KLAIBER CEMETERY is a Kentucky Registered non-profit cemetery under KRS 367.932 (12).
James Klaiber, Teresa Klaiber, Craig Fannin Trustees
This article originally appeared at our web page www.deliverancefarm.com. This web page has been revised. Several genealogy articles have been transferred to this blog for safe keeping. I will continue to maintain this blog as long as my health allows.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
While Boyd County, Kentucky was still in its infancy the James Howe family had quietly settled in a small house above Solomon's Fork, Sammons Branch (now Long Branch), of the East Fork of Garner. To the east of James Howe's 145 acres
(1) and across Long Branch you could see the William Hood farm.
It was on the point, high on the hill of the William Hood farm, that James Howe laid to rest his small ward, the minor/infant daughter of deceased Allen Stewart, in October of 1871. Howe had been appointed tiny Isabelle Stewart's guardian in May of 1866.
(2) It is possible that others may have been buried there prior to Isabelle's death, but hers is the earliest marked tombstone today (1996).
Some of the other families that settled in the area included Ross, Marcum, Prichard, Sexton, and Gallion. The Sexton's had moved to what was Carter County, later Boyd, from Letcher County, Kentucky, as had Hiram Gallion's wife Elizabeth Sutton Gallion. Gallion had been appointed to view a road (help survey) from the forks of Garner Creek to the Carter/Boyd County line, in December 1865.
(3) Standing high on the hill of Hood's property, at the point just north of these early burials, one could see the makings of a road following the creek bed, just below.
As the road became a little more accessible, German immigrant John Andrew Klaiber, added to the network of families that worked and shared up and down the creek, purchasing the farm that could be viewed to the right of the cemetery.
In August 1874 William Hood died and was laid to rest on the hill of his farm, near Isabelle Stewart. Just two months earlier, their neighbor Sarah Howe had passed away and was given the Hoods blessing to be buried on The Hood property. Sarah was related to William's wife, Matilda. The Hood property changed hands several times before Henry Powell Sexton purchased it from George W. and Angelina Ross in 1885.
(4)
H.P. and his wife Julina McCormack Sexton already had 11 children, the youngest named for her mother. His parents, Marcus and Catherine, lived over the hill in Lawrence County on Belle's Trace. Just three years after the Sexton's purchased the farm on Garner, Mark (as he was usually called) died.
(5) The family had a team carry his body up the hill to the point that was quickly developing into a burial ground. Through the years the Sexton's held huge family reunions, and as they gathered in front of their large two story home, each could look across the road and up the hill at the pioneers who formed this area of the county. The Sexton's tenderly cared for the cemetery, eventually placing a small fence with a small entrance gate around the point. The family kept the area cleared and the Sexton ladies always made sure fresh flowers graced family graves.
The first known recorded entry of a grave yard was written 2 March 1893 when Henry Powell and wife Julina sold George Mayhew a 20 x 50 foot section "beginning at a post of the fence..." and "on a point nearly opposite the mansion house." The deed also states that William Mayhew was already buried there.
(6)
The second recorded entry of a grave yard was filed in the Boyd County Recorder's Office on August 2, 1899.
(7) H.P. Sexton sold John Andrew Klaiber one eighth of an acre for his family and heirs along with the "right of ingress and egress." This surveyed area was above the original fenced burial sites.
In 1905 Henry Powell Sexton's youngest daughter Julina, recently widowed, married John Andrew Klaiber's son James Matthew.
(8) When H.P. died in 1913
(9), widow Julina McCormack Sexton began the division of the property among her large family. These partition deeds carefully set apart 80 square yards for a grave yard. Daughter Julina and her husband, James Matthew Klaiber, continued the tradition of nurturing the cemetery. They instilled both the love of the land and the loving care of the cemetery in their son John Henry.
Among other early families migrating from Letcher County into Carter and Boyd County were Lucas'. The Lucas family were related to several branches of the Sexton family. When Lucinda Lucas, a daughter of James Henderson and Hulda Sexton died in 1931 she was buried in the cemetery. Two years later, in 1933 Lucinda's husband Henry Kane Lucas also died. The family requested a deed from Henry Powell's son, James M. Sexton, who's inherited portion included the cemetery. James M. and wife Etta had moved to Jasonville, Indiana and granted the deed for a plot, for $25.00. According to records the deed was not recorded until 1955 when improvements were being made at the grave yard.
