Miller County Autogram-Sentinel, Tuscumbia, Mo., 
Thursday, June 4, 1992, page 5B.

'Window to the Past'

By Peggy Smith Hake
Route 1, Box 52,
St. Elizabeth, Mo. 65075

	 Mary M. McKee, called Polly, was born in Tennessee 
Oct. 9, 1851.  Daughter of _____ and Susan McKee.  Evidently 
Mary's father died before the family came to Miller County.  
The McKee family were from Tennessee, probably McMinn County.  
In the Miller County census of 1870, Susan McKee and her 
children were enumerated living in northeast Richwoods Township.  
The children of Susan McKee were: Mary M. McKee b. 1851 m. 
George W. Dake 1866; Emily McKee b. 1854 m. George W. Dake 1868 
(there were two men named George W.  Dake in Miller County in 
this time era): Rachel McKee b. 1855 m. Allen Taylor Shelton 
1875; James H. McKee b. 1857 m. Mary Leticia Rowden 1879; 
William D. McKee b. 1863 m. Laura A. Keeth 1882; and 
John A. McKee b. 1865 m. Sarah A. Hickley 1885.

	Mary/Polly married George W. Dake on Aug. 9, 1866.  
The marriage performed by Evan L. Short, a justice of the 
piece in Richwoods Township.  George, born c/1840, was a son 
of William A. and Mary Dake of Tennessee.  The Dake family 
may have also been from McMinn County, Tennessee and there
is the possibility that they knew each other back in East 
Tennessee.  George was a veteran of the Civil War having 
served in Company A of the 48th Missouri infantry.

	Mary/Polly McKee and George Dake were parents of 9 
children including: William R. Dake (1868-1941) m. Agnes 
Abigail Humphrey 1889; Benjamin Andrew Dake (1870-1938) 
m. Martha Jane Humphrey 1890; Mary S. Dake (1872-1932) m.
Martin C. Hicks 1892; Charlotte J. Dake (1874-?) m. Joseph 
R. Johnson 1893; Rachel L. Dake (1876-1936) m. James M Hicks 
1894; Noah Dake c/1878 d. infancy; Missouri Elizabeth Dake
           \                           \_____________________ Spelled Misouria on Grave Marker! 
            \________________________________________________ Should this be Nora?
(1882-1912); Flora A. Dake (1885-1963) m. Edmond I. Shelton 
1902; and Grover Cleveland Dake (1887-1954 or) m. Josephine
Warden.

	 George Dake died about 1888 leaving Mary/Polly with 
several young children to rear alone.  He was buried at the 
Dake family Cemetery located near Weimmer and Dake creeks in 
northern Richwoods Township.  Polly lived until April 28, 
1930 when she died at the home of her daughter, Flora Dake 
Shelton, in Iberia.  She was 79 years old and had been a 
window for over 40 years.  She was survived by seven of her 
nine children; a sister, Mrs. Alan Taylor Shelton (Rachel 
McKee); a brother, John McKee; many grandchildren and great-
grandchildren.  Her services were held at the Iberia Nazarene 
church with the Rev's J. A. McNatt, S.G. Hendley, and Massey 
conducting the funeral service.  She was buried beside her 
husband at Dake Cemetery.