Mary Belle Edgar: McKeown Genealogy

1891 - 1972 (80 years)

Generation: 1

Mary Belle Edgar was born on 21 Oct 1891 in Lockwood, Dade County, Missouri; died on 4 May 1972 in Laveen, Maricopa County, Arizona; was buried in Beulah Cemetery, Superior, Nuckolls County, Nebraska, US.

Notes:

Superior Express (Superior, NE), Thursday, May 11, 1972; pg. 7

Funeral services were held at the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Superior Monday for Mrs. Belle Adams, a former Beulah pastor's wife. Mrs. Adams died at Laveen, Ariz., on May 4.

Mary Belle Edgar Adams, daughter of John and Matilda Edgar, was born in Sylvania, Mo., on Oct.21, 1891.

She moved with her parents to Sterling, Kan., when she was four years of age. She was educated in the public schools of Sterling and graduated from Cooper College in 1941. She taught school for three years and was married on July 17, 1917, to Richard Cameron Adams. They went as missionaries to South China that fall and were there for seven years.

After a year's furlough in 1924, they did not return because of unsettled conditions in South China. They spent one year in Stafford, Kan., and then served at the Indian Mission near Apache, Okla., until 1942.

They moved to Nuckolls County where her husband was pastor of the Beulah Congregation until his death in 1948.

In the fall of that year she moved to eastern Kentucky where she served as a Bible teacher in Elliott and Morgan Counties until her retirement in 1965. She has since resided with her daughter, Mrs. Elmer Graham, in Arizona and was an active member of the Phoenix congregation until the time of her death.

She is survived by the following children: Roy of Darlington, PA., Mrs. Elmer Graham (Lois) of Laveen, Ariz., Mrs. John McMillan (Marion) of Walden, N.Y., Bruce O. Warren, Mich., and Mrs. Gene Spear (Ruth) of Kobe, Japan; 18 grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.

Officiating at the service was Pastor R. W. Caskey.

Interment was in the Beulah Cemetery.

The friends of Belle Edgar and Rich Adams will be interested to know of the announcement made March 23 at the Edgar home, that Belle Edgar, ’14, and Rich Adams ’13 have recently been appointed missionaries to China, and will sail about September first.
Cooper Courier, Sterling, Kansas. Tuesday, 27 March 1917.

An engagement that will be of interest to a large circle of friends of the young couple was announced last Friday evening, to a company of the young lady friends of Miss Belle Edgar, who informed her friends of her coming marriage to Richard C. Adams who is now a student in the White Bible school in New York City completing his preparations to leave in the fall as a missionary to China. The announcement of the coming nuptials was made at a delightful little affair which was given Friday evening by Miss Edgar at her home. An interesting feature of the affair was the fact that the announcement of her engagement was made on the thirty-fifth anniversary of the marriage of her parents and the affair was also a celebration of that event. The announcement was made in a unique manner. Printed slips were passed bearing two statements, both of which were badly ‘pied.” When the jumbled letter were property arranged the first was found to be a statement of the anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar and the second told of the coming wedding. When the coming event was know the bride-to-be was showered with good wishes by the guests. During the evening a two course lunch was served and later the guest inspected the pretty new Edgar home from garret to cellar. The date of the coming wedding was not announced, but it will be an event of the coming summer and the couple will leave the first of September to take up their work in China. Miss Edgar is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Edgar of this city and Mr. Adams is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Adams, also of Sterling. Both are graduates of Cooper college and have a large circle of friends in Sterling and community to whom the announcement of the coming nuptials will be of much interest. After finishing his course at Cooper, Mr. Adams took a course in the Reformed Presbyterian Seminary, at Pittsburgh, Pa., and became a licensed minister. After finished his course there he went to New York to make special preparation for his missionary work.
The Sterling Kansas Bulletin, Sterling, Kansas. Thursday, 29 March 1917.

