John W. McCartney was born on June 6, 1848, in Gibson County, Tennessee, to
William Andrew McCartney and Nancy Caroline Baird McCartney. He was the last child that William and Caroline had together.
He had older siblings Sarah Gamima McCartney, Elizabeth Frances McCartney, and Martha E.
McCartney. John's mother, Caroline, died around 1851, when he was less than five years of age.
His father William then remarried Nancy Ervin in 1852. His father and stepmother had nine children together, namely: Louisa
Tennessee (Tennie) McCartney, Emily Melissa McCartney, William Jasper McCartney, Susan Victoria McCartney, Andrew Jackson McCartney, James M.
McCartney, Alice Amedy McCartney, Ella Jane McCartney, and Lewis Wesley McCartney.
John's older sister Martha died in 1858, and, ten years later, John married Susan Hannah Greer in Gibson County, Tennessee.
Susan was born on December 6, 1852, in Gibson County, Tennessee. John and Susan married on her
sixteenth birthday. Susan's parents were Zachariah Greer and Abigale Elizabeth Wren Greer.
She was the granddaughter of Elijah C. Greer and Hannah Bryant Greer. Hannah was the daughter of a Cherokee Indian, John
Bryant.
John and Susan's first child was William Zachariah McCartney, named for his grandfathers. He was known by all as "Billie."
Once, a school teacher asked what his name was and he responded "Billie Willie Zachariah, pap's
boy." Billie was born in 1869. He would later marry Sarah E. Maynard.
Their children were: Bessie Mae McCartney, Lockie Rosalee McCartney, Shellie McCartney, Thurman McCartney, Willie Hermon McCartney, Herbert
McCartney, Claud McCartney, and Myrtle "Mirt" McCartney. Billie and Sarah are buried at Poplar Springs Cemetery.
John and Susan's next child was Mary E. McCartney. Mary was a fairly small
woman. She was born on February 12, 1871, in Gibson County, Tennessee.
Mary grew up to marry Jesse M. Ford. Mary and Jess had five children: Nora
Ford, Rosie V. Ford, Russell Ford, Eddie Ford (female), and Frances Ford. Mary and Jess are buried at Walnut Grove UMC Cemetery near Cades, TN.
James Wilk McCartney was the name of their next son, born in 1872. Wilk married Mollie Elizabeth McCollum in 1892 in Gibson County.
It is said by some that Wilk knew of his impending death. He reportedly returned from
hunting, set his gun on the rack above the door, and said, "That was the last time I will ever use that gun."
And it was. He also told his family, "I won't be here come Christmas."
And he wasn't. After his death around 1897, Mollie married a Cummings.
Wilk is thought to be buried at an unmarked grave at Poplar Springs Cemetery.
After Mary came Nancy Caroline (Nan) McCartney. Nan was born on December 7,
1873, in Gibson County, Tennessee. Isaac C. McCollum began courting Nan and
the two purchased a marriage license on September 16, 1889, from the Courthouse at Trenton, Tennessee.
The two were married on September 17, 1889 by J. W. Crowford, Minister of the Gospel.
Nan and Ike's children were: Bertha Etta McCollum, Edgar Luther McCollum, Onie Bell McCollum, Altie
Leona McCollum, Flossie Lillian McCollum, Emmie Irene McCollum, and Lona Mae McCollum.
Ada Florence McCartney was the next born child of John and Susan. Ada was born in 1876 in Gibson County, Tennessee.
She later married Edward Dudley "E. D." Browning. Ada and E. D. had the following children: Ellen Browning,
Elbert C. Browning (twin to Ellen), L.C. Browning, and Fleekwood Browning.
E. D. and Ada were both buried at Walnut Grove UMC Cemetery near Cades.
The next child, Robert Andrew (Bob) McCartney, was born on January 28, 1877, in Gibson County, Tennessee.
Bob married Mollie A. Baird. Bob and Mollie's children included: John David "Dave" McCartney, Homer McCartney, Hulen Lonzo McCartney, Monroe McCartney (twin to Hulen), Bunnie Tennice McCartney, Eunice McCartney, Leamon McCartney, Anner May McCartney, Infant Daughter McCartney, Leonard McCartney, Clone McCartney, and Roy L. McCartney.
