Martha Emma Shue was born on May 1, 1870 to Peter Shue and Temperance Coble Shue. She was most likely born in Clay Township in Guilford County since she was found there in the 1870 census with her mother and father. They were living next door to her grandfather and grandmother David Coble and Lydia Vestal Coble who had a farm there. Peter Shue was listed as working on a farm.
Martha Emma Shue was born during the height of reconstruction in the South. Many Southerners were disfranchised during this period as reported by the Greensboro Patriot on April 28, 1870.
Martha Emma’s father Peter was a Confederate Veteran and had served with Company M The Guilford Dixie Boys. The 21st Infantry Regiment, formerly the 11th Volunteers, was a twelve company command organized at Danville, Virginia, in June, 1861. Men of this unit were recruited in Davidson, Surry, Forsyth, Stokes, Rockingham, and Guilford counties. It was assigned to General Trimble’s, Hoke’s, Godwin’s, and W.G. Lewis’ Brigade. After taking part in the Battle of First Manassas and Jackson’s Valley operations, the 21st participated in many conflicts of the army from the Seven Days’ Battles to Bristoe. It was then involved in the engagements at Plymouth , Drewry’s Bluff , and Cold Harbor, marched with Early to the Shenandoah Valley, and saw action around Appomattox. The unit sustained 80 casualties at First Winchester, 13 at Cross Keys and Port Republic , 45 during the Seven Days’ Battles, 51 at Groveton , 18 at Sharpsburg , and 24 at Fredericksburg . It lost 78 at Chancellorsville , twenty-eight percent of the 436 at Gettysburg , and 52 at Plymouth . In April, 1865, it surrendered with 6 officers and 117 men of which only 40 were armed. Peter Shue was captured as a prisoner of war there at Farmville in April of 1865 and he then signed the oath of allegiance to the United States and was released at Newport News on June 27 1865.
The Shue family also lost two of Peter Shue’s brothers during the war. Daniel Shue was killed at Hanover Junction in June of 1864 and Nimrod Shue died as a prisoner of war at Point Lookout Maryland and is buried in a mass grave there.
Martha had a sister Lydia Jane who was born on April 22, 1872 and another girl joined the Shue family in 1875 when Mary Florence “Dasca” was born. The only boy James Wilbert “Doskie” was born in 1878 when Martha was eight years old.
In the 1880 census, Martha is living with her father and mother in Liberty, North Carolina in Randolph County. Her father Peter cannot read nor write but mother Temperance can. Martha and Lydia are attending school. Children Florence and Wilbert are too young.
On September 11, 1887, Martha Emma Shue marries Robert Florentine Kinney in Green Township Guilford County. Both are living in Alamance County. The marriage certificate says she is 19. The Family Bible indicates they were married on Sunday September 2nd, so this may have been a Civil Ceremony.
A year later the first son Henry Bascom Kinney was born. Robert and Martha purchased some land in Alamance County. They attended Graham Baptist Church and her mother and father lived nearby. Two more children were born in Alamance County. They were Lystra Blanch born August 11, 1890 and Templie Lorenah born November 10, 1892.
Martha’s mother Temperance also had a child during this period. That child was Nancy Freddie Shue born September 6, 1894. Peter Shue died in 1900. After her father Peter died, her mother Temperance or “Tempie” lived with Martha’s sister Lydia and her husband Walter Franklin Blackmon. The child Nancy also lived with them.
On November 11, 1893, the Kinney family sold their land in Graham, Alamance County to Rachel Shoe May and on November 21, 1893, the Kinneys purchased 100 acres in Grant Township from Eli Preston Spoon for $117.50. Eli Preston Spoon was the son of Joseph Spoon who had discovered gold near Asheboro in a region where it was not supposed there were any known gold deposits before. Robert worked some at the neighborhood Spoon Gold Mine but he mainly made his living as a farmer.
Robert and Martha’s fourth child Peter Chesley was born in Randolph County on March 4, 1895. The smallest child in this picture is Peter Chesley. Other children are Bascomb, Blanche, and Lorenah. Adults in the back are Martha, sister Florence and mother, Temperance “Tempie”.
James Ernest Kinney was born on July 8, 1898. When the census was taken in 1900, Martha and Robert are living in Grant Township with their four of their five children. Blanche, Lorenah, Peter Chesley, and James Ernest are listed. Martha reported having five living children. Bascomb would have been twelve but he is not to be found in this census.
Wilbert Frederick was born after the census was taken on September 10, 1900. James Ernest was a sickly child and he passed away on November 25, 1902 at the age of four. The next year daughter Esther Ursula Marie was born on April 27, 1903.