Miss Mary Adams, who has been laboring in China since the fall of 1912, leaving home Oct. 28, of that year and Rev. Richard C. Adams and Belle Edgar Adams, his wife, who sailed from the home land Aug. 30, 1917, to take up the work in China.
The Sterling Kansas Bulletin, Sterling, Kansas. Thursday, 29 November 1917.

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27920741/mary-belle-adams

Plot Lot 70, Grave 3

Mary married Richard Cameron Adams on 17 Jul 1917. Richard (son of James Moore Adams and Rachael McKeown) was born on 9 Apr 1888 in Bostwick, Nuckolls County, Nebraska; died on 22 Mar 1948 in Mount Clare, Nuckolls County, Nebraska; was buried in Beulah Cemetery, Superior, Nuckolls County, Nebraska, US. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Children:

2. Roy Melville Adams was born on 19 Oct 1919 in Cheung Chao Island, Hong Kong; died on 26 Mar 2003; was buried in Reformed Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Darlington, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
3. Lois Nadine Adams was born on 3 Aug 1921 in Hong Kong; died on 30 Oct 2012 in Arizona; was buried in burial details unknown.
4. Marion Ethel Adams was born on 16 Aug 1922 in Cheung Chao Island, Hong Kong; died on 14 Aug 2019 in Forest Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Reformed Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Darlington, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
5. Bruce Edgar Adams was born on 29 Apr 1926 in Stafford, Stafford County, Kansas; died on 30 Mar 2020 in Michigan; was buried in Southfield Reformed Cemetery, Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan.

Generation: 2

Roy Melville Adams

(1.Mary¹) was born on 19 Oct 1919 in Cheung Chao Island, Hong Kong; died on 26 Mar 2003; was buried in Reformed Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Darlington, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Other Events:

_MILT: World War II. US Navy

Notes:

State Police
An investigation is pending into the death of a Darlington Township man that occurred between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on Elmwood Road in Beaver county.
Roy M. Adams, 83, of 316 Elmwood Road, Darlington, was found dead in his backyard Wednesday afternoon having suffered third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body. Adams had been burning garbage at the time of his death.
Police investigation is pending the results of an scheduled autopsy.
Ellwood City Ledger, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Thursday, 27 March 2003.

Birth:
Born while his parents were missionaries in China.

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92880152/roy-melville-adams

Family/Spouse: Madelyn Irene Woods. Madelyn was born on 30 Sep 1922 in Clarinda, Page County, Iowa; died on 15 Aug 2018 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Reformed Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Darlington, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lois Nadine Adams

(1.Mary¹) was born on 3 Aug 1921 in Hong Kong; died on 30 Oct 2012 in Arizona; was buried in burial details unknown.

Notes:

