According to information posted publicly by several of his family members, Charles McKinney was an alias. He was supposedly born Ralph Ogle Gentry.
This information I know to be true:
¤Ralph Ogle Gentry lived in Cookeville, Tennessee with his parents, Robert and Eliza Gentry, on the 1910 census. Robert and Eliza's birthplaces were reported to the census takers as Tennessee (Robert) and Kentucky (Eliza), and Ralph's was also indicated as Tennessee.
¤Eliza died in 1917.
¤Ralph lived in Cookeville, Tennessee with his father and step-mother Amanda on the 1920 census. His father's birthplace was again recorded as Tennessee, as was Ralph's.
¤Charles McKinney lived in Morgan County, Colorado, in 1930, with his wife, Arzetta, and two children, Jackie and Joey. Different sources report that their marriage was common law, and indeed no marriage or divorce records have been found at this time. On this census, Charles reported his birthplace as Oklahoma, and reported that his father was born in Northern Ireland and his mother in Oklahoma, which notably doesn't match the information from the 1910 and 1920 censuses about either of Ralph Gentry's parents.
¤In 1933, Arzetta remarried in Greeley, Colorado to Darrell Phillips. Both Charles and Arzetta are listed on the 1940 census with a 1935 inferred residence of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Arzetta was listed in Clewiston, Florida, with her new husband and the three children she had with Charles. Charles was still in Cheyenne, married now to Gladys Hendricks, and they had a daughter, Judith.
¤Charles McKinney self-reported his birthdate as June 22, 1900 on his World War II draft card. Here, he gave his birthplace as Cookeville, Tennessee. He gave his employer as Menlo Park Jr. College, and was living in Menlo Park, San Mateo, California, with "Mrs. G. McKinney," presumably Gladys.
¤When Robert Gentry died in 1951, his obituary states that he is survived by, among others, his son "Ralph Gentry, Wyoming."
¤Charles's death is recorded in a Reno, NV newspaper from 1961. It can be deduced to be the same Charles because the birthdate given matches that on the World War II draft card and the date of death matches the death certificate attached to this memorial. The obituary also mentions his daughter Judith and gives the Cookeville, Tennessee birthplace. It also mentions that he lived in California for many years before moving to Reno 6 months prior to his death, and says he had been working as a cook at the state hospital. His death certificate again reports his place of birth as Tennessee, but includes no information on his parents. The social security number given matches a Glenn Knigge, who died in 1947, and is either simply incorrect, or was stolen and passed off by Charles as his own.
I have reached out to a family member for further clarification.
(UPDATE: the family member, Charles's granddaughter, has let me know that she received the information on Charles's true identity and various aliases from his son Joe, who had researched his father prior to his death. Joe did not provide any documentation conclusively proving that Charles and Ralph were the same person, however, DNA tests done by his family members have matched them with the Gentrys, and thus it can be assumed that this research is correct.)
Assuming all of this is correct, this would make his father Robert Oscar "Bob" Gentry and his mother Eliza Arilla Carr Gentry.
This information I know to be true:
¤Ralph Ogle Gentry lived in Cookeville, Tennessee with his parents, Robert and Eliza Gentry, on the 1910 census. Robert and Eliza's birthplaces were reported to the census takers as Tennessee (Robert) and Kentucky (Eliza), and Ralph's was also indicated as Tennessee.
¤Eliza died in 1917.
¤Ralph lived in Cookeville, Tennessee with his father and step-mother Amanda on the 1920 census. His father's birthplace was again recorded as Tennessee, as was Ralph's.
¤Charles McKinney lived in Morgan County, Colorado, in 1930, with his wife, Arzetta, and two children, Jackie and Joey. Different sources report that their marriage was common law, and indeed no marriage or divorce records have been found at this time. On this census, Charles reported his birthplace as Oklahoma, and reported that his father was born in Northern Ireland and his mother in Oklahoma, which notably doesn't match the information from the 1910 and 1920 censuses about either of Ralph Gentry's parents.
