Showing posts with label genealogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genealogy. Show all posts

Saturday, July 1, 2023

The Gibson Family and their Graveyards in Corydon, KY

I feel there is absolutely no better time (or topic) to dive into my absolute favorite family cemetery of all time -- Gibson Cemetery in Corydon, Henderson County, Kentucky. I will also be talking about what I call "Gibson Cemetery #2" out in Corydon as well. 


The above photograph is Gibson Cemetery #1 (the main family cemetery) which sits high on a hill off of Hughes-Sights Rd in Corydon. This photograph was taken by a Gibson cousin, Karen Fleming. 



This photograph is from Google Street View (2012) and is zoomed all the way in. It's the best photograph currently available to show you what Gibson Cemetery #2 looks like when the crops aren't tall enough to hide it. When it's crop season, it's usually behind corn and you cannot see it unless you know precisely where it's at or you use an aerial satellite map to find it. 

It's an educated guess that Gibson Cemetery #1 might have been started with the death of Joel Gibson's wife, Eleanor Davis, when she died in Henderson County in 1818. Other family historians document that she died "on the way to Kentucky," but Joel and family were already here in 1813, so that is inaccurate to say, if she truly died in 1818. 

However, going with documented burials in Gibson Cemetery -- Joel Gibson, patriarch of the Gibson family here in Henderson County, Kentucky, has the earliest death date on a tombstone of December 23rd, 1830. Some Gibson family historians believe that he merely has two cenotaphs in Gibson Cemetery and that he's actually buried in North Carolina. I don't know where that rumor started or when.. but it's 100% codswallop. 

Joel has two tombstones out in Gibson Cemetery -- one is an original military provided tombstone and I do believe it's been there since 1830 or shortly thereafter -- I say this because it fits the look and style of almost all Revolutionary War military provided headstones that I've ever seen. The second military provided tombstone lays flat to the ground and is much newer. The tombstone application for the second one was filled out in 1970 by Joel's great-great-grandson, Jesse Chandler. 

Gibson Cemetery #2, it appears to have been started at the death of John William Gibson, a great-grandson of Joel's, who died October 8th, 1856. That's the earliest death date on a tombstone that's been documented in that cemetery at the current time.

I'm unsure if this line of the Gibson family had had a falling out with the family and felt they couldn't be buried in the "main" cemetery which is, as the crow flies, about a half of a mile from this new cemetery.. or if they simply felt compelled to have their own little family cemetery separate from the main one. John's father, James William Gibson who would have been Joel's grandson, is buried too in this Gibson Cemetery #2. Whereas James' father, Berryman Gibson, is buried in the main Gibson Cemetery with his father and the patriarch, Joel Gibson. 

It's no secret that most of Corydon at one time or another was Gibson land or that of a family that ties into the Gibson family -- Tapp, Pritchett, Dixon, Crooks, Hughes, Sights, Eblen, Denton, Culver to just name a few of the surrounding related families. 



I know this photograph is small - you might be able to right click and open the image in a new window to make it larger.. but it's an aerial map of the area out in Corydon (it's Corydon's southeast side.. between Corydon and Cairo to be more accurate) that the cemeteries are located. 

The small red circle on the left of the photograph is Gibson Cemetery #2 and the larger red circle more on the right is the original Gibson Cemetery. I've been told before that all of the land (roughly) from Hughes-Sights Rd to the north, possible Highway 60 to the west, possible the curve to the south on 145, and Rock Springs Dixie Rd to the east was all Gibson land way back when. Like 1820's-1840's at least. We know between Rock Springs Dixie & US Alt 41 is Eblen Rd and the Eblen's have a family cemetery out there as well so they definitely were neighbors of the Gibson's. 

To the south is a road called Pritchett-Crooks and there are a few different family cemeteries out there. The Pritchett's and Crooks' were definitely neighbors of the Gibson's. To the south is also a community called "Dixie" which isn't an official 'town' anymore like Corydon or Cairo but still a community. There is a church with a cemetery there called Union Hill where a lot of Gibson relatives and neighbors are buried. It's located off of Whitelick Rd which takes you from Henderson County down into Webster County (it's honestly really close to the county line as Whitelick Creek is the dividing line between Henderson & Webster out that way.)

There's a Duncan Cemetery, Morehead Cemetery, Minton Cemetery, Royster Cemetery, Liles Cemetery, Brown-Konsler Cemetery, Alderson Cemetery, and I could go on... that are in relatively "close-ish" proximity to the Gibson Cemetery's. They're all out in the Corydon/Cairo/Dixie area as I would call it. A lot of these families have been in Henderson County by at least the 1820 census and they've never left. 

A little bit of back story here about why I love the Gibson Cemetery so much... it's the first little family cemetery I ever went to as a kid right after I discovered my love of genealogy. I was 7 years old (2000) and went with my Mom and Grandma. I've been back numerous times since then and it's just an overwhelming sense of connection when I go out there. To stand at my 6x Grandfather's grave and know that my 5x Grandfather and 4x Grandfather stood there at his funeral in 1830. Every time I go out there, I feel so close to my ancestors.. it's really indescribable even for me. 

For those of us who are Gibson descendants (or married to a Gibson descendant): my Grandmother told me growing up that it would cost nothing (no plot cost) to be buried out in the Gibson Cemetery. In my opinion, there is still plenty of open room to be buried there... but the downfall to a small private cemetery - there's no "exact plot records." Honestly, to be buried out there, it would be a guessing game on where to plant yourself, so to speak.. There might be unmarked graves out there, or graves that once had a tombstone that no longer do.. so if you decided to be buried out there, it's very possible when they go to dig your grave... they might be disturbing someone else's from 100+ years ago. 

With this blog, I thought I would thoroughly document each person buried in both of the Gibson cemeteries for easy research access not just for myself in the future but for other Gibson relatives. This is going to make for a lengthy blog but I know it'll be well worth it. As much as I would love to add photographs of tombstones for each person to accompany this blog, I know that is way too time consuming and plus, it would make this blog take eons and eons to load for some people who have a worse internet connection than others. 

The following are those who are buried in Gibson Cemetery #1 (the main family cemetery) in alphabetical order (to the best of my ability). I will be listing their name, their birth and death date, who they are a child of, who they married, and their cause of death if available. I will also be mentioning their exact relationship to me as I am related to every single person buried in this cemetery. As a quick note to you guys - my 3x Grandparents, 4x Grandparents, 5x Grandparents, and 6x Grandfather are buried here. (Possibly 6x Grandmother as well, if my theory is correct that the cemetery might have started with her burial in 1818.)

1) John DeForest Culver. Born June 20th, 1868, died March 19th, 1919. Son of William Hollis Culver Jr and Neosha Jane Gibson. Husband of Mary Frances Gibson. My 1st cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: Mitral insufficiency and labor pneumonia, due to Influenza. 

2) Mary Frances (Gibson) Culver. Born June 30th, 1872, died February 4th, 1931. Daughter of Robert Benjamin Gibson and Sibbie Denton. Wife of John DeForest Culver. My 1st cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: Nephritis and hypertension.

3) James Lee Denton. Born November 9th, 1912, died October 27th, 1913. Son of James Benjamin Denton and Sibbie Lee Culver. My 3rd cousin 2x removed. Cause of death: Ileocolitis.

4) Florence Duncan. Born April 14th, 1875, died January 31st, 1899. Daughter of John Melvin Duncan and Mary Susan Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

5) Infant Duncan. Born February 6th, 1890, died September 8th, 1891. Son of John Melvin Duncan and Mary Susan Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

6) John Melvin Duncan. Born November 13th, 1848, died October 17th, 1933. Son of John Duncan Sr and Nancy Smith. Husband of Mary Susan Tapp. My 1st cousin 6x removed. Cause of death: Paralysis and old age.

7) John Strother Duncan. Born January 31st, 1885, died June 18th, 1916. Son of John Melvin Duncan and Mary Susan Tapp. Husband of Vera Whitledge. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: Heart dropsy. 

8) Laura Bell Duncan. Born November 4th, 1870, died April 13th, 1945. Daughter of John Melvin Duncan and Mary Susan Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: Broncho pneumonia. 

9) Marion Duncan. Born October 18th, 1889, died September 6th, 1945. Son of William French Duncan and Sarah Catherine Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

10) Mary Pearl Duncan. Born May 28th, 1885, died November 9th, 1900. Daughter of William French Duncan and Sarah Catherine Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

11) Mary Susan Tapp. Born April 2nd, 1851, died May 20th, 1935. Daughter of William Tapp and Mary Susan Gibson. Wife of John Melvin Duncan. My 1st cousin 5x removed. Cause of death: Chronic myocarditis and nephritis. 

12) Robert Fulton Duncan. Born September 18th, 1887, died July 14th, 1936. Son of William French Duncan and Sarah Catherine Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: Cerebral hemorrhage. 

