Unidentified Children
Two sons and two daughters under the age of 10 were included in MICHAEL McKEE Sr's household on the 1800 Federal Census. One of the daughters was MARY (born ca.1797) and WILLIAM D. was one of the sons. If born IN 1800, the other son most likely was the JOHN we learned about from the bible "deaths" entry. This leaves us with one daughter not accounted for. On the 1810 census there was only one female born during that decade -- presumably Mary. This unidentified daughter must have died or married prior to 1810.
Since MICHAEL, Sr. was much older than his youngest brother (WILLIAM SETH) who was the "other" early McKEE settler in Jefferson County, a rebuttable assumption had been made that any "young adult" McKEEs showing up in that area before around 1830 in that Missouri area would belong to MICHAEL Sr. The bible entries corroborated most of our assumptions and identify another son (John) who may have come to MO, but died before the 1850 census. Since pages from a family bible further identify WILLIAM SETH's children by name, we could extend that assumption further. There were a few MACKEY/McKEEs in Washington County (which borders Big River Township of Jefferson County on the southwest) who could possibly include the "missing" son and daughter. This, of course is speculation and during the twentieth century would border upon the "one chance in a million" odds but it becomes increasingly plausible when we consider the relatively small number of pioneers in the "footshills of the Ozark" area bearing the surname McKEE.