(10)
John Henry Klaiber had cared for the land that belonged to his parents, aunt's and uncles, as he grew up. By 1935
(11) he had purchased land from his parents and in the Spring of 1937
(12) began to buy relative's partitioned properties, recreating the original deed descriptions. This purchase of 43+ acres included the cemetery, though still described as 80 square yards, it had clearly grown. After J.H.'s marriage to Elsie Ellis Rucker they also purchased a large portion of land that had once been the James Howe farm.
From the vantage point of their newly acquired home, John and Elsie could also look up the hill and view the cemetery, where they soon laid to rest a tiny infant daughter. John Henry's life centered on family, farm, and community. And with community in mind, time after time, he gave another small piece of his land to bury those in need - the boundaries long since having spilled out of any legal description, onto his farmland. Those that wished could donate a little to mend the fence and those that could not afford the cost of burials were welcome. From time to time different individuals would help John Henry out, by mowing family area's of the cemetery. The neighborhood always came together, lovingly and with honor, carefully digging each new grave.
Through the early 1900's various death certificates, and deeds refer to the burial ground as the William Hood Cemetery, Garner Cemetery, Sexton Cemetery, and Klaiber Cemetery with variant spellings. Even today, the Kentucky Geological Survey, Rush Quadrangel map incorrectly spells the cemetery as "Clybur."
The last team to carry a casket to the cemetery was on a cold, snowy Christmas Day, 1949, when a horse drawn sled took J.H.'s father, James Matthew Klaiber up the hill.
(13)
His widow, Julina, was determined that a good road was needed for hearse, friends, and family members. In 1955 she wrote letter after letter, asking for donations to build a new road and to refence the cemetery. Family descendants were scattered but letters and donations came in from Gallion and
Enyart families, the Workman's, Sexton's, Klaiber's, Fannin's, and others. The improvements were completed in 1956.
(14)(15)(16)
John Henry continued care of the cemetery, road and fence. Small donations came in from various branch's of families through the years. For some time before her death, Amanda Maddox collected for the Lucas family. After her death Harold Sexton continued to manage Lucas and Sexton donations. John, his wife Elsie, and sister Martha, collected from Klaiber family and friends. In the early 1990's, because of ill health it became necessary for John and Harold to share the expense of hiring someone to mow when funds were low. John Henry Klaiber died June 18, 1995, Father's Day, on the farm that he loved, with his family, and wonderful neighbors that dearly cared for him. He is buried beside his wife, and near daughter, parents, grandparents and great grandparents, neighbors, and pioneers.
The farm has now passed to son James David Klaiber. As a tribute to father, family, and community, a Cemetery Fund has been established in a local Boyd County bank with a goal of perpetual funding in the future. The Klaiber's will continue to care for the cemetery. Jim and family have lived away for over 20 years but it is so easy to be drawn back when roots run so deeply and Boyd County has always been "home." It is easier still to honor and care for the last earthly resting place of those with such a rich history of the county we love. And it is a wonderful feeling knowing that this is where one belongs.
Records show, financially, outside donations were never enough to handle fence repairs, gravel, mower repairs, gasoline, gates, and other necessities. Folks chuckled at the mailbox, J.H. mounted by the gate to accept small donations. He joked that maybe someone that lived there would win the Publishers Clearing House. A book KLAIBER CEMETERY was produced in 1996 to generate funds for the savings account located at Kentucky Farmers Bank, Catlettsburg, KY. The book generated almost $2000.00. But funds are still needed to care for fence, road and the future of our cemetery. If you would like to donate to the cemetery you can do so by sending a check payable to "Klaiber Cemetery Fund," 22937 Long Branch Road, Rush, KY 41168.
The area of what is known as Klaiber Cemetery is full. Those area's that do not yet hold loved ones, are reserved.