13) Sarah Catherine Tapp. Born April 1852, died April 8th, 1899. Daughter of William Tapp and Mary Susan Gibson. Wife of William French Duncan. My 1st cousin 5x removed.

14) Sarah Frances Duncan. Born March 14th, 1891, died July 26th, 1891. Daughter of William French Duncan and Sarah Catherine Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

15) Vincan Duncan. Born January 17th, 1877, died November 20th, 1890. Son of John Melvin Duncan and Mary Susan Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

16) Welzy Duncan. Born April 9th, 1878, died July 17th, 1880. Son of John Melvin Duncan and Mary Susan Tapp. My 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

17) William French Duncan. Born April 16th, 1854, died July 18th, 1937. Son of Nathan Benjamin Duncan and Mary Jane Holeman. Husband of Sarah Catherine Tapp. My 2nd cousin 5x removed. Cause of death: Very hard to read but it mentions an accidental burn.

18) Dixie Lou Frasier. Born and died October 30th, 1930. Daughter of Ambrose Haywood Frasier and Frances Jenell Laswell. My 3rd cousin 2x removed. 

19) Gayle Frasier. Born February 8th, 1885, and died May 24th, 1950. Son of John C. Frasier and Lee Forrest Pressley. Husband of Lucile S. Gibson. "Husband of 1st cousin 4x removed." Cause of death: Cerebral hemorrhage. 

20) Lucile S. Gibson. Born January 6th, 1890, died March 26th, 1975. Daughter of George Harrell Gibson and Cora Francis Young. Wife of Gayle Frasier. My 1st cousin 4x removed. 

21) Bailey Gibson. Born December 8th, 1818, died February 5th, 1859. Son of Berryman Gibson and Susan A. Duncan. Husband of Sirena Weldon. 4x Great-Granduncle. (Not entirely sure if he's buried in Gibson 1 or Gibson 2. No tombstone for him has been located yet he's constantly listed as being buried here in Gibson #1.)

22) Berryman Gibson. Born June 13th, 1785, died September 1869. Son of Joel Gibson and Eleanor Davis. Husband of Susan A. Duncan. My 5x Grandfather. Cause of death: consumption (tuberculosis.) (His original tombstone has been replaced. The death date has erroneously been given as September 1, 1870.. this is incorrect. He's listed in the 1870 census as "dying prior to June 1st, 1870." So he died September 1869.)

23) Carrie E. Gibson. Born April 7th, 1873 (on tombstone, birth year appears to be closer to 1877 in census), died October 20th, 1898. Daughter of Robert Benjamin Gibson and Susan A. Pritchett. My 1st cousin 4x removed. 

24) Cora Francis Young. Born April 20th, 1863, died March 18th, 1950. Daughter of James Brice Young and Lucretia Ann Winfield. Wife of (?) Pritchett and George Harrell Gibson. Wife of 3rd Great-Granduncle. Cause of death: Shock from a fractured hip, chronic myocarditis, and diabetes.

25) Derwood Gibson. Born December 8th, 1914, died August 22nd, 1917. Son of James Odie Gibson and Della Caroline Gibson. Cause of death: Dysentery. My 2nd cousin 3x removed. 

26) Eliza Jane Webster. Born February 12th, 1838, died June 19th, 1896. Daughter of Joseph Webster and Elizabeth Cooley. Wife of Nathan Alander Gibson Sr. Wife of 4th Great-Granduncle. 

27) Ellen Sarah Skeel. Born December 26th, 1894, died June 26th, 1950. Daughter of Elbridge Milford Skeel and Mary Josephine Utt. Wife of Louis Steven Emhuff and James Odie Gibson. Wife of 1st cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: congestive failure, arteriosclerotic heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus. 

28) Elmos C. Gibson. Born December 21st, 1875, died January 11th, 1876. Son of Robert Benjamin Gibson and Susan A. Pritchett. 1st cousin 4x removed. (He's also getting confused with his sister, Carrie, I believe.. and there's also a rumor he lived to be 101 years old. I've found no proof of this. He's not alive in the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, or 1940 censuses.)

29) Elymus R. Gibson. Born December 16th, 1899, died January 3rd, 1918. Son of William K. Gibson and Margaret Ellen Pritchett. 1st cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: Acute miliary tuberculosis. 

30) Erastus Kohl Gibson. Born September 19th, 1886, died June 30th, 1919. Son of George Harrell Gibson and Cora Francis Young. Husband of Mary Evelyn Hughes. 1st cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: Carbolic acid poisoning, suicide. 

31) Ethel Gibson. Born July 17th, 1900, died March 29th, 1916. Daughter of James Odie Gibson and Della Caroline Gibson. 2nd cousin 3x removed. Cause of death: Pneumonia. 

32) George Harold Gibson. Born May 9th, 1875, died September 2nd, 1945. Son of John Beverly Gibson and Sarah Jane Koonce. Husband of Stella Robertson. 1st cousin 4x removed. Cause of death: paralysis (or that's the best I can read on the death certificate.)

33) George Harrell Gibson. Born December 20th, 1862, died September 9th, 1940. Son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. Husband of Cora Francis Young. 3rd Great-Granduncle. Cause of death: Organic heart disease. 

34) Bertha Georgia Fryar. Born March 31st, 1881, died June 2nd, 1921. Daughter of George Washington Fryar and Matilda Jane Moss. Wife of Roscoe Gibson Sr. 4th cousin 3x removed. Cause of death: Septicemia and placenta previa. 

35) Infant Gibson. Born and died March 27th, 1861. Daughter of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. 3rd Great-Grandaunt. 

36) James Fagan Gibson. Born November 14th, 1848, died May 11th, 1911. Son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. Husband of Nancy Jane Gibson. 3rd Great-Granduncle. Cause of death: myocarditis. 

37) James Morris Gibson. Born April 12th, 1902, died April 16th, 1970. Son of Robert Benjamin Gibson and Susan A. Pritchett. Husband of Louella Alice Morris. 1st cousin 4x removed. COD: Pneumonia and C.O.P.D. 

38) James Odie Gibson. Born May 26th, 1878, died July 24th, 1952. Son of John Beverly Gibson and Sarah Jane Koonce. Husband of Della Caroline Gibson and Ellen Sarah Skeel. 1st cousin 4x removed. 

39) Joel Gibson. Patriarch of the Gibson's in Henderson County, KY and the surrounding areas. Born in 1750, died December 23rd, 1830. Served in the Revolutionary War. Potential son of John Gibson and Mary Duncan of Caswell County, NC. Husband of Eleanor Davis. His wife might be buried in the cemetery as well. If she truly died in 1818 - that was AFTER they came to Henderson and settled in Corydon. Joel is my 6x Great-Grandfather. His children have been proved as definitively being the following: Vicey *possibly nickname for Levicy?* Gibson (m. Josiah Stone), Burgess Gibson (m. Sarah ?), Elizabeth Gibson (m. ?), Bailey Gibson (m. Catherine Sights), Greenberry Gibson (m. Charlotte Davis), Berryman Gibson (m. Susan A. Duncan), Robert Gibson (m. ?), Tillman Gibson (m. Sarah Crowley), Margaret "Peggy" Gibson (m. Abraham Shelton), Nancy Gibson (m. ? Shelton). 

40) John Beverly Gibson. Born February 13th, 1855, died June 29th, 1936. Son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. Husband of Sarah Jane Koonce. 3rd Great-Granduncle. COD: Arteriosclerosis. 

41) John D. Gibson. Born March 10th, 1885, died September 17th, 1903. Son of George Harrell Gibson and Cora Francis Young. 1st cousin 4x removed.

42) John Gregory Gibson. Born December 18th, 1816, died November 6th, 1890. Son of Berryman Gibson and Susan A. Duncan. Husband of Mahala Caroline Busby and Elizabeth (?) Young. My 4x Great-Grandfather. COD: Unsure, but he ran the county sanitarium/poor farm for nine years before he died. He died at the sanitarium. 

43) Katsie Lucille Son. Born July 24th, 1895, died January 24th, 1970. Daughter of James C. Son and Hallie Dossett. Wife of Joseph Leslie Crews and Roscoe Gibson Sr. Wife of 1st cousin 4x removed. 

44) Lizzie Gibson. Born February 22nd, 1892, died October 28th, 1895. Daughter of Robert Benjamin Gibson and Susan A. Pritchett. 1st cousin 4x removed. 

45) Lucilla E. Gibson. Born October 10th, 1853, died September 27th, 1878. Daughter of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Gibson. 3rd Great-Grandaunt. 

46) Mahala Caroline Busby. Born January 1820, died November 18th, 1868. Daughter of William L. Busby and Elizabeth Denton. Wife of John Gregory Gibson. My 4th Great-Grandmother. 

