DR. B. F. McKEEHAN PASSES AWAY

He Fell Down Stairs Saturday Night, Breaking His Collar Bone.

The Clarksburg Telegram., March 02, 1900

Dr. Benjamin Franklin McKeehan died at 4 o’clock, Tuesday morning February 27, 1900, at his late home on Mulberry street.

For the past eleven years he has been totally blind and this was a material cause of his death.

Saturday evening he went up stairs and took a bath. After dressing he came down in his stocking and fell near the bottom of the stairs, breaking his collar bone. His son and daughter hearing him fall rushed to him and carried him unconscious to a bed.

He regained consciousness but had no recollection of falling. A discoloration around one of his ankles discovered after his death would indicate that he had tripped himself, or sprained the ankle in some way.

The fatal accident occurred about 10 o’clock Saturday night.

Dr. McKeehan was born in Frederick county, MD., October 20, 1818, and was in his 82nd year. He came to this county in 1849 and married Emily Ann Martin October 31, 1850, in this county.

Dr. and Mrs. McKeehan were the parents of five children : Charles McKeehan, of East Liverpool, Ohio; Mrs. Ida Smith, of Wellsville, Ohio, and W. C. and Lee and Miss Etta McKeehan, of this city, all of whom and his wife survive him.

The deceased was one of the most eminent and best-read physicians and surgeons in the county, standing at the head of his profession at all times. He possessed an unusually bright intellect, natural and disciplined.

As a citizen there could be none better.

As a Christian he was regular in attendance upon his church and ready at all times to do the bidding of the Master. His church membership in the First Presbyterian church, of this city, covers 51 years, having united with that church in 1849, and is, perhaps, the longest on record here.

For twenty years or more he held the position of pension examiner, the first 8 or 10 years alone and the last 12 years as one of the board of three, serving his last term under Cleveland’s administration with Drs. Smith Carr and Will Bowcock, selected because of his experience and eminent fitness, though a republican politically.

The funeral was conducted at the residence at 3 o’clock Thursday afternoon by Rev. C. P. Marshall and interment was made in the I. O. O. F. cemetery.

The Clarksburg Telegram., April 12, 1901 pg. 4

—(excerpt)

The obituary of Mrs. Dr. B. F. McKeehan in another column constitutes an interesting, romantic history of the lives of several Revolutionary soldiers and their families in this county.

Obituary

The Clarksburg Telegram., April 12, 1901 pg. 7

That estimable Christian woman, Mrs. Emily A. McKeehan, widow of Dr. B. F. McKeehan, departed this life April 5, 1901, at her home in Clarksburg.

She was born on the Gore farm, a few miles below Clarksburg on the river, then owned by her father, Col. William Martin, August 25, 1824. Her father subsequently sold this farm and removed to Elk creek near Romines Mills, where they resided until her marriage to Dr. McKeehan October 31, 1850.

The Dr. and his bride resided there several years and then removed to Clarksburg, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were devout members of the Presbyterian church and regular attendants and communicants, whenever opportunity afforded.

Mrs. McKeehan was a woman of piety and purity, devoted to her family,her church, and friends, by whom she was beloved. Too much cannot be said in commendation of her various virtues.

Her lovely character and the sterling qualities of her husband have been impressed upon their family of worthy and highly respected children, who succeed her, namely, Charles M., Mrs. Judge P. M. Smith, of Wellsville, Ohio, William Clayton and Etta. Her sons are men of sterling worth and her daughters accomplished, lovely, Christian ladies.

Mrs. McKeehan was the last member of the family of Col. William Martin, a veteran and soldier, who served during the War of the Revolution, in New Jersey. After peace had been declared and liberty assured to the American Colonies, Col. Martin came to North Western Virginia; just when he came is not definitely known.

It is safe to assume that he came to Monongalia county by the time of its formation in 1776, and thence came to Clarksburg before the formation of Harrison County in 1784.

Being a man of fine business capacity, he was accorded a high position in society and formed intimate friendships with many gentlemen, especially with Major William Haymond and Col. Benjamin Wilson, both Revolutionary soldiers and veterans as well as himself.

It is supposed he returned to Monongalia to take charge of the office of sheriff, but whether he was made sheriff can not now be ascertained, as the records of that county were destroyed by fire, and, so far as we know, history is silent upon that subject.

Be that as it may he returned to Harrison and made this county his permanent home. It is probable he may have engaged in the live stock business and probably in the mercantile business, before he returned to Morgantown.

After locating permanently in Harrison county he engaged actively and largely in live stock business, and to some extent, in farming, in which vocation he made marked success.

Some years later, while Col. Wilson still held the office of clerk of the county court and Major Haymond continued to hold the office of county surveyor, Col. Martin was elected sheriff, thus bringing the three old Revolutionary veterans into close, confidential and friendly relations, which continued through life.

Col. Martin’s eldest son married a daughter of Col. Wilson, and four of his daughters were married to sons of Col. Wilson. Four of Maj. Haymond’s sons married daughters of Col. Wilson, and Col. Wilson’s youngest daughter married a grandson of Maj. Haymond, just as one of Col. Martin’s granddaughters married a grandson of Col. Wilson.

All of the children of both Col. Martin and Maj. Haymond have now passed away, and but one of Col. Wilson’s children survives. She is now in better health and with brighter prospects of a continuation of life than she has had for years.

May the deceased, Mrs. McKeehan, rest in peace and enjoy a glorious immortality beyond grave.

A Friend.