During this period, the older children were becoming teenagers and there are many articles in the Courier about visiting and taking part in church services at Spoons Chapel and Mount Tabor Church and other Squirrel Creek neighborhood activities.
Son Robert Roosevelt was born November 13, 1906 and daughter Adell was born January 9, 1908. This picture is with Ursula, Wilbert, and Rob (the baby on the knee).
Adell tragically lost her life as a small toddler when she fell into the washtub while her mother was washing clothes and was scalded to death. The baby of the family, Earl Jethro was born on April 19, 1910. This is a picture of him and his mother.
Martha was a church going woman and very active in the Sunday Schools in the area. At the Grant Township Sunday School Convention at Spoons Chapel Church, the Courier said that she gave the opening remarks.
Robert and Martha continued to live at the residence in Grant Township. In November of 1912, Martha got this postcard from her sister Lydia. Lydia expresses concern for Blanche, Martha’s oldest daughter who had lost her first child, Epsie Berry in September of 1912.
In 1920, Robert and Martha are living in Grant Township. He is still farming but only the three youngest children are in the household. This is Ursula, Rob and Earl. Rob and Earl reported going to school during the year but Ursula did not. Perhaps, she was helping her mother with housekeeping duties. On December 6, 1924, Martha’s mother Temperance “Tempie” Shoe died at the age 78.
Martha’s husband, Robert Florentine Kinney died at a fairly young age. The Courier Tribune reported he collapsed in a rye field when he died at age 57 on May 17, 1925. His death certificate said the cause of death was carcinoma of the stomach. He was buried in the Mount Tabor Church Community Cemetery.
In 1930, Martha is living with her son Earl and his wife Lessie Pervis Kinney. Earl is working at a factory or mill.
On September 27, 1937, Martha’s brother James Wilbert “Doskie” died on September 27, 1937 in Georgia where he had moved when he was much younger.
In the 1940 census, Martha is living with son Earl, age 30 who works at the sawmill. Also living with Martha is Lessie, Earl’s wife and granddaughters Odelia age nine and Odessia age five.
Martha had five grand sons who served in World War II. They were Paul Wesley Berry, Wade Thomas Kinney, Baxter Eugene Kinney, Stanton Lee Kinney, and Robert “June” Kinney. June always give credit to his praying gradmother for his returning from the War safe and sound.
During the sunset of her years, Martha was very active in church. She is giving credit for having help found Mount Tabor Church and for encouraging Young Preacher Tommy Kenyon in his efforts to build that Church. She attended the Pilgram Holiness Church in Asheboro and was very active there.
She was also active in her family life and in her home. Great granddaughter Martha (one of her namesakes) remembers her sewing her a dress from a feedsack for her birthday.
During this period of her life she sold or gave away the 100 acres of land she and her husband had bought in Grantville Township. She sold 6 1/2 acres to C M Allred in 1932. The other acreage she sold or gave to her children Earl, Blanche and Ursula. The homeplace and thirty-three acres went to Robert Roosevelt Kinney and his wife Nellie Victoria Jones. Martha retained a lifetime right to this property.
Martha Emma Shue died on January 22, 1955. She was reading her Bible. The light was left on all night. The next morning, she was found dead in her chair.
Robert Roosevelt Kinney and Martha Emma Kinney had ten children in 21 years. Those children and their spouses are:
1. Henry Bascom Kinney 1888-1972 married Mary Ellen Pugh 1893-1958
2. Lystra Blanche Kinney 1890-1975 married William Henry Berry 1878-1957 and Will Watson 1900-1976
3. Tempie Lorenah Kinney 1892-1959 married William Edmund Brown 1886-1949
4. Peter Chesley Kinney 1895-1972 married Rosetta Myriah McPherson 1895-1971
5. James Ernest Kinney 1898-1902
6. Wilbert Frederick Kinney 1900-1953 married Naomi Blanche Mann 1903-1994
7. Esther Ursula Marie Kinney 1903-1978 married Colon Monroe Hicks 1903-1966 and Thurl Howard York 1914-1994
8. Robert Roosevelt Kinney 1906-1984 married Nellie Victoria Jones 1904-1979
9. Dillie Adell Kinney 1908-1909
10. Earl Jethro Kinney 1910-1971 married Lessie Elmage Purvis 1910-2002
Here are the births listed from the family bible.
References available at Rogers Family Tree on Ancestry
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/34712803/family
and at Family Search https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LK31-SZH?1=1&spouse=LK3B-2J5
Martha's Family Connections 