KLAIBER CEMETERY, BOYD COUNTY, KY
LAST | GIVEN | BIRTH | DEATH | STONE |
BLACKBURN | KERMIT | 30 DEC 1914 | 20 JUNE 2003 | 42 |
BLACKBURN | WILMA M | 16 NOV 1928 |
| 42 |
BLAIR | FAMILY PLOT |
|
|
|
BOCOOK | SANFORD |
| 9 DEC 1910 | 84 |
CLARK | JOHN T | 9 OCT 1848 | 15 JUL 1915 | 10 |
CLARK | JOSEPH M | 24 JUL 1860 | 4 AUG 1915 | 11 |
CLARK | MITCHELL | 7 MAY 1819 | 14 SEP 1892 | 8 |
CLARK | SARAH R | 1 MAR 1823 | 3 OCT 1902 | 9 |
COMBS | LEWIS | 1900 | 1923 | 80 |
COMBS | MARTHA | 1851 | 1930 | 79 |
CONLEY | DORIS ENYART | 1954 | 1993 | 28 |
CONLEY | GLADYS SEXTON |
|
| 100 |
COX | FRED RAYMOND | 18 AP 1900 | 1 JUL 1964 | 53 |
CRUM | JOHN ALLEN |
|
| 5 |
CRUM | MAGGIE |
|
| 5 |
CRUM | WISE |
|
| 6 |
DOWDY | SARAH CRABTREE | 1903 | 1971 | 87 |
DOWDY | THOMAS | 2 MAR 1895 | 29 AP 1969 | 87 |
DURHAM | FREDERICK H | 7 JUN 1891 | 4 FEB 1973 | 86 |
DURHAM | SARAH C | 4 DEC 1893 | 7 JULY 1983 | 86 |
ENYART | CURTIS |
|
|
|
ENYART | DOUGLAS |
|
|
|
ENYART | LEONARD L | 1888 | 1975 | 44 |
ENYART | MARY E | 1921 | 1989 | 43 |
ENYART | MARY G | 1894 | 1973 | 44 |
ENYART | TOM | 1914 | 26 JUL 2000 | 43 |
ESTEP |
|
|
| 66 |
FANNIN | MARY E |
| 31 JAN 1899 | 54 |
FELTY | DEBRA | 1953 | 1998 | 99 |
FERREL | HELEN |
|
| 76 |
FERREL | RAYMOND | 1921 | 1995 | 76 |
FUGATE | DAVID WAYNE | 29 AP 1965 | 27 OCT 1966 | 30 |
GALLION | CLARENCE |
|
| 11 |
GALLION | EMA |
|
| 11 |
GALLION | GOLDIE | 28 MAR 1896 | 30 APR 1896 | 37 |
GALLION | H. D. | 14 FEB 1827 | 2 NOV 1890 | 13 |
GALLION | INFANT |
|
| 11 |
GALLION | WILLIAM H | 1855 | 1920 | 12 |
GUSSLER | WILLARD SCOTT | 1912 | 1982 | 88 |
HARRIS | JOHN H | 2 MAR 1860 | 11 MAR 1909 | 22 |
HATFIELD |
|
|
| 86 |
HATFIELD | EMMETT |
|
| 86 |
HOOD | MATILDA | 3 DEC 1805 | 20 MAR 1887 | 57 |
HOOD | WILLIAM P |
| 14 AUG 1974 | 56 |
HOWE | SARAH |
| 6 JUN 1874 | 7 |
HUND | BETH FANNIN |
|
| 101 |
HUND | EDWARD |
|
| 102 |
JARVIS | EMRALD | 18 SEP 1907 | 6 MAR 1968 | 77 |
JARVIS | LAURA | 5 SEP 1910 | 31 DEC 1942 | 77 |
JONES | ARTHUR L | 1941 | 1944 | 27 |
JONES | CHARLES | 1928 | 1943 | 27 |
JORDAN | DELLA C | 28 JUN 1930 | 30 AUG 1930 | 96 |
JORDAN | G. W. |
| 20 APR 1930 | 93 |
JORDAN | H. B. | 10 DEC 1906 | 30 JUL 1931 | 96 |
JORDAN | IRA VERNON | 4 FEB 1901 | 27 APR 1933 | 90 |
JORDAN | MARY E | 1870 | 1940 | 97 |
JORDAN | MARY JANE | 26 MAY 1874 | 24 APR 1936 | 92 |