Later, Bob, a widower, married Eunice Crossett Bruff, widow of Franklin J. Bruff.
Bob, Mollie, and Eunice are all buried at Belew's Chapel Cemetery.
John and Susan's house grew again when Suson Victoria McCartney was born on May 15, 1879, in Gibson County, Tennessee. Suson was the later wife of William Green "Bill" Knott and their children were: Teola Knott, Robert Wade Knott, Cleo Knott, Etho Knott, Roscoe Knott, W B Knott, and Haywood Knott. Bill and Susan are buried in Belew's Chapel Cemetery.
Next came Emma Jane "Emmie" McCartney. Emmie was born on March 10, 1882, in Gibson County, Tennessee.
Emmie took for her husband on December 11, 1904, Mr. Thomas Oliver Theodore Arnold, known by all as
"Tom. " Emmie and Tom had these children: Rice Arnold, William Raymond Arnold, John Ross Arnold, Annie Nell Arnold, Willie Grace Arnold, and Sidney Foster "Sid" Arnold.
Tom and Emmie were both buried at Belew's Chapel Cemetery.
On May 7, 1884, in Gibson County, Tennessee, this already bursting household had another addition, John Eliga McCartney.
John's middle name was not spelled any particular way. Some knew him as "John" and some as
"Johnny", but when someone signed his name for him to leave his mark on, he always had put
"J. E. McCartney". He married Etta Oralee Yates in 1905 and their children were: Roy Lee McCartney, Robert Ernest McCartney, Dennis Ira McCartney, and Fred Howard McCartney.
John and Etta were buried at Belew's Chapel Cemetery.
Ola Beulah McCartney was what John and Susan would name the next child, who was born on June 19, 1886, in Gibson County, Tennessee. Beulah's name may have been spelled "Bula" or even "Bulah" at different times, but Beulah was the most likely spelling.
She married Edwin P. Horton and they had seven children, namely: Hazy Horton, Willie B. Horton, Bernie Horton, Bernie Horton, William Clyde Horton, Minnie Lee Horton, Katherine Horton, and Jewell Horton.
Beulah and Ed were buried at Seminary Cemetery in Weakley County, TN.
Tragically, on June 23, 1888, while his wife Susan was almost full-term pregnant, John W. McCartney lost his father, William Andrew.
William was buried in Patterson Cemetery near the Hollyleaf Community of Gibson County.
His grave was unmarked until James A. McCartney, the great-grandson of William's son John, purchased a headstone for him.
William left a wife, Nancy Irvin McCartney, and several children.
Then, on August 21 of that same year, 1888, R B McCartney, the son of John and Susan, was born, in Gibson County, Tennessee. R B married S. Georgia W.
Knott and their children were Clifton McCartney and Sidney McCartney. R B also married Dottye Williams Branson, a widow, and they had the following children: Hollis Paul McCartney, Lena Mae McCartney, James Howard "Jim" McCartney, Glynn Harold McCartney, and R B "Bug" McCartney, Jr.
R B would marry a third time to Mary P. Dawson Carroll, the widow of William R. Carroll.
R B, Georgia, and Dott are all buried at Shiloh Cemetery near Bradford.
Next was Albert J. McCartney, born in Gibson County, Tennessee, on October 28, 1891.
Albert never married.
Martha E. McCartney was born in 1893 in Gibson County, Tennessee, the next child of John and Susan's incredibly large household.
Martha took for her husband on December 29, 1912, in Weakley County, Tennessee, Mr. Ellis E. Culver.
Martha and Ellis's children were: Aberdeen Culver, Leona Culver, John Edward
"J. E." Culver, Lois Willard Culver, Mary Louise Culver, and an Infant Culver child.
The Culvers are buried at Belew's Chapel.
Thomas Henry McCartney was the last child of John W. McCartney and Susan H. Greer McCartney, born in Gibson County, Tennessee, on September 13, 1895.