47) Martha Caroline Busby. Born May 1st, 1849, died December 6th, 1855. Daughter of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. 3rd Great-Grandaunt. 

48) Mary J. Gibson. Born December 27th, 1859, died April 27th, 1860. Daughter of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. 3rd Great-Grandaunt. 

49) Martha Walker. Born April 28th, 1876, died July 15th, 1972. Daughter of George William Walker and Mary E. Utley. Wife of John Beverly Gibson. Wife of 3rd Great-Granduncle. 

50) Maud V. Gibson. Born September 30th, 1877, died November 28th, 1893. Daughter of William K. Gibson and Margaret Ellen Pritchett. 1st cousin 4x removed. 

51) Nancy Jane Gibson. Born January 20th, 1855, died December 2nd, 1927. Daughter of John William Gibson and Susan Covey. Wife of James Fagan Gibson. 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Bright's disease, and dysentery. 

52) Nathan Alander Gibson, Sr. Born January 5th, 1828, died July 23rd, 1899. Son of Berryman Gibson and Susan A. Duncan. Husband of Marietta Webster, Eliza Jane Webster, and Susan B. Hancock. 4x Great Granduncle. 

53) Robert Benjamin Gibson, Jr. Born April 11th, 1884, died May 31st, 1885. Son of Robert Benjamin Gibson Sr and Susan A. Pritchett. 1st cousin 4x removed.

54) Robert Benjamin Gibson. Born January 14th, 1844, died January 15th, 1913. Son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. Husband of Sibbie Denton and Susan A. Pritchett. 3rd Great-Granduncle. COD: Croupous pneumonia.

55) Roscoe Gibson Sr. Born January 6th, 1883, died March 4th, 1957. Son of John Beverly Gibson and Sarah Jane Koonce. Husband of Bertha Georgia Fryar and Katsie Lucille Son. 1st cousin 4x removed. COD: Cerebral embolus, arteriosclerotic heart disease. 

56) Sarah Jane Koonce. Born September 1855, died 1906. Daughter of Owen Lawrence Koonce and Arrena Sims. Wife of John Beverly Gibson. Wife of 3rd Great-Granduncle. 

57) Silas Gibson. Born September 23rd, 1886, died December 21st, 1887. Son of John Beverly Gibson and Sarah Jane Koonce. 1st cousin 4x removed. 

58) Stella Robertson. Born April 24th, 1877, died August 22nd, 1958. Daughter of Ira Bascom Robertson and Martha Frances Gibson. Wife of George Harold Gibson. 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Bowel obstruction, hernia. 

59) Susan A. Duncan. Born January 18th, 1791, died February 2nd, 1865. Daughter of Nathaniel Benjamin Duncan and Jane Rainey. Wife of Berryman Gibson. My 5x Great-Grandmother. 

60) Susan A. Pritchett. Born June 14th, 1857, died January 11th, 1937. Daughter of Ephraim Pritchett and Elizabeth Handley. Wife of Robert Benjamin Gibson. Wife of 3rd Great-Granduncle. COD: carcinoma of the stomach. 

61) Virgie M. Gibson. Born and died 1896. Daughter of William K. Gibson and Margaret Ellen Pritchett. 1st cousin 4x removed.

62) William O. Gibson. Born December 16th, 1876, and probably died shortly after. Son of John Beverly Gibson and Sarah Jane Koonce. 1st cousin 4x removed.

63) William C. Gibson. Born October 16th, 1825, died January 2nd, 1898. Son of Berryman Gibson and Susan A. Duncan. Husband of Mary Frances Floyd (who is also very likely buried beside him, unmarked.) 4th Great-Granduncle. COD: Bright's disease.

64) Mary Frances Floyd. Born about 1836, died between 1880-1898. Daughter of John Crosby Floyd and Mary Randolph. Wife of William C. Gibson. Very likely to be buried here next to her husband. Wife of 4th Great-Granduncle. 

65) William James Gibson. Born November 21st, 1842, died April 22nd, 1843. Son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. 3rd Great-Granduncle. 

66) William K. Gibson. Born 1858, died 1904. Son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. Husband of Margaret Ellen Pritchett. 3rd Great-Granduncle. 

67) Katharine Anna Koonce. Born August 19th, 1853, died March 3rd, 1899. Daughter of Owen Lawrence Koonce and Arrena Sims. Wife of Peter Benjamin Grisham Sr. Sister-in-law of 3rd Great-Granduncle. 

68) Elliott Hoy. Born May 1909, died October 14th, 1921. Son of James Samuel Hoy and Minnie Lee Gibson. 2nd cousin 3x removed. COD: Pertussis and nephritis (that's the best I can make of the death certificate. I'm not sure if the P word really is pertussis but it's the closest I can come. It sure isn't pneumonia.) 

69) George Fagan Hoy. Born December 28th, 1896, died March 19th, 1965. Son of James Samuel Hoy and Minnie Lee Gibson. 2nd cousin 3x removed. 

70) Infant Hoy. Born and died November 24th, 1899. Son of James Samuel Hoy and Minnie Lee Gibson. 2nd cousin 3x removed.

71) James Morris Hoy. Born September 28th, 1917, died July 24th, 1929. Son of James Samuel Hoy and Minnie Lee Gibson. 2nd cousin 3x removed. COD: Meningococcal meningitis epidemic of Detroit 1928-1929. 

72) James Samuel Hoy. Born July 27th, 1873, died July 31st, 1967. Son of Leander Jones Hoy and Eliza Jane Hancock. Husband of Minnie Lee Gibson. Husband of 1st cousin 4x removed. 

73) Minnie Lee Gibson. Born October 4th, 1877, died January 7th, 1974. Daughter of an unknown father and Lucilla E. Gibson. Raised by her Uncle and Aunt, James Fagan Gibson & Nancy Jane Gibson. Wife of James Samuel Hoy. 1st cousin 4x removed.

74) David Hoy Key. Born July 16th, 1927, died October 11th, 1927 (tombstone incorrectly gives October 27th). Son of Reeves C. Key and Cora Agnes Hoy. 3rd cousin 2x removed. COD: Broncho pneumonia.

75) Elinora "Ellen Nora" D. Tapp. Born November 9th, 1858, died April 6th, 1875. Daughter of William Tapp and Mary Susan Gibson. Wife of Burrell Jerome King. 1st cousin 5x removed. 

76) Elizabeth J. Tapp. Born June 10th, 1856, died November 6th, 1894. Daughter of William Tapp and Mary Susan Gibson. Wife of Burrell Jerome King. 1st cousin 5x removed. 

77) Andrew Jackson Koonce. Born October 15th, 1917, died August 30th, 1919. Son of George William Koonce and Lou Inez Mills. 3rd cousin 3x removed. COD: Accidentally burned to death by scalding hot water. 

78) Arrena Sims. Born September 5th, 1818, died April 30th, 1889. Possible daughter of Elisha Sims and Ann Clopton. Wife of Owen Lawrence Koonce. Mother-in-law of 3x Great-Granduncle. 

79) George William Koonce. Born October 29th, 1872, died February 10th, 1919. Son of Owen Thomas Koonce and Martha Ann Gibson. Husband of Lou Inez Mills. 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Dropped dead working in the field, most likely of a heart attack. He suffered from organic heart disease.

80) Owen Lawrence Koonce. Born December 29th, 1819, died November 11th, 1907. Son of Wendell M. Koonce and Nancy Woods. Husband of Arrena Sims. Father-in-law of 3x Great-Granduncle. 

81) Eula May Duncan. Born May 17th, 1891, died February 19th, 1920. Daughter of Elijah Thomas Duncan and Amelia Pritchett. Wife of Henry Oliver Nally. 4th cousin 2x removed / Wife of 2x Great-Granduncle. COD: Pneumonia/Influenza

82) Henry Oliver Nally. Born November 3rd, 1856, died December 14th, 1925. Son of Thomas Sidney Nally and Martha Jane Oliver. Husband of Vandalia Delia Gibson. My 3x Great-Grandfather. COD: Vascular heart disease. 

83) Mamie Eva Phillips. Born April 4th, 1890, died September 30th, 1986. Daughter of Conrad Herman Phillips and Mary Belle Royster. Wife of Sidney Thomas Nally, John Eblen Denton, and Henry Oliver Nally. 7th cousin 2x removed / Wife of 2x Great-Granduncle. 

84) May Nally. Born and died on March 30th, 1916. Daughter of Sidney Thomas Nally and Mamie Eva Phillips. 1st cousin 3x removed. COD: Premature birth.

85) Morrison Phillip Nally. Born October 31st, 1922, died November 23rd, 1922. Son of Sidney Thomas Nally and Mamie Eva Phillips. 1st cousin 3x removed. COD: Enterocolitis. 