JORDAN | THOMAS P | 1871 | 1951 | 97 |
KELLEY | E ALICE | 1868 | 1896 | 34 |
KELLY | ELIZA O |
| 18 NOV 1895 | 60 |
KLAIBER | ELSIE R | 7 JAN 1912 | 24 NOV 1987 | 32 |
KLAIBER | INFANT |
| 1945 | 31 |
KLAIBER | JAMES DAVID |
|
| 32 |
KLAIBER | JAMES DAVID |
|
|
|
KLAIBER | JAMES MATTHEW | 21 JUL 1858 | 22 DEC 1949 | 67 |
KLAIBER | JOHN ANDREW | 20 OCT 1831 | 4 Dec 1920 | 51 |
KLAIBER | JOHN H | 15 JUL 1911 | 18 JUNE | 32 |
KLAIBER | JULINA HORTON | 30 JUNE 1877 | 20 APR 1978 | 67 |
KLAIBER | MARGURETTA |
| 14 SEP 1896 | 68 |
KLAIBER | MARY ANN MCBRAYER | 24 MAY 1834 | 1 APR 1919 | 51 |
KLAIBER | MARY MONTGOMERY | 22 JAN 1879 | 9 AUG 1912 | 33 |
KLAIBER | N. A. | 24 SEP 1861 | 28 SEP 1904 | 52 |
KLAIBER | TERESA LYNN MARTIN |
|
| 32 |
LAWRENCE | JOHNNY |
|
| 27 |
LAWRENCE | RUBY ENYART |
|
| 27 |
LAWSON |
|
|
| 63 |
LAWSON |
|
|
| 63 |
LAWSON |
|
|
| 63 |
LUCAS | BESSIE J | 1926 | 1966 | 72 |
LUCAS | CARL D | 1918 | 1918 | 74 |
LUCAS | CHARLEY | 24 MAY 1905 | 22 AUG 1925 | 94 |
LUCAS | ELIZABETH | 22 MAY 1912 | 27 NOV 1989 | 69 |
LUCAS | FRANK K | 1884 | 1966 | 71 |
LUCAS | GARNER |
|
| 78 |
LUCAS | H. K. | 1846 | 1933 | 70 |
LUCAS | LUCINDA | 1850 | 1931 | 70 |
LUCAS | MARTHA E | 1919 | 1923 | 73 |
LUCAS | NANCY A | 1888 | 1967 | 71 |
LUCAS | RALPH C | 14 MAR 1914 | 16 JUL 1977 | 69 |
LUCAS | SHERMAN |
|
| 34 |
LUCAS | TAYLOR |
|
| 34 |
LUCAS | VIRGINIA MYRTLE | 24 SEP 1924 | 29 JUL 1926 | 78 |
MADDOX | AMANDA M | 1908 |
| 76 |
MADDOX | ARLIE | 18 MAY 1921 | 18 AUG 1978 | 89 |
MADDOX | THOMAS J | 1895 | 1960 | 76 |
MAYHEW | DIMMA | 2 JUN 1867 | 9 APR 1895 | 24 |
MAYHEW | FLORA S |
|
|
|
MAYHEW | MARY E | 21 SEP 1834 | 8 SEP 1904 | 26 |
MAYHEW | WILLIAM C | 2 NOV 1932 | 3 MAY 1890 | 25 |
MCCORMICK | JACKIE RAY | 11 MAR 1939 | 11 MAR 1939 | 1 |
MOORE | J. L. | 21 JAN 1925 | 20 NOV 1999 | 64 |
MOORE | REBECCA J | 15 MAR 1937 |
| 64 |
REEVES | CHARLES EDWARD |
|
| 95 |
REEVES | LULA M | 1894 | 1955 | 95 |
SEXTON | CATHERINE |
| 7 JUN 1893 | 17 |
SEXTON | ERNEST O | 20 MAR 1920 | 10 JAN 1986 | 39 |
SEXTON | EVERET | 8 JAN 1905 | 17 JUN 1905 | 85 |
SEXTON | FRANK | 6 MAR 1904 | 22 JAN 1935 | 29 |
SEXTON | HAROLD |
|
| 98 |
SEXTON | HENRY POWELL | 1892 | 1974 | 38 |
SEXTON | HOPIE M | 9 MAR 1910 | 30 JUN 1930 | 82 |
SEXTON | HOWARD | 1 MAY 1922 | 20 JUN 2002 | 62 |
SEXTON | JASPER N | 15 JAN 1869 | 10 NOV 1967 | 83 |