Thomas married Ophelia Pugh and their children were: Floyd McCartney, Robert McCartney, Baby Ray McCartney, Laura Imogene McCartney, and Mildred Ruth McCartney.
Thomas and Ophelia are buried at Belew's Chapel.
On the date of June 27, 1899, Albert J. McCartney passed on. He was laid to rest near his family at Poplar Springs Cemetery.
He was the only child of the group who died before marrying age, a rare thing for this time in history.
On what may have been the saddest day of John's life, he lost his beloved Susan on May 17, 1906.
Susan was not very old, to be exact, 53 years, 5 months, and 11 days.
She was laid to rest in Poplar Springs Cemetery, a cemetery in the Gann Community of Gibson County, which her grandfather, Elijah C. Greer, gave the land for.
In 1908, John W. McCartney would remarry to Mary Jane Richards Rodgers, the widow of Francis Marion Rodgers, who was also buried at Poplar Springs.
Their marriage would last several years, and obviously, John loved Mary Jane.
A story passed down through the years was that he was once told by doctors Mary Jane wouldn't live much longer and was instructed not to feed her. He said something to the effect of
"Well, I won't let her die hungry". He fed her and her condition improved.
She ended up outliving him.
John W. McCartney's children experience pain, loss, and tragedy as well. On December 19, 1912, John's son R B McCartney lost his wife, Georgia, to tuberculosis.
Their youngest son would die only months later.
On the day of July 15, 1914, Nancy Caroline McCartney, John's daughter who was named after his own mother who died young, also died.
Nan left seven children and a loving husband. She was the last child John would see die.
December 9, 1916, was a day that the McCartney family mourned. John W. McCartney, the eldest son of the first of the well-known McCartney Clan, died.
John was buried at Poplar Springs Cemetery next to his first wife, Susan.
He left behind his second wife, Mary, who would die in December of 1917.
Mary wished to be buried either by John or by her first husband, but due to a severe snowstorm, was forced to be buried at Pratt Cemetery.
This concludes my history of the John W. McCartney family. I hope you've enjoyed it. This is all true and a part of my heritage...John W. McCartney was my great-great-great-grandfather.
Now, here is an in-depth look at my line, the John Eliga McCartney family.
JOHN ELIGA McCARTNEY was born on May 7, 1884, in Gibson County, TN. He was the ninth of fourteen children born to John and Susan Greer McCartney.
John married Etta Oralee Yates, the daughter of John D. Yates and Victoria E. Dunlap. Etta was born on Jan. 13, 1886, and the two were married in 1905.
John and Etta's first child was Roy Lee McCartney, who was born in 1906 and died in 1909. Roy was buried in Poplar Springs Cemetery.
John and Etta's second child was Robert Ernest McCartney, who was born in 1908. Ernest died in 1914.
He was laid to rest beside his older brother in Poplar Springs.
A third child was born in 1912 to John and Etta by the name of Dennis Ira McCartney.
Dennis grew up to marry Truma Browning, the daughter of John W. Browning and Bertha Rora Hedgecock Browning.
Dennis and Truma had two children, Bobby Joe and Dennis Stephen.
John and Etta's baby child was born on March 27, 1918, in the Goosefoot Community of Gibson County, which is located near Skullbone.
His name was Fred Howard McCartney. On July 25, 1936, Fred married Nancy Lorene Williams, the daughter of Carroll and Vina Knott Williams. Fred and Lorene had three sons, William Dwain McCartney, Abner Lee McCartney, and Freddie Gale McCartney.
John E. McCartney led a quiet life as a farmer and died on Sept. 23, 1963, in Goosefoot after a short illness.
He was buried by request at Belew's Chapel Cemetery.
Etta died on Dec. 21, 1964, in Goosefoot and was also buried at Belew's Chapel.
Their youngest son, Fred Howard McCartney, died of cancer and heart problems on December 5, 1977, and was buried at Belew's Chapel Cemetery.
Dennis died in 1980 and was buried at Bradford Cemetery.