86) Ray Nally. Born and died on March 30th, 1916. Son of Sidney Thomas Nally and Mamie Eva Phillips. 1st cousin 3x removed. COD: Premature birth. 

87) Sidney Thomas Nally. Born April 5th, 1885, died November 15th, 1926. Son of Henry Oliver Nally and Vandalia Delia Gibson. Husband of Mamie Eva Phillips. 2x Great-Granduncle. COD: Erysipelas. 

88) Vandalia Delia Gibson. Born December 21st, 1856, died July 5th, 1949. Daughter of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby. Wife of Henry Oliver Nally. My 3x Great-Grandmother. COD: arteriosclerotic heart disease. 

89) Isadora Duncan. Born July 2nd, 1874, died June 13th, 1908. Daughter of John Melvin Duncan and Mary Susan Tapp. Wife of William Jasper "Jack" Nesler and William Martin "Willie" Drury. 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Suicide by carbolic acid poisoning. 

90) Virlie Norton. Born August 8th, 1894, died June 23rd, 1896. Daughter of Harry J. Norton and Eliza Jane Sutton. Step-great-granddaughter of my 4x Great-Granduncle (Nathan Alander Gibson Sr.) 

91) George Washington Overfield. Born November 12th, 1872, died March 2nd, 1955. Son of Manuel James Overfield and Macy Catherine Watson. Husband of Mary Jane Duncan. Husband of 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Diabetes mellitus and chronic osteomyelitis. 

92) Mary Jane Duncan. Born February 5th, 1880, died March 5th, 1971. Daughter of John Melvin Duncan and Mary Susan Tapp. Wife of George Washington Overfield. 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

93) Christine Thompson. Born April 2nd, 1919, died February 20th, 1995. Daughter of Sam Thomas Thompson and Camilla Nally. Wife of Dale Edward Palm. 1st cousin 3x removed. Cremated.

94) Dale Edward Palm. Born January 30th, 1920, died May 11th, 1995. Son of John Nevin Palm Sr and Edith Hoffman. Husband of Christine Thompson. Husband of 1st cousin 3x removed. Cremated.

95) Dennis Wayne Palm. Born September 3rd, 1945, died January 18th, 1994. Son of Dale Edward Palm and Christine Thompson. 2nd cousin 2x removed. Cremated.

96) Vandelia D. Gibson. Born September 28th, 1888, died May 17th, 1976. Daughter of Robert Benjamin Gibson and Susan A. Pritchett. Wife of Aubrey Kohl Gibson and Robert Charles Schultz. 1st cousin 4x removed. COD: Myocardial infarction, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 

97) Infant Stanley. Born and died November 17th, 1922. Child of Lyman Stanley and Sarah Cornelia Brown. Distant relationship (honestly unsure why the Stanley children are buried in Gibson Cemetery unless they're just friends of the family.)

98) Tommie Stanley. Born July 14th, 1903, died November 18th, 1915. Son of Lyman Stanley and Lena Miller. Distant relationship. COD: (this took a while to decipher) Follicular tonsillitis and vascular lesions of the heart.

99) Lelia Hattie Duncan. Born January 4th, 1881, died October 9th, 1904. Daughter of George Henry Duncan and Mahalia Caroline Gibson. Wife of George Washington Stone. 2nd cousin 4x removed. 

100) Archibald Tapp. Born February 14th, 1854, died August 10th, 1931. Son of William Tapp and Mary Susan Gibson. Husband of Elnora Wood. 1st cousin 5x removed. COD: Carcinoma of face (had to be a type of skin cancer.)

101) Arulius Benjamin Tapp. Born February 10th, 1846, died February 14th, 1860. Son of William Tapp and Mary Susan Gibson. 1st cousin 5x removed. 

102) Elnora "Ella Nora" Wood. Born January 24th, 1869, died September 30th, 1956. Daughter of Joseph Wood and Minerva Handley. Wife of Archibald Tapp. Wife of 1st cousin 5x removed. COD: Cerebral thrombosis, generalized arteriosclerosis. 

103) Martha F Tapp. Born May 29th, 1848, died December 14th, 1850. Daughter of William Tapp and Mary Susan Gibson. 1st cousin 5x removed. 

104) Mary Susan Gibson. Born February 10th, 1823, died January 12th, 1864. Daughter of Berryman Gibson and Susan A. Duncan. Wife of William Tapp. 4x Great-Grandaunt. 

105) Nathan Tapp. Born August 13th, 1849, died September 5th, 1852. Son of William Tapp and Mary Susan Gibson. 1st cousin 5x removed. COD: Flux. 

106) William Tapp. Born December 15th, 1817, died March 8th, 1886. Son of Vincent Tapp and Rosanna Hopson. Husband of Mary Susan Gibson. Husband of 4x Great-Grandaunt. 

107) Willie Tapp. Born 1906, died 1918. (No death certificate or obituary found.) Son of Roland Gooch Tapp and Bertie Ann Duncan. 3rd cousin 3x removed.

108) Camilla Nally. Born October 20th, 1882, died November 3rd, 1962. Daughter of Henry Oliver Nally and Vandalia Delia Gibson. Wife of Sam Thomas Thompson. 2x Great-Grandaunt (Twin of my Great-Great-Grandmother, Mary Janella (Nally) Thompson). COD: Pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, 2nd degree burns on neck and back (from a gas heater), and pyemia. 

109) Mary Katherine West. Born April 18th, 1917, died October 8th, 2009. Daughter of Cohen West and Anna Elizabeth McGroarty. Wife of Otis Benton Thompson. 3rd cousin 3x removed / Wife of 1st cousin 3x removed. COD: Urinary tract infection, Alzheimer's disease.

110) Otis Benton Thompson. Born November 18th, 1914, died August 20th, 1981. Son of Sam Thomas Thompson and Camilla Nally. Husband of Mary Katherine West. 1st cousin 3x removed. 

111) Sam Thomas Thompson. Born April 3rd, 1880, died October 10th, 1950. Son of Martin Henry Thompson and Elizabeth Levina Nally. Husband of Camilla Nally. 2x Great-Granduncle.  COD: Cerebral thrombosis, arteriosclerosis, and senility. 

112) Thornton David Thompson. Born March 5th, 1912, died January 11th, 1933. Son of Sam Thomas Thompson and Camilla Nally. 1st cousin 3x removed. COD: Diabetes mellitus and cachexia (wasting syndrome.) 

113) Vannie Louise Thompson. Born November 24th, 1911, died November 19th, 1915. Daughter of John Rowan Thompson and Mary Janella Nally. Great-Grandaunt. COD: Membranous croup.

114) Lida Watson. Born April 3rd, 1897, died February 4th, 1898. Daughter of Charles William Watson and Ella Culver. 2nd cousin 3x removed.

115) Marvin Watson. Born December 18th, 1921, died September 28th, 1924. Son of William Hollis Watson Sr and Mary Anna Duncan. 3rd cousin 2x removed. COD: Dysentery of eight days duration. 

116) Infant Welden. Born and died January 10th, 1863. Son of William Lafayette Welden and Susan Ann Gibson. 1st cousin 5x removed.

117) Martha Welden. Born February 24th, 1868, and died possibly in 1875. Daughter of William Lafayette Welden and Susan Ann Gibson. 1st cousin 5x removed.

118) Susan Ann Gibson. Born May 24th, 1833, died March 18th, 1887. Daughter of Berryman Gibson and Susan A. Duncan. Wife of William Lafayette Welden. 4x Great-Grandaunt.

119) Martha Vandelia Nally. Born November 19th, 1891, died November 9th, 1913. Daughter of Henry Oliver Nally and Vandalia Delia Gibson. Wife of Richard James Williams. 2x Great-Grandaunt. COD: Vascular disease of the heart, dropsy of the heart.

The following are those who are buried in Gibson Cemetery #2 (the second family cemetery) in alphabetical order (to the best of my ability). I will be listing their name, their birth and death date, who they are a child of, who they married, and their cause of death if available. I will also be mentioning their exact relationship to me as I am related to every single person buried in this cemetery.

1) Malinda Belle Gibson. Born July 4th, 1871, died November 3rd, 1955. Daughter of George Lafayette Gibson and Lockie Ann Christopher. Wife of Robert Jackson Sellars and George Hickman Cates. 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Bronchial pneumonia, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, generalized arteriosclerosis, and senile dementia. 

2) Louisa Jane Gibson. Born August 18th, 1834, died October 30th, 1863. Daughter of James William Gibson and Mary Watson. Wife of Andrew Joseph Crawford Jr. 1st cousin 5x removed. 

3) Benjamin Franklin Gibson Sr. Born July 15th, 1836, died October 5th, 1909. Son of James William Gibson and Mary Watson. Husband of Talitha Ann Floyd and Sarah Crosby Floyd. 1st cousin 5x removed. (Family suspicion that he's buried here. It's possible he could be buried in New Mexico or Texas.)

