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!!

Thursday, January 5, 2023

August Scavenger Hunt: "Find a Great-Grandparents grave."



 For the August scavenger hunt prompt: "Find a Great-Grandparents grave."

I'm finally sharing this on my blog in January -- and how appropriately on January 5th, 2023 - my Great-Grandpa's 110th birthday!

I don't have to go far for this set of my Great-Grandparents. Matter of fact, I can see their tombstone from my bedroom window. They're buried in Fernwood Cemetery here in Henderson.

Henry Lloyd Sandefur and Anna Elizabeth (Thompson) Sandefur.

Henry, or Poppy, was born on January 5th, 1913, in Henderson to Eugene Henry Sandefur and Ollie Lee Moss. He was the fifth of six children.

Poppy and his siblings grew up at 1421 Clay St (the Sandefur's lived in that house from about 1906 through the 1950's) - their front door was quite literally out the front door of Audubon School, which Poppy attended until about sixth grade or so. He used to hide his books out in the shed and hop trains - he'd go to Nashville for a day or two and return home.

Anna Elizabeth, called Liz by some, Lizzie by others, and occasionally Lizbet by her youngest brother (although usually just called Anna) was born August 18th, 1916, to John Rowan Thompson and Mary Janella Nally. She was the seventh of eight children.

Nana, as I call her, grew up in the Smith Mills area and attended Smith Mills School. I am not sure if she finished out school and graduated or not. If she did, I would have imagined she'd have graduated from Smith Mills, if so, it would have likely been 1933.

Nana and Poppy wed on August 25th, 1933, in Shawneetown. Nana was 17 years old and Poppy was 20... it was a shotgun wedding. Hence the elopement to Shawneetown.

They welcomed their first child, their daughter Carolyn, into the world on April 8th, 1934. By the 1940 census, they had a daughter and two sons (Donald & William 'Buddy'), and were living at 122 Burdette St. here in Henderson.

By the 1950 census, they had three daughters and two sons, living out at 1714 KY-416 (in Niagara). Back then, it was known as "Rural Route 2." They would have one more daughter about five years later.

After my Mom was born ('63) and my late Uncle Jay ('65), my Grandparents (Jady & Glynda) built a house next door to Nana & Poppy, at 1670 KY-416.

Poppy was a diabetic and also suffered severe heart problems. He passed away young on March 11th, 1970, at just 57 years of age. At the time of his death, my Nana didn't know where to bury him (as the spots near his parents in Fernwood were full.) Poppy's cousin, funeral director Paul B. Moss provided my Nana with the two plots - one for Poppy and one for herself. She tried to pay him back for the plots, and he wouldn't accept the money.

In the mid 1970's, Nana moved to town, and then my Grandparents moved to town as well. Nana lived for twenty some-odd years in Fair Acres until her Alzheimer's progressed far enough that we had to place her into a rest home (about early 1999.)

Nana passed away on October 2nd, 2001. I was in the third grade. I'll never forget coming home from school and getting the phone call about 40 minutes after I'd gotten home. That day and the following few days were without a doubt some of the worst in my life. I'll never forget her funeral - that was the hardest rain I've ever, to this day, experienced in my life. It certainly fit the mood. I felt like my heart had shattered into a million pieces and it was never going to be whole again.

My Nana was my very best friend. She had been my babysitter early-on in my life. After she went into the nursing home, my Grandma and I went every day, and I quite literally mean EVERY DAY to the nursing home to visit with her. Sometimes we'd go two or three times in one single day.

Nana is the entire reason I started doing genealogy. None of my friends knew any of their Great-Grandparents back then, so at just seven years old, I realized it was a rarity/oddity to know your Great-Grandparents.. (even if it's just one of them.) So I pondered if Nana ever knew any of her Great-Grandparents - unfortunately due to Alzheimer's, she couldn't answer that question (not accurately, anyway). My Grandma and I took to working on our family tree to figure out the answer. I've been hooked by the genealogy bug ever since. 2022 marks 22 years I've been doing genealogy. I owe everything to this beautiful, intelligent, wonderful, compassionate woman.

Some of you might remember my Nana, actually, because she was a bus driver for many years. I believe she drove a bus in the 60s, 70s, and into the early 80s. I know she drove the route out in Niagara but she might have substituted for other routes as well. She and Grandma Glynda would bowl with other bus drivers. I unfortunately didn't inherit Nana's bowling ball, but I did inherit Grandma Glynda's. It's certainly one of my prized possessions now.

I come from a family full of bus drivers, actually, lol. Poppy drove a bus as well. Their late daughter, Carolyn, drove a bus, and my Grandma - Glynda (Sandefur) Blanford also drove a bus. I believe one of the sons might have driven a city bus back in the day, too.

Thank you all for reading about my Nana & Poppy. It means a lot. ❤️