Shelby  County  Indiana
Biographies

Charles  W. McKinney

          No better representative of the thrifty and progressive younger generation of farmers in Clinton county can be found than  Charles W. McKinney,  the scion of an old Hoosier family.  He believes in adopting the best twentieth century methods in his agricultural work and is doing well whatever is worth doing at all; no dilatory tactics are evidenced in his life, and he leaves no stone unturned whereby he may benefit himself, but he takes a loyal citizen's view of the community in which he lives, and does his duty to his neighbors and friends by aiding in every enterprise which works for the common good.
          Mr. McKinney was born April 7, 1869, in Sugar Creek township, Clinton county, the son of  James and Josephine (Ward) McKinney.  The father was born February 28, 1839, in this county, and died in 1904, after a worthy life spent in the pursuit of farming.  He was a Republican politically  The mother was also born in Clinton county in 1843, and departed this life in 1889.  Both parents had good common school educations.  Five children were born of the union:  Cora (deceased),  Charles W.,  of this review;  Mary,  Dolly (deceased) and  Flora.
          Mr. McKinney attended the common schools of his native county when he was a young man, but soon after drifted into farming, which he has followed up until the present time. Mr. McKinney owns one hundred and ninety acres of fertile land in this township, all of which is tillable with the exception of twelve or fifteen acres. The estate is also well tiled and the commodious home thereupon is the handiwork of Mr. McKinney himself. The best improvements are used in the work of the farm and they include a good silo. Beside the general farm work our subject carries on general breeding of good live stock.
          On August 13, 1893, Mr. McKinney was married to  Minnie Billingsley, who was born in Shelby county, Ind., in 1870, and is the daughter of  Charles and Jane (Herndon) Billingsley, and received a good common school educatio.(sic)  Six children have been born of the union:  Earle, 1893;  Edward, 1895;  Virgil, 1897, died 1899;  Pearl, 1899,  Nora, 1902; and  May, 1904.
          Fraternally, Mr. McKinney belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Pickard, lodge No. 321. He is a member of the Baptist church, and is ever ready to assist them in their noble work.  The Republican party has a stanch supporter in Mr. McKinney.
The History of Clinton County, Indiana,  Hon. Joseph Claybaugh, A. W. Bowen & Company, 1913, Indianapolis, Indiana, pages 823-824.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

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