4) Ellis Earle Gibson. Born June 13th, 1880, died December 31st, 1920. Son of George Lafayette Gibson and Lockie Ann Christopher. Husband of Bertha Culver. 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Status epilepticus, epilepsy. Status epilepticus is usually a seizure lasting more than five minutes in result from a high fever or infection.

5) George Lafayette Gibson. Born December 25th, 1846, died May 11th, 1905. Son of James William Gibson and Mary Watson. Husband of Lockie Ann Christopher. 1st cousin 5x removed. 

6) George Louis Gibson. Born July 9th, 1880, died July 28th, 1880. Son of William L. Gibson and Sarah Elizabeth Walker. 3rd cousin 3x removed. 

7) George Other Gibson. Born August 1st, 1873, died December 18th, 1884. Possible son of James Franklin Gibson and Sarah Easley Mills, but would have been born prior to their marriage, so he's possibly an adopted son. He doesn't appear with them in the 1880 census. His tombstone does read "Son of J.F. and S.E. Gibson." If this is true - he's my 3rd cousin 3x removed. 

8) Infant Gibson. Born and died June 16th, 1879. Daughter of George Lafayette Gibson and Lockie Ann Christopher. 2nd cousin 4x removed.

9) James Andrew Gibson. Born July 9th, 1880, died July 28th, 1880. Son of William L. Gibson and Sarah Elizabeth Walker. 3rd cousin 3x removed.

10) James W Gibson. Born and died November 17th, 1882. Son of John Wiley Gibson and Nancy Caroline Morehead. 3rd cousin 3x removed.

11) James William Gibson. Born February 18th, 1810, died May 27th, 1885. Son of Berryman Gibson and Susan A. Duncan. Husband of Mary Watson and Mary E. Royster. 4x Great-Granduncle. 

12) Elizabeth A. Pritchett. Born 1844, died between 1880-1900. Daughter of William W. Pritchett and Permelia Powell. Wife of James William Gibson Jr. Wife of 1st cousin 5x removed. 

13) James William Gibson Jr. Born March 26th, 1841, died November 26th, 1879. Son of James William Gibson Sr and Mary Watson. Husband of Elizabeth A. Pritchett. 1st cousin 5x removed.

14) John William Gibson. Born November 25th, 1831, died October 8th, 1856. Son of James William Gibson and Mary Watson. Husband of Susannah Covey. 1st cousin 5x removed.

15) Lillie Gibson. Born February 25th, 1879, died October 23rd, 1879. Daughter of Robert A. Gibson and Kimmillar S. Christopher. 2nd cousin 4x removed.

16) Lizzie Gibson. Born August 7th, 1882, died October 15th, 1882. Daughter of George Lafayette Gibson and Lockie Ann Christopher. 2nd cousin 4x removed.

17) Lockie Ann Christopher. Born February 25th, 1846, died May 4th, 1920. Daughter of John J. Christopher and Elizabeth White. Wife of George Lafayette Gibson. Wife of 1st cousin 5x removed. COD: Sudden death, neuralgia of the heart. 

18) Louis Jefferson Gibson. Born April 13th, 1861, died April 27th, 1882. Son of Robert W. Gibson and Lucy Ann Floyd. 1st cousin 5x removed.

19) Mary Watson. Born October 11th, 1811, died April 2nd, 1865. Daughter of John Tarlton Watson and Sarah Elizabeth English. Wife of James William Gibson. Wife of 4x Great-Granduncle. 

20) Matildia Gibson. Born May 12th, 1886, died October 14th, 1886. Daughter of William L. Gibson and Sarah Elizabeth Walker. 3rd cousin 3x removed. (This grave originally was for a 'Mattie Cinella' with 1879 dates but.. I believe that was taken from an incorrect source and distributed over the years. The tombstone proves it's Matildia with 1886 dates.)

21) Robert Fulton Gibson. Born January 23rd, 1887, died July 29th, 1962. Son of George Lafayette Gibson and Lockie Ann Christopher. Never married. 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Coronary occlusion and myocardial infarction of the anterior descending branch, previous anterior infarction, long standing arteriosclerosis coronary. 

22) Sarah Crosby Floyd. Born April 8th, 1843, died between 1900-1910. (Suspected of being buried here with her husband, although they could be buried in New Mexico or Texas). Daughter of Henry Crosby Floyd and Elizabeth Atkinson. Wife of Benjamin Franklin Gibson Sr. Wife of 1st cousin 5x removed. 

23) Susannah Covey. Born August 12th, 1830, died July 13th, 1865. Daughter of Joshua David Covey and Lydia Adamson. Wife of John William Gibson. Wife of 1st cousin 5x removed.

24) Talitha Ann Floyd. Born October 11th, 1837, died September 28th, 1865. Daughter of Henry Crosby Floyd and Elizabeth Atkinson. Wife of Benjamin Franklin Gibson Sr. (Based on gut instinct, I believe she's 100% buried in this cemetery.) Wife of 1st cousin 5x removed.

25) Eula Jennette Gibson. Born August 19th, 1894, died February 8th, 1919. Daughter of James Franklin Gibson and Sarah Easley Mills. Wife of Edward Arthur Moffett. 3rd cousin 3x removed. COD: Labor pneumonia. 

26) Nathan Alander Gibson Jr. Born January 13th, 1857, died March 10th, 1898. Son of Nathan Alander Gibson Sr and Eliza Jane Webster. Husband of Mary Ellen Gibson. 1st cousin 5x removed.

27) Infant Norman. Born December 31st, 1870, died January 21st, 1871. Child of William A. Norman and Martha Frances Gibson. 2nd cousin 4x removed.

28) William A. Norman. Born September 26th, 1844, died January 28th, 1873. Son of Joseph Clifton Norman Sr and Virginia Rebecca Brooks. Husband of Martha Frances Gibson. Husband of 1C5R. 

29) Mary Ellen Pritchett. Born January 24th, 1857, died October 4th, 1857. Not exactly sure who's child she is at the moment. The Pritchett's and Gibson's intermarried a lot as they were always family friends and neighbors. If a tombstone is ever found for her (there had to have been one when Mr. Blue documented the cemetery in the 80's and 90's), then perhaps parents initials are on it. She's most likely a descendant of John Pritchett and Sarah Powell.

30) Martha Frances Gibson. Born October 3rd, 1843, died January 29th, 1885. Daughter of James William Gibson and Mary Watson. Wife of William A. Norman and Ira Bascom Robertson. 1st cousin 5x removed. 

31) Pearl Sellars. Born 1890, died 1894. Daughter of Robert Jackson Sellars and Malinda Belle Gibson. 3rd cousin 3x removed.

32) Robert Jackson Sellars. Born June 9th, 1866, died July 31st, 1897. Son of Isham Sellars and Lucy Ann Hughes. Husband of Malinda Belle Gibson. Husband of 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Typhoid fever. 

33) Juliett Duncan Gibson. Born February 22nd, 1877, died March 15th, 1932. Daughter of George Lafayette Gibson and Lockie Ann Christopher. Wife of James S. Tapp. 2nd cousin 4x removed. COD: Ruptured gallbladder, and chronic heart disease.

34) Eliza Thompson. Born October 20th, 1868, died January 4th, 1885. Daughter of Willis R. Thompson and Emily Adeline Pritchett, adoptive daughter of James William Gibson and Mary E. Royster. 1st cousin 4x removed.


This project has taken me almost a full month to complete. Over the course of the month, typing up this blog and adding plenty of material to my genealogy page on Facebook (Genealogy by Brecca) -- I have fixed a LOT of stuff in Gibson Cemetery #1 and #2. I have solved a lot of family mysteries.. I have found a lot of sad stories and over the next little while I will absolutely share those to this blog as well. 

For now, I will end this blog by saying thank you so much for having an interest in the Gibson cemeteries.. and if you're a relative, please say hello! I hope this blog helps future Gibson genealogists for years to come!!

Saturday, August 13, 2022

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 25: Groups

Introducing the world to my literal 'babies' - our cemetery groups on Facebook. 

Henderson KY Cemetery Research Group

WKM (Western Kentucky Metro) Cemetery Research

Anyone and everyone is allowed and more than welcome to join. We love new members and embrace anyone who is interested in cemeteries - new or old. 

For a while, I was stumped on what to write about for 'groups' and then it finally hit me tonight: my cemetery groups on Facebook!

First and foremost, I have to mention my baby - Henderson KY Cemetery Research Group. It wasn't my brain child and I never, ever, no matter her feelings towards me or anything else want to take credit for it. Originally, the group was made in December of 2015 to house Sarah's cemetery photography, to talk about the cemeteries here in Henderson County, and for us to potentially get out and research some. 

