McNeill Cemetery
 

A McNeill family cemetery is located outside of New Baden on the left-hand side of the road towards Camp Creek, before the Elm Grove Baptist Church/School. This cemetery site is to te side of the house marked by mail box #611. No trace of this cemetery remains today. From the left end of the house, the burials were located southwest of the big oak tree. No engraved stones were ever placed; only metal funeral home markers were used; these are long since gone.

This two person cemetery is located to the left off of Hwy. 1940 when heading towards Camp Creek from New Baden. It is up a driveway to a home to the left from about where "1940" appears on the map.

MCNEILL, JOHN FRANKLIN "JUNIOR", about 1923 - about 1931, s John Franklin Sr. & Libby Russell McNeill, Junior was born in Arkansas

MCNEILL, LIBBY RUSSELL (MRS. JOHN FRANKLIN SR.), about 1901 - 12.8.1933, Libby was born in Arkansas as were both of her parents

Convicted of the murder of his wife, John Franklin McNeill Sr. was sent to prison.  After his release from prison (sometime prior to 1943), he died after being hit by a car.

The following information is based upon information supplied by Pam Russell and information contained in the 1930 U.S. Census:

John Franklin McNeill Sr., head, age about 48 (birthday was 12.8.??)
Mrs. Libby Russell McNeill, wife, age about 29
John Franklin McNeill Jr., son, age about 7
Lester H. "Les" McNeill, son, age about 5
John McNeill, son, age 4 1/2
Daniel McNeill, son, age 2
David McNeill, son, age 1/2

Children Born After 1930:

Iris McNeill, born January 1932, lived for awhile with her grandmother Lou McMinn Russell in Johnson Co, Arkansas, but apparently later moved to Idaho. 
Marie McNeill, born June 1933, adopted by her first cousin Marjorie Smith McCoy, who was the daughter of Libby Russell McNeill's oldest sister Etta (Etta's family lived in Idaho).

In early 2003, Pam Russell supplied the following family information:

HENRY RUSSELL was born February 27, 1860 in Hagarville, Johnson Co., AR, and died August 03, 1926 in Ozone, Johnson Co., AR.  He married LOUVINIA"LOU" MCMINN September 16, 1883 in Johnson County, Arkansas, daughter of NATHAN MCMINN and SUSAN JOHNSON.  She was born February 08, 1866 in Panola Co., MS, and died December 06, 1953 in Ozone, Johnson Co., AR.

Children of HENRY RUSSELL and LOUVINIA MCMINN are:

                   i.    ETTA⁴ RUSSELL, b. July 15, 1884, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. October 22, 1939, Rupert,  Idaho; m. HENRY HAMPTON SMITH, December 03, 1902, Johnson Co., Arkansas; b. March 31, 1874, Alton, KS; d. March 17, 1948, Rupert, ID.

                  ii.    PEARL RUSSELL, b. August 14, 1887, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. September 1973, Fayetteville, Arkansas; m. JARIOT FERGUSON.

                 iii.    SETH RUSSELL, b. May 21, 1889, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. June 26, 1891, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas.

                 iv.    FRED RUSSELL, b. June 14, 1891, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. May 1963, Johnson Co., Arkansas; m. OLIVE RIDDLE, March 30, 1913, Johnson County, Arkansas; b. January 29, 1894; d. April 12, 1985, Johnson Co., Arkansas.

                  v.    GROVER RUSSELL, b. April 21, 1893, Ozone, Johnson Co., AR; d. June 10, 1955, Clarksville, Johnson Co, AR; m. MARGERY GRACE MCCRACKEN, April 15, 1917, Johnson County, AR; b. March 15, 1896, Ozone, Johnson Co, AR; d. March 02, 1974, Clarksville, Johnson Co, AR.

                 vi.    GUY RUSSELL, b. April 21, 1893, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. February 18, 1938, Johnson Co., Arkansas; m. (1) SIDNEY ADKINS, Bef. 1920, Johnson County, Arkansas; m. (2) ESTHER GREATHOUSE, Aft. 1920.

                vii.    MERVIN RUSSELL, b. June 07, 1895, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. April 19, 1920.

               viii.    HAYES RUSSELL, b. July 16, 1897, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. December 10, 1897, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas.

                  ix.    JETT RUSSELL, b. October 28, 1899, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. July 17, 1935, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas.

                   x.    LIBBY RUSSELL, b. September 17, 1901, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. December 08, 1933, New Baden, Franklin Co, Texas; m. JAMES F. MCNEILL, February 14, 1922, Johnson County, Arkansas; b. Abt. 1882, Texas.

                  xi.    LUTHER RUSSELL, b. April 03, 1904, Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas; d. December 1976, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

LIBBY RUSSELL was born September 17, 1901 in Ozone, Johnson Co., Arkansas, and died December 08, 1933 in New Baden, Robertson Co, Texas.  She married JAMES F. MCNEILL February 14, 1922 in Johnson County, Arkansas.  He was born Abt. 1882 in Texas.       

Children of LIBBY RUSSELL and JAMES FRANKLIN MCNEILL are:

                   i.    JAMES FRANKLIN MCNEILL, b. 1922, Arkansas; d. Bet. 1931 - 1935, New Baden, Robertson Co, TX

                  ii.    LESTER HOUSTON MCNEILL, b. June 17, 1923, Texas.

                 iii.    JOHN MARK MCNEILL, b. October 07, 1925, Texas; d. June 01, 1982.

                 iv.    DANIEL WEBSTER MCNEILL, b. September 29, 1928, Texas.

                  v.    DAVID JESSE MCNEILL, b. October 28, 1929, Texas.

                 vi.    IRIS MAE MCNEILL, b. January 08, 1932, Texas.

                vii.    MARIE MCNEILL, b. June 02, 1933, Texas; m. WARREN SCHMIDT.

Notes from a telephone conversation Pam Russell had with Bill Brunette of Robertson Co, TX, in Jan 2003: 

When the McNeill family first moved to Texas, they stayed with the Brunette family.  Bill said they seemed like good people.  James Sr was some sort of a preacher and was often seen preaching on the street in Franklin.  He had a farm and orchard there in Robertson County.  There were several neighbors who were afraid of James Sr.  In fact, Bill said he was afraid of him also, because he had threatened him once when his hogs had gotten too close to the McNeill property.  James Sr was often heard cussing at the boys who he had working on the farm and the neighboring families could hear him beating the children. 

Bill said Libby was a very sweet lady.  He remembered her being dark complected.  He said that she was shot in the jaw while they were living in Arkansas.  The story he heard was that "the law" shot into their house and it hit Libby in the jaw and she had a dent there from the bullet.  He thought that they had been run out of Arkansas and that was why they came to Texas. 

Bill said that James Franklin McNeill Jr. and Libby Russell McNeill were killed a year or so apart.  He could not remember who was killed first, but he thought maybe Libby was.  The first death was (at least initially) ruled an accident.  James Sr claimed that Libby was out in the barn and stood up and hit her head on a nail in the barn which killed her.  He was never tried for the first death.  It was not until the second death that they started looking into it more.  Bill said they exhumed the body of James Jr to check for signs of abuse.  [Editor's note:  According to McNeill family members, James Jr died a couple of years before the mother, Libby, was killed.]

James Sr's trial was held in Franklin, Robertson Co, TX.  Tommy Tyson was his lawyer.  James Sr was convicted of his wife's murder and served his time in the prison in Huntsville, TX.  Bill said he thought he died in prison.  Bill was not sure where all the children went but said some went to an orphanage in Waco.