¤In 1933, Arzetta remarried in Greeley, Colorado to Darrell Phillips. Both Charles and Arzetta are listed on the 1940 census with a 1935 inferred residence of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Arzetta was listed in Clewiston, Florida, with her new husband and the three children she had with Charles. Charles was still in Cheyenne, married now to Gladys Hendricks, and they had a daughter, Judith.
¤Charles McKinney self-reported his birthdate as June 22, 1900 on his World War II draft card. Here, he gave his birthplace as Cookeville, Tennessee. He gave his employer as Menlo Park Jr. College, and was living in Menlo Park, San Mateo, California, with "Mrs. G. McKinney," presumably Gladys.
¤When Robert Gentry died in 1951, his obituary states that he is survived by, among others, his son "Ralph Gentry, Wyoming."
¤Charles's death is recorded in a Reno, NV newspaper from 1961. It can be deduced to be the same Charles because the birthdate given matches that on the World War II draft card and the date of death matches the death certificate attached to this memorial. The obituary also mentions his daughter Judith and gives the Cookeville, Tennessee birthplace. It also mentions that he lived in California for many years before moving to Reno 6 months prior to his death, and says he had been working as a cook at the state hospital. His death certificate again reports his place of birth as Tennessee, but includes no information on his parents. The social security number given matches a Glenn Knigge, who died in 1947, and is either simply incorrect, or was stolen and passed off by Charles as his own.
I have reached out to a family member for further clarification.
(UPDATE: the family member, Charles's granddaughter, has let me know that she received the information on Charles's true identity and various aliases from his son Joe, who had researched his father prior to his death. Joe did not provide any documentation conclusively proving that Charles and Ralph were the same person, however, DNA tests done by his family members have matched them with the Gentrys, and thus it can be assumed that this research is correct.)
Assuming all of this is correct, this would make his father Robert Oscar "Bob" Gentry and his mother Eliza Arilla Carr Gentry.
According to information posted publicly by several of his family members, Charles McKinney was an alias. He was supposedly born Ralph Ogle Gentry.
This information I know to be true:
¤Ralph Ogle Gentry lived in Cookeville, Tennessee with his parents, Robert and Eliza Gentry, on the 1910 census. Robert and Eliza's birthplaces were reported to the census takers as Tennessee (Robert) and Kentucky (Eliza), and Ralph's was also indicated as Tennessee.
¤Eliza died in 1917.
¤Ralph lived in Cookeville, Tennessee with his father and step-mother Amanda on the 1920 census. His father's birthplace was again recorded as Tennessee, as was Ralph's.
¤Charles McKinney lived in Morgan County, Colorado, in 1930, with his wife, Arzetta, and two children, Jackie and Joey. Different sources report that their marriage was common law, and indeed no marriage or divorce records have been found at this time. On this census, Charles reported his birthplace as Oklahoma, and reported that his father was born in Northern Ireland and his mother in Oklahoma, which notably doesn't match the information from the 1910 and 1920 censuses about either of Ralph Gentry's parents.
¤In 1933, Arzetta remarried in Greeley, Colorado to Darrell Phillips. Both Charles and Arzetta are listed on the 1940 census with a 1935 inferred residence of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Arzetta was listed in Clewiston, Florida, with her new husband and the three children she had with Charles. Charles was still in Cheyenne, married now to Gladys Hendricks, and they had a daughter, Judith.
¤Charles McKinney self-reported his birthdate as June 22, 1900 on his World War II draft card. Here, he gave his birthplace as Cookeville, Tennessee. He gave his employer as Menlo Park Jr. College, and was living in Menlo Park, San Mateo, California, with "Mrs. G. McKinney," presumably Gladys.
¤When Robert Gentry died in 1951, his obituary states that he is survived by, among others, his son "Ralph Gentry, Wyoming."
