Compiled by Teresa
Martin Klaiber 2023
Hiram P. “Boss”
Gallion
was born 14 February 1827 in Floyd County, Kentucky, the son of Thomas alias
Sexton Gallion and wife Ruth Watson.
Thomas
and Ruth were married 1 July 1820 in Floyd County. Thomas was already utilizing the surname
Gallion but did not change it legally until 11 January 1845[i]
in Carter County, Kentucky. Thomas sold
fifty acres on the Licking in Floyd County in November 1831[ii]. He and the family were living on Lost Fork of
Lawrence County, Kentucky in the 1830’s.
The family had nine children including Hiram. By the 1850’s Thomas and family had settled
on Williams Creek, Carter County, Kentucky.
Hiram
married Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Sutton sometime prior to 1849, in their early
twenties. By 1850 Hiram and Elizabeth
with baby Larkin were residing next to Mark (Marcus) Sexton and wife Catherine
Sexton in what was then Carter County.
The 1860 census shows them next to Sarah Howe and son Philip which
places them on Garner. Both Hiram and a
brother Jonathan appear on the Carter County Militia list for 1860.
In
December 1865 the first court order, on Garner, of newly created Boyd County,
ordered Hiram to develop a road following the creek into Carter County[iii]. This path is now known as Long Branch Road,
and at one time was called Poor House Road. The road never became more than a
mule path, after crossing the Carter County line to Denton. Today the road is a
dead end.
Hiram
and siblings were cited in a court action involving William L. Geiger,
September 1877, concerning two tracts of land of Thomas Gallion, deceased and
his 2nd wife Amanda McGuire Gallion[iv].
Thomas and family had settled on Williams Creek, Carter County where he died in
1871. Geiger, known for extending loans
ended up with the land.
Hiram P. Gallion died 2 November 1890
and was laid to rest in Klaiber Cemetery.
At the time the property surrounding the cemetery was owned by first
cousin Henry Powell Sexton, son of Marcus Sexton, mentioned above. The grave of Hiram is south of Mark and
Catherine Sexton’s graves and there is a field stone next that could possibly
be his wife.
Hiram
and Elizabeth Sutton Gallion’s son Thomas
“Allen” Gallion was born 17 March
1863 in Boyd County. He married 24
January 1892 Bell Stanley the daughter of James R. Stanley.
When Thomas died, 18 September 1911, the death certificate calls him “Alfred” and
says he is buried in Sexton Cemetery. Most
of the time he goes by Allen[v]
and the certificate seems to be a recording error as Allen did have an uncle
Alfred who died in 1918. Thomas A.
Gallion died from an accidental fall of slate in one of the local mines.[vi] After extensive research in both cemeteries
this compiler believes that Thomas Allen Gallion and Belle Stanley Gallion are
both in unmarked or field stone markers in the Gallion area of Klaiber
Cemetery. After her husband died, Belle
remarried to John Millard Jobe in 1914[vii]. She died 24 December 1923 and her death
certificate states she was buried on Garner.[viii]
Thomas
Allen and Belle were parents of six children. Mary Mae Gallion married Leonard
L. Enyart and died 4 November 1973 and is buried in Klaiber Cemetery.
Goldie Gallion daughter of Thomas
Allen and Belle was born 28 March 1896, died 30 April 1896 and is buried in
Klaiber Cemetery.
Nellie Florence, daughter of Thomas
Allen and Belle married Henry Powell Sexton III 24 Dec 1913 in Boyd County.
Nellie died 25 September 1962 and is buried in Klaiber Cemetery.
Nora daughter of Thomas
Allen and Belle Stanley Gallion married Dave Sparks 1 September 1917 in Carter
County. Nora died 2 November 1972 and is
buried in Klaiber Cemetery.
William Henry Gallion, son of Hiram and
Elizabeth “Betty” Sutton Gallion was born 15 November 1855 in Carter
County. He married 24 October 1882
Elizabeth Pennington, in Carter County.
By 1920 William was residing on Williams Creek. William Henry Gallion
died 17 August 1920 at Music, Carter County.
Informant was James Sexton and burial simply says “Garner, KY.”[ix] He is buried in Klaiber Cemetery. Wife, Elizabeth
Pennington Gallion died in May 1932 and was buried at Denton, Carter County,
Kentucky.
There
are three field stone infant graves that have been verbally said to be a
Clarence, Emma, and unknown Gallion baby marked on the map as 11, 11A and
11b. To date there is no indication or
document to verify these infants. Gertrude
“Gertie Gallion the daughter of Thomas Allen and Belle Stanley Gallion
married George Washington Stapleton.
They had an infant son, stillborn Stapleton, 9 May 1922. The death
certificate for this infant says “Sexton Cemetery.” There are Stapleton’s and Sexton’s also in
Sexton Cemetery on Pigeon Roost. If any
family members can shed light on any of the unidentified graves in Klaiber
Cemetery please feel free to message the compiler.
[i]
KY, Legislative Act Chapter 45…section 2 that the name of Thomas Sexton of
Carter County be and same is hereby changed to Thomas Gallion…act signed 20
Jan. 1852.
[ii]
Floyd Dbk F p 28
[iii]
KY Boyd Ct Order P 272
[iv]
KY Carter dbk H p 40
[v]
Thomas Allen had a uncle Alfred who
married Arminda McBrayer and died in 1918 and is buried in Hall Cemetery at
Norton’s Branch.
[vi]
KY D cert 22612, 1911.
[vii]
KY Carter M 26 Feb 1914
[viii]
KY D cert 29604
[ix]
KY D cert 19810
