My great grandmother, Essie Beatrice McKinley was born February 2, 1907 in Saint Francisville, Louisiana and died on May 31, 1992 in Princeton, New Jersey, the day after attending her 2x great niece’s wedding. Essie was the 3rd child of George Taylor and Lizzie Williams. Essie was affectionately known to her grandson and great grandson as B.B. and “Aunt Essie B.” to all of her nieces, nephews and cousins.

Essie’s full siblings were:

1. Laura Taylor (1899 – 1966)
2. Nelson Taylor (1903 – 1978)
3. Ernestine Taylor (1908 – 1925)

Essie’s older maternal half siblings were:

1. Johnny Pickett (1887 – 1952) – Child of Lizzie Williams and Samuel Pickett
2. Susie Pickett (1891 – 1964) – Child of Lizzie Williams and Samuel Pickett
3. Jeff Brooks Sterling, Sr. (1897 – 1948) – Child of Lizzie Williams and Virgil Sterling

Essie married Montgomery Mckinley in the mid 1920’s in Saint Francisville, Louisiana. To this union two children were born:

1. Montgomery Mckinley, Jr., (1926 – 1926)
2. Ruby Steen Mckinley (1927 – 2006)

Shortly after my birth, Essie moved from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Oakland, California to be with her daughter, son-in-law, grandson and me where she lived out the rest of her days.