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Archiver > BUTLER > 1998-12 > 0914696570


From: "Toby Westfall" <>
Subject: [BUTLER-L] Surname Posting
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1998 13:22:50 -0500


Hi everyone!
It has been a while since I posted my information, and there are new members
on our list now, so I thought I would repost. This line is a brick wall,
and I would appreciate ANY and ALL information I can get. Even the dead
ends tell me something, so please, even if what you have is a real long
shot, I would still like to research and see. I have reason to believe some
of my information may be incorrect, though I can't figure out why it has
been hidden from us. First I will tell the story of my Butler line as I
have heard it from my family. Then I will post information on the names I
have.
The Story:
My Grandmother is Martha Frances Butler. She looked like she was Indian,
and my mother and her brother are at odds about what type of Indian, as well
as which of Martha's parents handed down the Indian Anscestry. She told my
mom and her siblings that her mother was Black Dutch, and that she was very
ashamed of this, and they should not ever tell anyone. Okay, now Martha's
parents are said to be an Elizabeth Tall(e)y and a Thomas Butler. All I
know about them is hear-say, but here goes: Elizabeth is said to have been
Black Dutch according to my mother and her sisters. According to my Uncle,
she is said to have been Cherokee Indian. I do know she had her first
children around Montgomery, Alabama. Not IN Montgomery, but in that area.
I also suspect she may have had them while Thomas was serving in the Civil
War. He was said to have served, along with his friend, (his friend was
said to have been a slave that was treated as a member of the family. The
tale goes, he was grandpa's "slave" by title, so that they would know that
he was not "owned" by anybody that might abuse him, since he and Thomas were
good friends.) It is said that Thomas was injured severely during the Civil
War, and that his friend thought he was dying, and so carried him home from
the Kentucky, Tennessee, or North Carolina area on his back. After that, it
is said that Thomas and Elizabeth sold thier farm and moved to Tallasee
Alabama (I have reason to believe the place is wrong.) After they arrived
there, we are told that Elizabeth ran a rooming house, in which her
daughters sometimes worked. Also, Thomas was said to have been the person
who swung the light for the trains at night. My grandmother was running the
front desk at the rooming house when she met my Grandfather's brother,
Albany McKeehan, and then my Grandfather, John Eason McKeehan. She had been
recently widowed after an extremely short marriage that ended for reasons
totally unbeknownst to my family. We do not even know the surname of the
man she was married to. She was dating Albany, but married John, and when
Elizibeth found out she had decided to marry John, she was very angry. It
is told that Elizabeth and Martha never spoke again. Martha and John moved
off and wondered from town to town and state to state, mostly around North
Carolina, until John died in 1942, and Martha moved to LaGrange Georgia with
her children where Albany, John's brother lived and might help her out.
During all this time, it is said that she saw one of her sister's, Sally
Butler Glass one time, when Sally's house in Mississippi was damaged by a
flood, and she had to go somewhere to stay for a while with her children
while her husband repaired or rebuilt thier house. It is said that Sally
was very sick during this time, and that Martha used herbs and roots to heal
her, since Martha was considered a Mid-wife. This was supposed to have
happened while Martha and John lived in Gastonia North Carolina, probably
after 1934, but before 1939. Martha had a two brothers, and one of them,
Rimbert Butler, had TB, and is said to have moved to a place called
Sanitorium Texas. I doubt the name of this place, but do believe it could
have been in Texas. He is said to have married and had a family out there.
Mack Butler, her other Brother is said to have moved out around Texas or
Arizona, Colorodo. He was said to have married and had a family as well.
Martha's other sister, Ethel Butler, married a Presley, and is said to
have lived in the same town that Elvis Presley was born and raised in,
though there is no information to prove a kinship.

Thomas Butler
m: Elizabeth Tall(e)y

Children:
Mack Butler m: Unknown

Rimbert Butler m: Unknown

Ethel Butler m: Presley

Martha Frances Butler
m: secondly - John Eason McKeehan (I have about 600 names on a tree for
them.)

Sally Butler m: Glass

I am sorry this post was so long. Once again, anything anybody may be able
to send me will be greatly appreciated and I will be gald to share all my
information with anybody, however scant it may be.
Christine Poole

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