Sarah and her then husband, Dustin Vittur, went out to some cemeteries in the Bluff City, Hebbardsville, Niagara areas and started having some success finding tombstones buried beneath the dirt (sometimes as little as three or four inches, and sometimes as much as a foot deep) that had been lost for decades. They were prodding the ground with fiberglass rods (about five feet in length. You can buy them at Rural King. They're actually called 'driveway stakes' I believe.) 

Well, the three of us had struck up a fast friendship in September of 2015 and knowing that I shared her love of cemeteries and the enthusiasm as well, they started inviting me along to the cemeteries and gave me a rod to look for tombstones. The first real cemetery adventure I went with the on was New Years Day 2016 so 1/1/2016. We ended up discovering a cemetery out in the outskirts of Hebbardsville (on the Green River) that even Mr. Blue didn't know about. 

Mr. Blue was a local man who in the 1980's and 1990's mapped out all (or close to all) of Henderson's cemeteries and made an accompanying book of the burials. The first tombstone I actually managed to find was in Ridgewood Cemetery in February of 2016. After finding my first tombstone, I was absolutely hooked. 

By September of 2016, Sarah had lined us up with an interview with the Gleaner and in October of 2016, we made the front page of the Sunday edition of the Gleaner newspaper. We were interviewed out at Bethel Cemetery and the tombstone we found that was featured was that of Eulalie Cosby. The tombstone had been missing for at least fifty years, if not longer. 






That day was absolutely one of the happiest days of my life. No matter our falling out - I will thank Sarah for the rest of my life, and thank God, too, for bringing her into my life and giving me the amazing opportunities that she did. 

We had our most successful day finding tombstones out at Bethel Baptist in October of 2016. We heaved so many tombstones up from a ditch... and for a long time we believed they had fell down over the edge with time. I've since talked to someone whose family owned land out there and they let me know: those tombstones were intentionally shoved down into that ditch, which just knowing that, it disgusts me. 


None of the above tombstones were documented in Mr. Blue's book so they had absolutely been uncounted for since before at least 1980. Bethel Baptist is definitely a treasure trove of lost tombstones buried beneath the Earth or off the side of the ditch. Cash Creek also proved to be a decent place to find lost tombstones. One day when we were out there, we found the lost tombstone of the son of Dr. McCarty. 


After making the front page of the Gleaner, we were asked to come document Brown-Konsler Cemetery in Cairo. The cemetery is actually set up to kind of be two different cemeteries - but right beside each other. Historians and genealogists over the years have just kind of decided to merge them because they really are in the same spot, separated by a few trees.


Then we were asked to come to Webster County and document a cemetery in the middle of the woods -- Asher Cemetery, and checked out Rock Stile Cemetery (which was a stones throw away) as well. 


Then we were asked to come check out Boswell Cemetery out in Bluff City which was 100% on our bucket list. The owners of the Craven Boswell house were SO incredibly nice. 




In November 2016, just a few days before my best friend was killed in a horrendous car accident, we were asked to document Dorsey Cemetery out in Corydon. We even found Noah Dorsey's lost tombstone! Noah and his wife are credited with naming Corydon and pretty much founding it (officially yet unofficially at the same time.) Noah's tombstone is a double - the bottom half is a young daughter of theirs that had passed away. 


After that, a lot of the cemetery stuff died down, especially for me, because I lost Nick so tragically in that car accident. I was broken and devastated. We did a few cemetery things in 2017 but a lot of it, Sarah and Dustin did by themselves, which I was more than okay with. They got a few more cemeteries documented out in the Zion and Hebbardsville areas which I'm incredibly thankful for.

By 2018, I knew something was going on between the two of them. I had lined up going out and documenting the Sights Cemetery but, that never happened. It was like, I had been shut out. At the start of 2019, I felt like I had been ex-communicated from the group because of S & D's divorce, so I started up my second baby -- WKM (Western Kentucky Metro) Cemetery Research. By mid 2019, I was told that I could have Henderson KY Cemetery Research Group, because both S & D had moved about an hour to an hour and a half away in different directions. I was relieved. 

WKM Cemetery Research hasn't done *as much* as our Henderson group but that's because my collaborators and myself haven't had the chance to get out and do as much. Taylor and I managed to find Jordan Cemetery in March of 2019, which was quite a feat for Henderson KY Cemetery Research Group. Jordan Cemetery is so grown up, you can't even tell it's there. It took us thirty minutes to finally find it. We wouldn't have ever finally found the right area to look if it wasn't for Taylor's Dad saying he and his late wife had been walking one evening and stumbled across it back before Taylor was even born, I believe. That finally gave us a pinpoint of where to look.




Jessica and Taylor have both done some things in Indiana for WKM, but as with all good things, things come to an end. A literal demonic seed that I called my best friend since I was 11 years old came in and destroyed the friendship I had with Taylor and of course, she felt slighted when I kicked her from the WKM group and blocked her, she tried to say she was the owner and operator of WKM (bull). We're on better terms now that we know who the demon spawn is and what she did to us.. but now WKM is just Jessica and myself. Supposedly, Taylor has started her own new group in Warrick Co and well, good luck to her, of course. The more cemetery research groups the better in my opinion. 

The last big thing I did for Henderson Ky Cemetery Research Group was getting Cheatham Cemetery in Zion documented and even finding a lost tombstone there. Well, the other half of a lost tombstone. It was in November of 2019 and a very exciting and rewarding day!





Now here it is late 2021 and I've been asked to come out and document a couple different locations but, it's November 7th, and I'm sick as a dog. Changing of the seasons (when it gets super cold for the first time of the year) always gets me sick. 

I'm hoping to order the large D/2 kit from Atlas Preservation and get to cleaning tombstones in the spring. Here's to 2022 being a big and exciting year for me and Henderson Ky Cemetery Research Group! I sure do miss finding lost tombstones. I miss being out in cemeteries and doing what I love. 

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 37: On the Farm

When I think of farming and my ancestors -- the number one person who comes to mind is my Great-Grandfather, Richard Jerome "Dick" Blanford. I was fortunate enough to meet Papa Dick when I was a baby - but sadly he passed away just two months prior to my third birthday. 

Dick Blanford was born on November 5th, 1913, in Union County, Kentucky, to Martin Allen Blanford and Mary Agnes Nally. He was the eldest child out of six total - only five surviving to adulthood. 

Dick had a modest upbringing, growing up in the areas of Smith Mills and Corydon in Henderson County. The area known as "Walnut Bottom" in census, actually. Unfortunately, when he was only thirteen years of age - he lost his mother, Mary Agnes, to tuberculosis. I can only imagine how that shaped him as a person. 

On July 11th, 1931, he married Miss Verna Lorene LaRue, the daughter of Charles Clarence LaRue and Carrie Annie Byrd. His brother, Thomas Allen "Tom" Blanford would go on to marry Lorene's sister Opal Lois LaRue. 

Dick and Lorene stuck to the Geneva and Smith Mills area of the county. According to my Grandpa, in his youth, they lived in three different places that burnt down before they settled on the Latta Place. It was a small white house at the very end of Star School Rd in Geneva.. and now it's no longer there. It used to be surrounded by cornfields and bayou. 

After they were older, Dick built a large house on Trigg-Hooper Rd. At this house, Dick did a lot of farming, a lot of raising livestock, and even had an apple orchard. It was at this house that his kids, grandkids, and even some great-grandchildren formed a lot of precious memories. It was this house that I remember very, very vaguely. 

I had a snippet of a memory, like a flash in a dream that he was holding me outside on his lap and I could remember looking up at the night sky. Mom said I was remembering watching Fourth of July fireworks out there, most likely on July 4th, 1995.. I was two years and five months old. 

Over the last few years, I've found numerous articles from the Evansville newspaper chronicling when Papa Dick would sell some livestock, donate to charity, or have an auction at his farm. It's been quite a neat trip back in time to see some of the things I have and read some of things I have. 

To this day, we have an aerial photograph of the house and farm on our wall. We have laminated pages from where he made the Features section of the newspaper for his apple cider, hanging on the wall. My Mom lost her maternal Grandpa when she was just 7 years old so she built a special bond, after that, with her paternal Grandpa. I think in his own way, he tried to make up for her not having her other Grandpa. Very much like my own maternal Grandma made up for me not having my paternal Grandma.

Unfortunately, after Dick passed, the farm was lost. Dick knew that all of his everything -- personal, real estate, etc, would have to be sold because he had a kid or two that were too greedy for their own good and nothing would be able to be divided properly and 'kept within the family.' No one would be able to 'keep' anything without another child being jealous of it. Matter a fact, my Mom says he used to proudly wear a hat that said, "I'm spending my children's inheritance." 

