pleasant McGehee
Birth to 1830s
Pleasant McGehee was born in 1805, n Tennessee, the first child of James and Jane McGehee. Pleasant is on the records of Lincoln County, Tennessee, as being involved in the building of a road. " Mon 7-3-1826 Order that Pleasant McGeehee be appointed overseer of the road from the house of Wm. Patterson to the Gum spring & call on the usual hands " Pleasant's wife has always been somewhat of a mystery. We know her name was something like "Elleander" or "Ellander." One census states she was born in Tennessee, and another indicates South Carolina. Their first child, Easter Jane McGehee, was born in Tennessee in 1828, and they likely married sometime before that. Pleasant is on the 1830 census of Illinois. James and Jane had moved to Morgan County, Illinois, and Pleasant is living next door. This census is the image to the left. We know that Pleasant was also in Knox County with the family but was not involved in the Blackhawk war. After Pleasant's father, James, passed away, Pleasant, along with most of the McGehee family moved south to Missouri. This migration took place in the later 1830s.
Upon arrival in Southern Missouri, our McGehee family were some of the first pioneers to settle the area. It was then known as Barry County, Missouri, but later became Lawrence County. They generally settled east/northeast corner of what is now Lawrence County, Missouri. Pleasant is on the 1850 census living next door to his mother Jane and his niece Sarah Hilton. 1850 would be the last census on which Pleasant is counted. It is believed that he died sometime before 1860
Missouri
From a reprint of "Goodspeed 's 1888 history of Lawrence county "Dempsey Jackson, Robert C. and Pleasant McGehee and Elisha H. Jackson purchased on Section 4 before 1842." This was in Township 28, range 27 of what was then Barry County Missouri. Lawrence County Missouri was created out of Barry County.
The remainder of the McGehee family (minus the daughter Jane McGehee Hilton who had passed away and Lucy who had married Ben Campbell) moved south to Barry County, Missouri. Jacob stayed shortly in Illinois and came south soon after.
The 1840 census shows Jane, the mother, flanked by her two sons, Pleasant and John. Robert Carroll and the Pennington sons in law are both there as well in close by. We know that Robert Carroll McGehee married Elizabeth Bray in 1838, so the family had to have been there before that time.
Family stories indicate that they were some of the first families in that area and helped to start the local towns. How much of this is true is unclear.
Pleasant passed away sometime between 1850-1860. The exact date or reason for his passing is unknown.
Children of Pleasant and Elleander McGehee
Easter Jane McGehee Hankins was born somewhere around 1825-1828 in Tennessee. She married Madison Hankins and, as of 1900, lived in Ozark, Lawrence Co, Missouri. Easter Jane McGehee Hankins passed away after 1910, likely in Lawrence Co, Missouri, and I have never seen any documentation as to the location of her grave. Her known children were David, Amanda (Arminda or Norminda), Amos, Sarah, Rhoda, Rosa, and James. William McGehee was born about 1830, and we know very little about him. William may have been in Bureau Co, Illinois, with Jacob and Lucy McGehee Campbell for a short time. We know that he was alive and present as of 1850, but we don't remember anything after that. There is a William McGehee who married Millie Johnson in Lawrence co Mo about the correct time. However, he is later records show his birth date as 1812, which would be too early to be Pleasant's son. It's still a mystery. It is always possible that he passed away. Mary Anne McGehee was born in 1834 in Illinois. She married Jeremiah M Cooper in Lawrence County Mo. I have a record of her there as late as 1880. Their known children were Nancy, Julia, Marion, William, and Sarah. Elijah McGehee was born in 1837 in Missouri, indicating that the family was in Missouri by that time. I know very little about Elijah, and he may have served in the civil war. Henry C McGehee was born in 1843 in Missouri. As in the case of Elijah, very little is known about Henry past the 1860 census. There is a Henry "McGhee" that later shows up as "William Henry Mcghee" in Coryelle Co, Texas, in 1870. I have been suspicious that he may be this Henry. He was living near two of our McGehee relatives. I have no proof that he was the same as Henry C McGehee. Pleasant McGehee Jr was born in 1847 in Missouri. He married Sophia Micheal in Jasper County, Missouri, in 1868. He lived in Van Buren Arkansas and passed away before 1882. I know of a family story that indicates he was digging a well and was overcome with some sort of gas and died. I do not know the source or validity of that story. Known children of Pleasant Jr and Sophia were Gracie E McGehee Robinson, Marian L McGehee, and Henry Thomas McGehee. Samantha E McGehee is the youngest of Pleasant's children being born in 1849 in Missouri. I know nothing of Samantha after the 1860 census. Ellender, Pleasant's wife, is not on any records I have found beyond 1860. It is not clear if she died or remarried. She is also a bit of a mystery as we have never known her maiden name or even how specifically to spell her given name.