Lois Nadine Graham was born in Hong Kong British Territory August 3, 1921. Her parents, Richard Cameron and Mary Belle (Edgar) Adams were missionaries to China. When the communist regime required all missionaries to leave, the family moved to the Cache Creek Indian Mission in Apache OK. Lois grew up there and on March 27, 1942 she married E.E. (Bud) Graham at the mission with her father officiating.
After their marriage, Bud and Lois moved to Wichita KS where both worked for Beech Aircraft during World War II. Using money they saved due to the fact that Bud did not smoke, they started building a herd of Golden Guernsey cows. They moved to Topeka KS where they continued to build their dairy and Lois worked as an accountant for a local car dealership. While living there, they adopted son William (Bill). Tired of the cold winters and not liking that Lois had to work outside the home, they sold their farm and cows and moved to Phoenix AZ in 1954. There they were instrumental in the growth of a new RPCNA (Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America) congregation and adopted son Timothy. Later they began attending the Laveen Baptist Church and were very active members there.
In the mid 1990s, they moved to Salome AZ for health reasons and joined in the fellowship of the Wenden Bible Church.
Lois was welcomed into the presence of her Savior and Lord on October 30, 2012.
She is survived by two sons: Bill (Mary) Graham of Lawrence, KS and Timothy Graham of Glendale, AZ; four grandchildren: Brandon (Andrea) Graham of Lawrence KS, Meghan Graham (and fiancé Aaron West) of Manhattan KS, Candice Graham of Phoenix AZ, and Josh Graham of Phoenix AZ; five great-grandchildren: Ethan, Rebecca, Jake, Ben and Charlie; sister-in-law Madge Adams of Darlington PA; sister Marion McMillan of Darlington PA; brother Bruce (Charlotte) Adams of Warren MI; and sister Ruth (Gene) Spear of Olathe KS. She was predeceased by her husband of 56 years, E.E. (Bud) Graham, daughter-in-law Ruthe Graham, brother Roy Adams and brother-in-law John McMillan.
Though tiny in stature, Lois was a giant spiritually and graciously served her Lord faithfully as wife, mother and homemaker. She selflessly served others performing hospice duties, working in a Women’s Alcohol Rehabilitation Mission, working political polls, teaching Sunday School, leading women’s Bible studies, and working with church youth groups. Those who knew her will remember her for her kindness to all, her bright eyes, her infectious giggle, and her love for the Lord.

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198939408/lois-nadine-graham

Lois married Elmer Ewer Graham on 27 Mar 1942 in Caddo, Oklahoma. Elmer was born on 9 May 1917 in Quinter, Gove County, Kansas; died on 12 May 1998 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marion Ethel Adams

(1.Mary¹) was born on 16 Aug 1922 in Cheung Chao Island, Hong Kong; died on 14 Aug 2019 in Forest Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; was buried in Reformed Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Darlington, Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Notes:

Marion McMillan
August 16, 1923 - August 14, 2019 (95 years old)
Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania

Marion McMillan Obituary
We are sad to announce that on August 14, 2019, at the age of 95, Marion McMillan (Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania) passed away. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family.

She was loved and cherished by many people including : her parents, Richard Adams and Belle Adams (Edgar); her husband Rev. John McMillan; her children, Richard McMillan (Linda), Jane Keddie (Gordon) and Donald McMillan (Jean); her grandchildren, Morgan Clinton (Brian), Matthew McMillan (Adrienne), Donald Keddie, Iain Keddie (Erin), David Keddie (Christina), Philip McMillan (Miriam) and Kyle McMillan; and her siblings, Bruce Adams, Ruth Spear, Roy Adams and Lois Graham. She was also cherished by eight great-grandchildren.

https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/pa/wilkinsburg/marion-mcmillan-9575726

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/234389948/marion-ethel-mcmillan

Marion married John Milton McMillan on 23 Jul 1948. John was born on 18 Aug 1922 in Clarinda, Page County, Iowa; died on 14 Nov 2011; was buried in Reformed Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Darlington, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Bruce Edgar Adams

(1.Mary¹) was born on 29 Apr 1926 in Stafford, Stafford County, Kansas; died on 30 Mar 2020 in Michigan; was buried in Southfield Reformed Cemetery, Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan.

Notes:

Beloved husband of Charlotte. Dear father of Denice (James) Jackson, Daryl (Rose) Adams, David (Stacy) Adams, the late Dwight (Rachel) Adams.

Loving grandfather of thirteen, great grandfather of 8, great great grandfather of one, and one on the way. Brother of Ruth (Gene) Spear, the late Roy Adams, the late Lois Graham, the late Mary Marion McMillian.

Private services were held at Edward Swanson & Son Funeral Home, Madison Heights, Michigan. Private burial Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Southfield, Michigan.

A memorial service was held at July 2, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to celebrate the life of Dr. Bruce E. Adams D.O. at Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church 26550 Evergreen Road Southfield, Michigan 48076.

Buried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215818814/bruce-edgar-adams

McKeown and Shields Families

Mary Belle Edgar