Kenny Matheson Maness is the second son and child born to Dumas Maness and
Emeline Strickland. He was born in 1871 and raised in Sheffield Township in Moore
County, North Carolina. Kenny helped his father work on the farm. He attended the St.
Phillips Episcopal Church School and attended the New Zion Church with his mother and
father when it was established.

Kenny married Margaret Barbara Odell on July 5, 1895, in Guilford County. To this
union was born one child, D’Etta. He also fathered two other sons (Robert Arthur Maness and Sherman “Hughie” Davis).

In the late 1890s or early 1900s, Kenny left North Carolina settling in Florida. He
left his daughter, D’Etta to be raised by his parents, and later, his brother Jesse. It seems he
changed the spelling of his last name sometime after relocating to Florida. According to the
1910 US Census, a Kenny Mainess, age 36 from North Carolina was living in Walton County,
Florida and was married to Mary J. Mainess age 33 from South Carolina. There were no
children born to this union and Mary passed away sometime in the late 1920’s. His third
wife whom he married in 1931 was Precious Davis.

To this union were born two children;
Julia Otelia Mainess (Baker – left) and Kenny Mainess Jr. (right – later changed his name to
Kenneth). There are at least 20 or more grandchildren and 6 or more great-grandchildren. Kenny Sr. died and was buried in Oakland, Florida in 1935.

Submitted by:
Elnita Mainess (daughter-in-law of Kenny, Sr., widow of Kenny Jr./Kenneth.)
Stephanie McCrimmon, daughter of Dorothy Vascille Barrett, granddaughter of Ada Maness Brower