Compiled
by Teresa Martin Klaiber
Lula M. Penix Gallion Reeves was born 3 April 1894 in Greenup
County, Kentucky. She was the daughter
of Ursula Penix. Her father, George W.
Plummer, worked for the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail Road Company and married
Luella Osburn the year after Lula was born.
By the time Lula was seven years old she was living with her
mother in the Jasper Newton and Miriam Lambert Sexton[i]
household, on Garner in Boyd County, Kentucky. They were using Ursula’s maiden name of
Penix. Her mother was working as a servant. Lula was sixteen by 1910 and still living
with the Sexton’s. Also in the household
is Arthur Gallion, working as a servant for the Sexton’s.
Arthur L. Gallion was the son of John and Elizabeth Blankenship
Gallion and grandson of Hiram Gallion, who is buried in Klaiber Cemetery. Arthur married Minti Stewart in 1913 in Carter County,
Kentucky. When He married Lula[ii]
7 April 1917, in Logan County, West Virginia, it says he was a widower.
Lula’s mother, Ursula “Essie” Penix had another child, Lucy
Belle Penix, born about 1901. She and
her mother were living in the Dan Hogan household in 1910, on Garner Road. Ursula
was again working as a household servant. When Lucy Belle married in June 1917 to
Millard Adams, at the age of 16, the record states her father was Tom Miller. One of the subscribing witness, at the
wedding, was William V. Sexton, brother of Jasper Newton Sexton.
Ursula Penix died 11 November 1918 at Lucy Belle Penix Adam’s
home on Oakview in Ashland, Kentucky.
Lucy Belle gave the information for Ursula’s death certificate stating
she did not know the name of Ursula’s parents nor even the birth date for her
mother. Burial was in “Sexton
Cemetery.” The question remains did the
undertaker mean Sexton Cemetery on Pigeon Roost, just one ridge from Klaiber
Cemetery, or was the burial actually in Klaiber Cemetery often called Sexton
Cemetery, at that time? This compiler believes it is an unmarked grave in
Klaiber Cemetery near the Jasper Sexton family plots.
Lula Penix Gallion and Arthur Gallion were divorced before
1930. Lula returned to Boyd County and
the federal census states she is working as a trimmer in a dress factory and is
the “adopted daughter” of Jasper Sexton, living in his household[iii].
This compiler has talked with Jasper’s
daughter Willa, as well as son Harold Lee Sexton, who told me Lula was “just
one of the family”.
Elisha H. Sexton deeded eight acres to Lula Gallion “a single
woman” from the drain of AC&I Coal to an old corner of the old Sexton farm 20 July 1933, in Boyd County,
Kentucky[iv]. Elisha was another brother of Jasper Newton
Sexton, one of eleven children of Henry Powell and Julina McCormack Sexton.
Lula married Charles Edward Reeves 24 June 1938 in Lawrence
County, Ohio.[v] At that time Lula was working as a cook in
Ironton and Charles gave his residence as Logan County, West Virginia and
occupation as engineer.
Charles Edward Reeves was the son of John and Cynthia “Anna”
Stewart Reeves. He was born 8 May 1889 at Denton, Carter County, Kentucky. By
1942 Charles was working on the Fred Ross Farm on Sugar Camp in Boyd County,
Kentucky[vi].
Sugar Camp lays just south of Garner
Road (854) before the curve and turn to Jack’s Fork, a small portion of the
Ross farm. This compiler had the honor
to know Fred Ross as a child and visit that farm many times. His wife was a
guest at our wedding. Lula had sold the eight acres on 27 January to Oscar
McCormack. The deed states “Lula Gallion
Reeves, whose name was Lula Gallion…[vii]” In turn Oscar[viii]
sold the eight acres to Eastern Kentucky Lumber and Development[ix]
within two weeks of the original transaction.[x]
Charles Edward Reeves
died 10 August 1945 at his home at 2032 Front Street in Ashland, Kentucky 10
August 1945 of carcinoma of the lungs.
Lula was the informant on the death certificate[xi]
and place of burial is sited as Sexton Cemetery another aka for Klaiber
Cemetery. The Ashland Daily Independent said he had been ill eleven months
and gave his occupation as civil engineer working for Moore Branch Coal
Company. “The body was removed from
Lazear Funeral home to the home of Jasper Sexton[xii]
on Garner…” There is no stone for
Charles Edward Reeves. He lays to the right which is the south side of Lula.
Lula remained in
Ashland, for a time, working in a restaurant[i]. She died 27 March 1958, on Garner. Willa Sexton was informant for the information
on her death certificate. Only a funeral home metal marker remains
today for Lula. In 1996 the rod had
rusted off and the metal marker was placed in cement to preserve her place of
rest.
[i]
KY, Boyd, 1900 Federal Census; sheet 17
[ii]
WV, Logan M spells Lula maiden name as
Plumley
[iii]
1930 Federal Census, Boyd County, KY house 104-115
[iv]
KY, Boyd dbk 132 p 217
[v] Oh
Law M, fhl film 001574156
[vi]
KY Boyd 1942 Draft Registration
[vii]
KY Boyd dbk 171 p 21
[viii]
James Oscar McCormack b 1883 died 1950 in Boyd Co s/o John Samuel and Sarah
Burke McCormack. Is buried in Ross Cemetery on Jacks Fork, Boyd Co., KY
[ix]
At this writing is a small sliver of land adjoining compilers known as “Company
Land” Eastern KY Development is owned by EB Lowman at this writing.
[x] Ky
Boyd dbk 171 p 21
[xi]
KY D cert 16155 1945
[xii]
Jasper Sexton lived until 1967 and is buried in Klaiber Cemetery
