Isabelle Alice Stewart: Whispers from the Grave; Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky

 

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

Isabelle A. Stewart was born 20 December 1863, the daughter of Alfred aka Allen Stewart and wife Sarah Elizabeth Hood.   

Alfred C. Stewart married 1 January 1863 Sarah Elizabeth Hood in Boyd County, Kentucky.  They were married by Bryant Fannin at William P. Hood’s home here on Garner.   William P. Hood and wife Matilda Howe were Sarah’s parents.   

Shortly before Isabelle’s birth Alfred joined the 40^th Kentucky Infantry (Union) at Lexington, Kentucky on 1^st of December.   Alfred was the son of Andrew Stewart and Rachel Cook who lived at Mount Savage, Carter County, Kentucky.  Alfred was shot while on duty and died of his wounds 23 December 1864.

Isabelle’s mother Sarah Elizabeth Hood Stewart next married James W. Howe on 29 October 1865.  Howe, son of Geprge W Howe and Sarah Fannin Howe, had been captured and served six months in Andersonville Prison before returning home.   In May 1866 the courts appointed Isabelle’s step father as her legal guardian. James R. McBrayer acted as surety.  One anomaly appears on the court order. Her deceased father is listed as Allen Stewart instead of Alfred as shown in all other known records[i].

Isabelle appears, in July, 1870 on the census with her step father and mother listing her age as six.  The family is living on Garner.[ii] Fifteen months, later on 23 October 1871 Isabelle Alice Stewart died.   At this writing the compiler does not know the cause of her death.

Her burial in Klaiber Cemetery is thought to be one of the earliest if not the first burial in what today is Klaiber Cemetery.  Her grandfather William Pickett Hood and her step father’s mother Sarah Fannin Howe both were buried in Klaiber cemetery two years later in 1874.

 

 

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[i] KY Boyd CT Order roll 344012 page 293

[ii] Note a title search shows this was a portion of what is owned by this compiler and her husband.  The MT Hilton survey dated April 1879 shows James Howe fields next to Philip Howe’s property with a marked house thought to be the cabin that sits behind the authors home today.  The Hilton survey can be found at the Boyd County Public Library and the item is marked as B-6.

Thomas P. Jordan and Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Arden Jordan: Whispers from the Grave; Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky

 

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber 2023

 

Thomas P. Jordan was born between May 1868 (1900 census) and  Feb 1871 (d cert) in Lawrence County, Kentucky.  His tombstone says he was born in 1870.  He was the son of Absalom and Julia Ann Coburn Jordan[i].  His maternal great grandparents were Micajah and Eleanor Clay Brumfield[ii].

Thomas married Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Arden, 25 September 1892 in Lawrence County, Kentucky.  The family settled near Willard in Carter County, Kentucky.   By 1910 they are listed at Maddox. 

On 29 August 1925 the Jordan’s purchased a portion of the land now owned by the compiler and her husband.  The Jordan’s purchased the tract of 26 + acres from John Allen and Eula Bolt Hazlett[iii].   This portion of the land includes the original one room log home which was improved and the compiler’s husband grew up in. You can read The Log Cabin Heritage at Deliverance farm by clicking here.

Thomas and Betty were residing on the property in 1930 along with their youngest daughter’s Thelma and Dorothy. The Jordan’s took out a mortgage with the Federal Land Bank in Louisville and on 28 September 1932, with a transfer of $1.00, their son William Estill “E. W.” Jordan became the owner, taking over the loan. The deed reserved the right of Thomas and Elizabeth to live on the premises during they joint lives and the survivor “may” occupy the same until their death as well.  The road was called Poor House Road during this time frame. The county changed the name to Long Branch Road at a later date. 

On 16 January 1940 Mary Elizabeth Arden Jordan died of a cerebral hemorrhage[iv]. “Betty” was the daughter of Andrew Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor Arden, both born in Virginia.  She was buried in Klaiber Cemetery 18 January 1940.  Their son Hillman Bayes Jordan, (written about in a previous blog), was buried in Klaiber Cemetery August 1931. 

The 1940 census was taken in April after Betty’s death.  Thomas is shown on Poor House Road along with daughter Hermia and son-in-law Billy Fannin and children. Daughter Goldie and husband John D Fannin live in the next residence, beside James M and Julina (Sexton) Klaiber.

Eight months after Mary Elizabeth Arden Jordan’s death, Thomas P. Jordan married Elma DeVore Davidson 23 September 1940 in Greenup County, Kentucky[v]. He was 72 years old.  Thomas Jordan made another deed, with E. W. and wife Ethel Jordan, in Boyd County on 6 August 1941 stating that Elizabeth died intestate (without a will) and that T. P. Jordan has now remarried, Elma (as spelled).

The marriage with Elma was not without drama[vi].  An article appears in the Portsmouth Times on charges of Bigamy 5 Oct 1941, Greenup County: Mrs. Alma (as spelled) Jordan 48 was arraigned today before Judge Jacob Fisher on a charge of bigamy filed by her husband Thomas Jordan who claimed that he married her in Greenup September 23, 1940 and that she was already married at the time. The charge was dismissed by Judge Fisher on grounds of insufficient evidence.”

