Essie Beatrice (Taylor) McKinley: 1907 - 1992
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:
- Laura Taylor (1899 – 1966)
- Nelson Taylor (1903 – 1978)
- Ernestine Taylor (1908 – 1925)
Essie’s older maternal half siblings were:
- Johnny Pickett (1887 – 1952) – Child of Lizzie Williams and Samuel Pickett
- Susie Pickett (1891 – 1964) – Child of Lizzie Williams and Samuel Pickett
- 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:
- Montgomery Mckinley, Jr., (1926 – 1926)
- 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.
Sources:
- Information obtained from the oral histories of Ruby (Mckinley) Jenkins, Sanders Willis, Jr. and Michael Willis
- Ernestine Taylor’s death certificate acquired from the Louisiana State Archives: 12 Sep 2005
- Susie (Pickett) Taylor’s death certificate acquired from the Louisiana State Archives: 27 May 2019
- Jeff Sterling’s death certificate acquired from the Louisiana State Archives: 25 Aug 2005
- Montgomery Mckinley, Jr.’s death certificate acquired from the Louisiana State Archives: 16 Jul 2013