Zachary Taylor McAtee 1849-1942

Zachary Taylor McAtee and 2nd wife Sophronia.

Zachary Taylor McAtee was born 17 Jun 1849 in Kentucky to Charles Mills McAtee and Mary E Brachear McAtee. We can find the family living in Trigg Co., Kentucky in 1850 and 1860. Zachary had eight siblings, George R, Francis M, John L, Charles M, Jacob H, Laura D, Mary S and Margaret.

On 30 Dec 1882 Zachary married Mary Nellie New who died in 30 Oct 1883 in Kentucky.

It was some time before he married again, but he did to Sophronia I Bazell in 1892 in Graves County, Kentucky. In 1893 Sophronia gave birth to their only daughter Minnie R in Aug of 1893.

From 1900 through 1920 they continue to live in Mayfield, Graves, Kentucky. Sometime between 1920 and 1942 Zachary moves to Idaho. Sophronia died in 1932. I can't finding anything on either of them between that time.

I was fortunate enough to get in touch with a great niece of Zachary Taylor who shared with me the photo above and this:

Zachary Taylor McAtee was married to my Grandmother's sister, Saphronia Isabella Bazzell. They had one daughter, Minnie Longpre. They lived in or near Graves County, Kentucky when Minnie was growing up. The scadal of the Bazzell family was that a wild west show came to town, and when they left, Minnie ran away from home and joined the show. She was a sharp shooter! I don't know much between then and the time she ended up in Spokane, but she later moved to Coeur d'Alene and sent for her parents to come and live with her in Idaho. Aunt Fronie (Saphronia) died in CdA and is buried in the cemetery there -- the name is something like Forest Cemetery. My husband and I found the grave there one day and pulled the weeds from the metal plate that marks the grave. It just says McAtee, with a death date of 1932.
My mother remembered them from her childhood in Mayfield,KY. She said that Aunt Fronie called her husband Mr. McAtee, and he called her Miss Fronie. Mom said he was a tall, gentle Scotsman. He was past 90 when he died, and he probably was buried in the County Cemetery. I can't imagine he had much money at all by that time.

His great niece again still lives locally. It's nice to see families stay around for generations. I tried to find Sophronia and Minnie's grave, but that will have to be another project for another day. I'll have to visit Forest Cemetery near here and see if I can't find them.

Zachary died 27 Aug 1942 in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho and was buried at the old Pauper's Cemetery in Post Falls, Idaho. Unfortunately he is one of those with an unmarked grave. Almost none of the graves ever had a stone and any wood or other markers are long gone.