¤Charles's death is recorded in a Reno, NV newspaper from 1961. It can be deduced to be the same Charles because the birthdate given matches that on the World War II draft card and the date of death matches the death certificate attached to this memorial. The obituary also mentions his daughter Judith and gives the Cookeville, Tennessee birthplace. It also mentions that he lived in California for many years before moving to Reno 6 months prior to his death, and says he had been working as a cook at the state hospital. His death certificate again reports his place of birth as Tennessee, but includes no information on his parents. The social security number given matches a Glenn Knigge, who died in 1947, and is either simply incorrect, or was stolen and passed off by Charles as his own.
I have reached out to a family member for further clarification.
(UPDATE: the family member, Charles's granddaughter, has let me know that she received the information on Charles's true identity and various aliases from his son Joe, who had researched his father prior to his death. Joe did not provide any documentation conclusively proving that Charles and Ralph were the same person, however, DNA tests done by his family members have matched them with the Gentrys, and thus it can be assumed that this research is correct.)
Assuming all of this is correct, this would make his father Robert Oscar "Bob" Gentry and his mother Eliza Arilla Carr Gentry.
This information I know to be true:
¤Ralph Ogle Gentry lived in Cookeville, Tennessee with his parents, Robert and Eliza Gentry, on the 1910 census. Robert and Eliza's birthplaces were reported to the census takers as Tennessee (Robert) and Kentucky (Eliza), and Ralph's was also indicated as Tennessee.
¤Eliza died in 1917.
¤Ralph lived in Cookeville, Tennessee with his father and step-mother Amanda on the 1920 census. His father's birthplace was again recorded as Tennessee, as was Ralph's.
¤Charles McKinney lived in Morgan County, Colorado, in 1930, with his wife, Arzetta, and two children, Jackie and Joey. Different sources report that their marriage was common law, and indeed no marriage or divorce records have been found at this time. On this census, Charles reported his birthplace as Oklahoma, and reported that his father was born in Northern Ireland and his mother in Oklahoma, which notably doesn't match the information from the 1910 and 1920 censuses about either of Ralph Gentry's parents.
¤In 1933, Arzetta remarried in Greeley, Colorado to Darrell Phillips. Both Charles and Arzetta are listed on the 1940 census with a 1935 inferred residence of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Arzetta was listed in Clewiston, Florida, with her new husband and the three children she had with Charles. Charles was still in Cheyenne, married now to Gladys Hendricks, and they had a daughter, Judith.
¤Charles McKinney self-reported his birthdate as June 22, 1900 on his World War II draft card. Here, he gave his birthplace as Cookeville, Tennessee. He gave his employer as Menlo Park Jr. College, and was living in Menlo Park, San Mateo, California, with "Mrs. G. McKinney," presumably Gladys.
¤When Robert Gentry died in 1951, his obituary states that he is survived by, among others, his son "Ralph Gentry, Wyoming."
¤Charles's death is recorded in a Reno, NV newspaper from 1961. It can be deduced to be the same Charles because the birthdate given matches that on the World War II draft card and the date of death matches the death certificate attached to this memorial. The obituary also mentions his daughter Judith and gives the Cookeville, Tennessee birthplace. It also mentions that he lived in California for many years before moving to Reno 6 months prior to his death, and says he had been working as a cook at the state hospital. His death certificate again reports his place of birth as Tennessee, but includes no information on his parents. The social security number given matches a Glenn Knigge, who died in 1947, and is either simply incorrect, or was stolen and passed off by Charles as his own.
I have reached out to a family member for further clarification.
(UPDATE: the family member, Charles's granddaughter, has let me know that she received the information on Charles's true identity and various aliases from his son Joe, who had researched his father prior to his death. Joe did not provide any documentation conclusively proving that Charles and Ralph were the same person, however, DNA tests done by his family members have matched them with the Gentrys, and thus it can be assumed that this research is correct.)
Assuming all of this is correct, this would make his father Robert Oscar "Bob" Gentry and his mother Eliza Arilla Carr Gentry.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