To this day - it still ruffles a few feathers that my Grandpa Jady was given the antique roll top desk of Papa Dick's, and it ruffles even more feathers that Grandpa Jady left it to my Mom when he died. I now have two antique roll top desks - one from each of my Grandfather's and I couldn't be happier. A genealogist needs a proper desk...two or three in my opinion. 

I wish I could remember what Dick was like. I don't remember his voice. I don't remember the apple cider or anything like that. I do remember the apple butter and the apple pie.. as my Grandpa continued to make it long after Papa Dick passed away. My Dad still uses the pie recipe to this day. I remember taking apple butter to show and tell in first grade. Back when we could actually take homemade food to school, share it with our classmates, and it wasn't against the law. 

On December 14th, 1995, Papa Dick passed away at his home in his sleep -- he'd battled prostate cancer for many years. He and Mama 'Rene are buried in Saint Louis Cemetery, which I affectionately refer to as "Blanford Memorial Gardens," because the front of the cemetery has a lot of Blanford tombstones showing from the road, including their own. 

If you visit the cemetery any time soon, maybe stop and introduce yourself to one of Henderson County's most influential farmers. Dick loved meeting new people, and he didn't view anyone as a stranger -- a trait his son, my Grandpa Jady, inherited from him. Sit down for a spell and maybe he'll tell you a story while peeling an apple with a pocket knife. You might learn something. 



Sunday, November 28, 2021

Fatally Burned: The Short Life of Betty Jean Duncan

Back in August/September when I was working on the Gibson Cemetery - I stumbled upon the tragic death of my 5th cousin 2x removed, Betty Jean Duncan. Betty isn't buried at the Gibson Cemetery, but her ancestors might be. I know her Duncan ancestors are out in the Duncan Cemetery which isn't too terribly far away from Gibson Cemetery. It's out in the Corydon/Dixie area. 

Betty was the 4x Granddaughter of Nathaniel Benjamin Duncan and Jane Rainey -- my 6x Grandparents through their daughter, Susan Duncan who married Berryman Gibson.. Susan and Berryman are of course buried at the Gibson Cemetery. 

Betty was the daughter of Fines William Duncan and Lola C. Farris. She was born on January 19th, 1934. The tragic accident happened on April 17th, 1945 - Betty was just eleven years old. Betty was left home alone with her younger siblings while her father was apparently at work and her mother went down the road a few blocks to a neighbors house. 

They lived at 534 Dixon St, according to an article in the Evansville newspaper. Little Betty went to light a fire in the stove using coal oil. Unfortunately, her clothes ended up catching on fire, and well, the rest is a tragic history. 

Betty was buried in Fernwood Cemetery but has no tombstone. I would say she's very near where her parents are in the cemetery. It's possible she had an infant tombstone many decades ago and it's just 'gone' now, or beneath the dirt a few inches. I'll try to prod for it sometime this spring. 




Corydon, Ky; Insurance Agent Dies

I wasn't unfamiliar with the name Gayle Frasier whatsoever when I was revisiting the Gibson Cemetery back in August/September for a project. I've seen his tombstone a many of times in my life but - I didn't know exactly who Gayle was until I researched a bit more. 

Gayle was born on February 8th, 1885, in Webster County, KY, to John C. Frasier and Lee Forrest Pressley. (His father is buried in Corydon Cemetery, and his mother is buried in Springdale Cemetery in Sebree.) He had at least three brothers. 

In about 1907 or 1908 - Gayle married Lucile S. Gibson and they only had one son: Ambrose Haywood Frasier. 

It seems the Frasier family jumped around between Corydon, Detroit, Michigan, and Evansville. It was in Evansville that Gayle passed away on May 24th, 1950, at the age of 65. It was the article I found in the Evansville newspaper that clued me into a lot of back story of Gayle's life. He was a local insurance agent, and he was well known in the baseball circles of Western Kentucky. 

Gayle had been a manager of Corydon's Press League champions in the early 1930's, and prior to that, he'd been a player for a many of years. Very neat to learn this tidbit of information! Another famous Corydon resident became to the 2nd commissioner of baseball in 1945 -- A.B. "Happy" Chandler. I ponder if Gayle and Happy knew one another. I can't imagine that they didn't. 

Next time you're out at the Gibson Cemetery - stop and introduce yourself to cousin Gayle. 





The devastating end of Erastus Gibson

Erastus isn't someone I'm unfamiliar with. I've seen his tombstone a dozen times in my life, every time I go out to the Gibson Cemetery.. but I was ignorant to his life's story. Bless this man's heart. This article broke me inside. 



God rest your soul, Erastus. I'm proud to be your cousin -- 1st cousin 4x removed to be exact. 

Erastus was the son of George Harrell Gibson and Cora Francis Young. He was the second of only four children: three boys and one girl. Erastus had married Mary Evelyn Hughes on November 27th, 1912, in White County, IL. They procured a divorce before he left to fight in World War 1, the way I understand it. The article speaks for itself on how life went for Erastus after arriving home from war. 




The next time you're out at the Gibson Cemetery in Corydon.. give some special attention to his grave. He certainly deserves it. Hopefully I can get his tombstone looking new again come this spring. 



Say Hello to Uncle Fagan

James Fagan Gibson was a prominent man in the Corydon community -- he ran the county sanitarium for nine years, and his father had ran it for nine years before him. (I don't believe they ran it consecutively, because his father, John Gregory Gibson died in 1890, then Fagan died in 1911. I think someone ran the county home between Fagan and his Dad.)

James Fagan Gibson was the son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby - my 4x Grandparents. That would make Fagan my 3x Great-Granduncle. He was the fourth child out of thirteen. My 3x Grandmother, Vandalia, was number nine out of thirteen. (Rough estimate is thirteen. There might be miscarriages and stillbirths we don't know about.) 

Fagan married Nancy Jane "Nannie" Gibson, his cousin, on April 20th, 1872, in Gallatin County, Illinois. They reared no children. However, they did raise their niece, Minnie Lee Gibson, like she was their own. Minnie's mother, Lucilla, died about eleven months after Minnie's birth. 

It took quite a bit of sleuth work to figure out that Minnie was not their daughter -- a lot of genealogists prior to myself had made the assumption that she was. However, with some heavy handed genealogy and possibly some DNA (to which I don't have access to), it led to the conclusion that Minnie was Lucilla's daughter. We haven't a clue who Minnie's biological father was. 

Fagan was also a member of the Woodmen of the World organization - hence why his tombstone looks the way it does. The best way to describe the Woodmen of the World organization would be like life insurance in today's times. 

From what I understand, the Corydon Sanitarium or "County Poor Farm," was on Diamond Island Rd, just outside the Corydon City limits. After you pass A.B. Chandler Elementary going into Corydon on Highway 60, it would be the next road on your left. The best I understand - the building itself is now gone and there's no traces of the cemetery, either. The only records we have of the burials in the county poor farm cemetery are from death certificates, old records, and family stories. I'm unsure if the land is woods/grown up or if it's a farmers field these days.

Next time you're out at Gibson Cemetery - say hello to Uncle Fagan. A devoted son, brother, husband, and an Uncle who became a Father figure - not to forget, an influential member of the county. 



**His tombstone is one that I definitely plan to get cleaned up in the spring. Behind his tombstone to the right you can see the tombstone of Sid and Mamie (Phillips) Nally. Direct behind theirs is Vannie Louise Thompson.**



My Connection to infamous John Dillinger

This morning while I ate a little breakfast, I decided to watch an episode from the newest season of Expedition Unknown (a Discovery Channel show). The episode was about John Dillinger - who of course I'm not unfamiliar with. We've all seen documentaries, movies, television shows. This morning was the first time, though, that I guess I was listening intently enough to hear mention of the crime that set Dillinger on his path of crime. 

While living in Mooresville, Morgan County, Indiana; he had befriended a guy about ten years his senior -- Ed Singleton. Supposedly Ed was a distant cousin of Dillinger's on his step-mother's side. Ed was the town's pool shark, and apparently, led John into his first crime of robbing a grocery store ran by Frank Morgan. 

Anyway -- what stood out to me was the last name Singleton. I have that in my tree and it's not THAT common of a last name, honestly. So I decided to go to Ancestry and search this 'Ed' Singleton - his full name being William Edgar Singleton. Sure enough, he was born in Lincoln County, Kentucky...the home place of my Singleton's.

It didn't take me long until I pieced him into my tree. He's my 5th cousin 3x removed. Ed Singleton was killed on August 31st, 1937, by being hit by a freight train. Wikipedia incorrectly states he was shot down.. but his death certificate clearly says a train accident, as does a newspaper article I found. 

I wonder if Lincoln County, KY, was a breeding place for men who'd eventually get into trouble. My 2x Grandfather, Frank Bastin, was born in Lincoln County in 1878, and when he was just 13 years old (newspaper article says 12 years old), he stabbed an older boy and was run out of town - or rather, 'left town before he could get good and proper into trouble.' The boy he stabbed, Joe Henry, did survive; so Frank, thankfully, wasn't a murderer. 