SEXTON | KENNETH "HOP" | 1926 | 1989 | 81 |
SEXTON | KENNETH E | 25 NOV 1926 | 19 OCT 1989 | 75 |
SEXTON | MARIAM L | 1 APR 1878 | 17 MAR 1930 | 83 |
SEXTON | MARK | 2 JAN 1812 | 22 OCT 1877 | 16 |
SEXTON | NELLIE G | 1898 | 1962 | 38 |
SEXTON | r NORMAN | 30 NOV 1899 | 8 NOV 1921 | 84 |
SEXTON | WILLA |
|
|
|
SEXTON | WIRT ELAM | 18 JUL 1918 | 4 NOV 1997 | 83 |
SHEPHERD | DORIS | 25 AUG 1953 | 25 AUG 2000 | 63 |
SHEPHERD | JOHN |
|
| 63 |
SHEPHERD | WILLIAM R | 10 JAN 1941 | 11 OCT 1970 | 48 |
SMITH | CLYDE JR | 11 JUL 1927 | 23 MAR 1930 | 65 |
SMITH | CYNTHIA | 1901 | 1994 | 64 |
SMITH | JAMES RICHARD | 21 DEC 1924 | 25 JUN 1988 | 64 |
SMITH | LEWIS DEWEY | 5 MAR 1899 | 9 OCT 1977 | 64 |
SPARKS |
|
|
|
|
SPARKS | DAVE | 1898 | 1966 | 46 |
SPARKS | FRANKLIN D | 20 MAR 1942 | 23 FEB 1969 | 45 |
SPARKS | NORA | 20 JUL 1902 |
| 46 |
STANLEY | CLARENCE | 24 MAR 1922 | 8 JUN 1966 | 61 |
STANLEY | DWIGHT M | 29 AUG 1884 | 14 SEP 1904 | 41 |
STANLEY | GEORGE J | 28 JUL 1895 | 19 DEC 1973 | 61 |
STANLEY | J. B. | 31 MAR 1858 | 25 OCT 1939 | 40 |
STANLEY | JOE | 1890 | 1940 | 62 |
STANLEY | MARGARET E | 7 SEP 1895 | 30 JAN 1961 | 61 |
STANLEY | MYRTLE | 1892 | 1981 | 62 |
STANLEY | SUSAN | 18 MAR 1856 | 30 OCT 1908 | 40 |
STEWART | ISABELLA A |
| 23 OCT 1871 | 55 |
STEWART | PAULINE | 11 nOV 1922 | 23 SEP 2002 | 77 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 35 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 59 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 58 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 36 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 18 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 21 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 19 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 15 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 14 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 23 |
UNKNOWN |
|
|
| 20 |
VANNATTER | BERT | 7 MAR 1917 |
| 49 |
VANNATTER | DOROTHY | 22 JUN 1924 | 9 MAR 1984 | 49 |
VANNATTER | GARY EDWARD | 18 FEB 1941 | 23 JUN 1968 | 47 |
VANNATTER | WILLIAM LEONARD | 23 JUN 1942 | 24 DEC 1970 | 50 |
WOOTEN | BEATRICE | 3 JUN 1897 | 1 APR 1950 | 3 |
WOOTEN | EVERETT | 1890 | 1973 | 2 |
WOOTEN | J. C. | 19 JUN 1918 | 27 SEP 1920 | 4 |
WORKMAN | INES | 21 APR 1900 | 12 OCT 1933 | 91 |
WORKMAN | INFANT |
|
| 91 |
| |
|
| 76 |
|
|
|
| 76 |