shelby, Neb., Mrs. Elizabeth Jennings of Riverton, Howard McKissick of Hamburg, 43 Grand Children, 74 Great Grand Children, and 5 Great Great Grand Children. She was buried on 9 Jun 1912 in Mount Olive Cemetery, Fremont County, IA. She moved with her parents to Liberty, Clay County, Missouri in 1819. She was a typical pioneer woman--excelling in gardening, weaving and homemaking. * Cornelius Washington "Corneil" MCKISSICK and * Hannah Francis CHANEY had the following children:

+39 i. Martha MCKISSICK.
+40 ii. William Alexander "Alex" MCKISSICK.
+41 iii. John Pinckney "Pink" MCKISSICK.
42 iv. Amanda MCKISSICK was born on 9 Jul 1849 in Madison, Fremont, IA. She died on 20 Oct 1849 in Fremont County, IA. She died of Pneumonia. Tombstone states she was 4 months 11 days when she died. She was buried on 20 Oct 1849 in Mount Olive Cemetery, Fremont County, IA.⁽³⁴⁾
+43 v. James Franklin "Frank" MCKISSICK.
+44 vi. Elizabeth MCKISSICK.
+45 vii. Susan MCKISSICK.
+46 viii. * Joseph Marion MCKISSICK.
+47 ix. Richard W. MCKISSICK.
48 x. infant MCKISSICK was born on 7 Jan 1860 in Madison, Fremont, IA. He died on 27 May 1860 in Fremont County, IA. He was buried on 27 May 1860 in Mount Olive Cemetery, Fremont County, IA.⁽³⁵⁾
+49 xi. Howard Henry MCKISSICK.