Coincidentally enough it was Frank Bastin who married Ilena "Lena" Singleton on October 17th, 1895, in Campbell County, TN. In the 1900 census, they've made their home in Pittsburg, Laurel County, KY. Then by 1910, they've taken up residence in Central City, Muhlenberg County, KY. 

Lena was the daughter of Rufus Franklin Singleton and his first wife, Rhoda Elizabeth Goff. Thanks to DNA, I finally got a good idea of this side of my family tree. Before DNA, the best we knew was that Lena's mother was "Lizzie Goff," and she died between 1880-1900 as Rufus remarries to Laura Ping (who was actually Lizzie's cousin). Thanks to DNA, I made the connection that she was Rhoda Elizabeth Goff. 

My Bastin's and Singleton's -- or rather their collateral lines were in the Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, KY area for generations.. I'm surprised none of our family had made the connection between Ed Singleton (Dillinger's friend) and our family before. I guess it took the family genealogist to figure that out. 

Thanks for reading my coffee fueled morning ramblings. 

Friday, November 26, 2021

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 36: Work

For the most part, I come from a long, long line of farmers. I do have a few ancestors who held different occupations though and I'm extremely thankful for them or else I'd have no "flavor" in my tree, haha. 

Starting off with my parents -- my Dad is a welder, pipefitter, and boilermaker. He's had numerous other jobs in the past though including working at fast food establishments, being a maintenance person at an apartment complex, and even working at a gas station until he found his way into welding. As a youngin', he worked in the tobacco fields, which was kind of like a right of passage back in those days.

My Mom has been unemployed since she was pregnant with me. Her last proper job was at Thornton's in about September of 1992. Prior to that, she worked at the Deli inside the Citi-Center Mall downtown, and had also worked at Riverside Downs racetrack, a beer distributor, a tax office, delivering newspapers, and of course as a youngin', she helped out in the tobacco fields. 

My Grandparents -- Granddad Glen was an ironworker and farmer. I don't know much about his work career other than that work took him to big cities like New York City, Chicago, and Kansas City, Missouri. Grandma Mina, as far as I know, was a waitress for most of her life. Here in Henderson, I know she worked at the Ramada for many, many years. 

Grandpa Jady was a jack of all trades who held many occupations in his lifetime and the most consistent one was farmer. At one time or another, though, Grandpa worked for the oil fields, worked as a maintenance shop foreman, drove a cement truck.. You name it, my Grandpa Jady probably done it. 

Grandma Glynda was a bookkeeper through and through. She was a tax preparer for many moons, but primarily she did books wherever she worked. She did books and secretarial work for many car lots, A.D.M, and her last place of employment was the Dodge Store. Grandma was exceptionally good at math... my weakest subject. 

As for my Great-Grandparents -- Clint Mefford worked in the coal mines - more appropriately, he was a manager of one, and that brought in decent money. It's been said many times that the Mefford family didn't really feel the Great Depression quite like my Blanford family did. Edith, his wife, as far as I know was a homemaker without ever having a true occupation. 

Doc Jones to the best of my knowledge was a farmer and his wife without occupation aside from housewife and fulltime mother. Looking back at census - in the 1930 census, he was a deckhand on a boat and in 1940, he worked for the W.P.A. 

Dick Blanford was a farmer through and through. In his later years, he ran an apple orchard and was well known for his apple cider. He worked a lot with livestock and ever so often you'd see his name in the newspaper for auctioning off either livestock or some old farm equipment. His wife, Lorene, was a stay at home wife and mother - which was a handful, trust me. They had a passel of children. 

Henry Sandefur did a little bit of everything in his life. He was a fireman on and off. I know he drove a school bus at one time or another. In the 1930 census, at just 17, he was working in a furniture factory (probably Delker Brothers here in Henderson.) In the 1940 census, he was working for the W.P.A. His wife, Anna, was a stay at home wife and mother until her children, or at least almost all of her children, were out of the nest. She became a school bus driver and that's the job she retired from in the late 80's. 

My Great-Great-Grandparents -- French Mefford was a farmer and his wife, Emma, did not work. Frank Bastin started out as a coal miner, then a foreman in the coal mines, and then in his later life turned into a farmer. His wife, Lena, did not work. We're getting back into the days where it just wasn't a thing for women to work whatsoever. Their one and only job was to take care of the house, husband, and children. 

Aaron Jones was a blacksmith, until his later years, then he began to farm. Bill White was also a farmer his whole life, either on his own farm, or labor on another's farm. Martin Blanford was a farmer as well - the Blanford's well versed in the nature of farming. It seems like that's quite literally ALL they did. 

Charles LaRue was a farmer as well. The LaRue's are a long line of farmers going back many, many generations. Eugene Sandefur in the 1900 census was a house painter, by 1910 and for the rest of his life until he retired - he was a mail carrier. I believe he mostly ran rural routes even though the family lived in town on Clay St. His wife, Ollie, in the 1900 census is given the occupation of 'weaver,' and that's the only time she's ever listed as having an occupation. 

John R. Thompson was a farmer - although I dare say his best money was made when they found oil on his property in Niagara. The Thompson's, too, are a long line of farmers. It seems like my Catholic lines (Blanford, Thompson, Nally, etc) are all farmers. Not sure if it really has much to do with the religion or not, but it seems likely that it does, at least to some degree. 

I could go on and continue listing my ancestors, but from this point, their occupations wouldn't change. I do believe with heavy certainty that all of my 3x Great-Grandfathers and probably 4x, and 5x, and so on... were all farmers. I can't think of a single one, off the top of my hand, that had a different occupation. 

Unfortunately, this blog is a bit boring and probably isn't as chalk full of information as some of my others but... what can I say? I occasionally have slightly boring ancestors, haha. Not really boring, I guess, but... their work lives were uneventful for the most part. Especially coming from long lines of farmers. I wish I knew more about the types of crops they grew. Sadly, I don't. 

Sunday, November 21, 2021

52 Ancestors 21: Week 35: School

I don't really have any teachers or principals in my direct ancestor line -- but I do have relatives who have become teachers and professors. Namely, my Granduncle Charles was a university professor back in the day. He's been retired for a number of years now. He's 88 years old now and still kicking. I was lurking Ancestry yearbooks one time and found a couple of him when he was teaching in various places - namely Cincinnati. I loved seeing them. I have to share one with you!




He even signed their yearbook! He was teaching Spanish/Latin back then. But I know he's taught a many of subjects over the years. His last job, before retiring, was teaching G.E.D. classes at our small community college here in Henderson, Kentucky. He retired from that in the early 2000's. 

My Mom and I have a cousin named Diane who was a teacher for many years here at Henderson County High School - she taught a number of things from Typing I and II to business math, and even business law. Chances are if you went to county high in the 1970's, 80's, or 90's -- you had Mrs. Hughes. 

I also have a Grandaunt who was a teacher's aide for a number of years. I think at some point she might have taught science at the middle school, too, but, I'm not 100% sure. 

As for my direct ancestors - none of them really got much in the way of education. My Dad has a G.E.D, my Mom got some college education. Out of my Grandparents - only one graduated high school and that was my Grandma Glynda. 

For my Great-Grandparents - I know my Great-Grandma Lorene (LaRue) Blanford graduated Corydon High School in 1932 I believe. I think my Great-Grandma Anna (Thompson) Sandefur might have graduated Smith Mills High but I haven't found a yearbook to confirm it yet. 

Most of my ancestors quit school early because they got married and started raising kids or the men had to quit school and start working on the farm. That's why my Grandpa Jady quit school in the sixth grade. 

I wish I had more to write about - I know I've written before about how my Great-Great-Grandparents sold some land to the school board for the new Niagara Elementary School. Aside from that - I don't think any schools sit on my ancestors' land or any gave land for schools besides them. 

For my own feelings when it comes to school - I'm not a fan. I'm an outspoken advocate for homeschooling. I believe today's public school is full of indoctrination. They no longer teach your children how to think for themselves; they control 100% of what your children are learning. They teach them exactly what to think and if you don't fall in line, you're labeled 'unfit.' You're labeled 'different,' and different no longer is a good thing. They want your children to be cookie cutter robots with no ounce of individualism or individual thinking. Essentially, they want your children to be 'we are borg' from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Believe it or not - my Uncle Charles and my 'Granny' for all intents and purposes (one of my biggest supporters in my genealogy and a loyal reader of my blogs) believe and feel the same way I do about public schooling. Both retired teachers, both have seen the indoctrination from the inside and the outside. 

Anyway - I wish I had more to type up and report about for the 'school' topic but I truly don't. As always, thank you for reading - it means a lot!