Thomas and Alma/Elma seem to have resolved their differences.  They were remarried in Lawrence County, Ohio 22 October 1946.  The license states that he resides at Ponds Run, Ohio and is divorced.   Elma age 56 as of 14 January was born in Bluefield, Wet Virginia, daughter of James and Maxine Sayra Devour and is also divorced.[vii]  Thomas is now 78 years old.

Estill William Jordan, son of Thomas and Betty Jordan was an accountant for Pure Milk Company, on Carter Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky.

 

On November 25 1944 Estill William and his wife sold the 26+ acres to John Henry and Elsie Ellis Rucker Klaiber[viii].  This was during a period when Klaiber was purchasing the partitioned lands of his grandfather along Poor House Road. John Henry was a great-great grandson of Micajah and Eleanor Clay Brumfield thus had “family ties” to the Jordan’s.  His maternal uncle Jasper Newton Sexton had previously resided in the cabin. 

 

The log home with improvements 1940’s, Long Branch Road, Rush, KY

 

Thomas P. Jordan and, the widow of his brother David Taylor Jordan, Anna Jordan were living in Nile Township, Scioto County in 1950 along with Roy L. Jordan age 44, single.  Anna is widowed and Thomas P. Jordan is marked as separated.    The census margin reads “proceeding north from US 52 on Main on Left fork of Pond Run.” 

John and Elsie remained on the farm, on Long Branch Road, living in the house, they purchased from Jordan’s, with several remodels, during their lifetime.  Elsie called the original portion that was the one room log home her parlor, where she played hostess to guests.  Their only son James David Klaiber grew to adulthood on the farm. 

Thomas P. Jordan died in 11 July 1951 in General Hospital, Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio. The information for his death certificate was provided by daughter Goldie Jordan Fannin.  The certificate states that his usual residence was Boyd County, Kentucky. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage and was buried in Klaiber Cemetery in Boyd County, Kentucky on the 13^th.[ix]

The compiler always welcomes additional information to keep with the cemetery records books.

 

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[i] Absolom and Juilia m 6 Jan 1860 Carter County, KY

[ii] Micajah Brumfield and Eleanor Clay m 15 Feb 1802 in Tazewell Co., VA

[iii] The Hazlett’s held title for five years

[iv] KY Vital Death Cert 158 Elizabeth Arden Jordan

[v] KY Grnp M bk 82 page 382 Thos gives his age as 69 she age 45, both reside at Rush, KY

[vi] Alma had married Boyd Adkins 28 Sep 1933 In Law Co OH as Elma Johnson

[vii] OH Law M cert 31988 volume 45

[viii] KY Boyd dbk 192-355

[ix] Oh Vital, Ohio Historical Society, Certificate  44693, volume 13034

Mary Elizabeth Klaiber & John H. Fannin. Whispers from the Grave; Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky

 

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber 2023

This is the only picture the compiler has of Lizzie. Cropped from a family group picture standing behind her older brother James Matthew Klaiber.

Some people never grow old. Mary Elizabeth Klaiber Fannin is forever a young woman in the hearts of family.

Mary Elizabeth Klaiber was born 9 October 1866, on Division Street, in Catlettsburg, Boyd County, Kentucky.  She was the fifth child of immigrant John Andrew Klaiber and wife Mary Ann McBrayer.  She was called Lizzie by family and friends. 

As a child the family moved to Garner[i], in Boyd County.  The pastime for children along Garner, besides farm chores, was wading in the creek to catch crawdads.  Some things make time feel like it stands still, as this compiler can still watch children drawn to the low water crossing to play in the creek.

Mary Elizabeth did not marry until she was twenty-five. Lizzie married John H. Fannin, 15 December 1891.  The couple were married in Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio.  Lizzie had five children between 1891 and 1897, all born on Garner, Boyd County[ii]. Three survived.  Lizzie died at the age of thirty-two on 31 January 1899 after a snow hit most of Kentucky the day before.   For many year’s horses sledded coffin’s up the hill for burial in Klaiber Cemetery where Lizzie was laid to rest.

 

John H. Fannin was born 17 December 1859 in what was then Carter County, Kentucky.  He was the son of Lindsey and Samantha Jane Prichard Fannin.  After Lizzie’s death John settled in with his brother-in-law, George W. Workman and sister, Mary Reed Fannin Workman.  His mother also lived with them along with John’s three children.   They lived up a tiny hollow, across from Klaiber Cemetery[iii].

On 1 August 1903 John remarried to Cora Stanley.  Cora was the daughter of John Stanley and Sarah Sexton.   In 1893, her mother, Sarah, had remarried to Arch Johnson and Cora sometimes utilized her step-father’s surname.  The couple married in Hocking County, Ohio but came back to Garner, Boyd County, Kentucky to reside.  Together John and Cora had a daughter Goldia.  They still lived on property behind James Matthew Klaiber and his family in the Sexton/Klaiber two story log home.

John made a trip to Scioto County, Ohio to visit his married daughter, Kathryn “Kate” Fannin McCormick in April 1914.  The Big Sandy News reported that “he was feeling very well. On arriving at the home he sat down in the chair saying that he felt rather tired. Suddenly he became faint and died almost immediately.”  He died in Green Township, Scioto County, on the 10^th from aortic insufficiency.  His son-in-law Vinton McCormick provided the information for the death certificate.[iv] 

The death certificate says that he was returned to Rush, Kentucky for burial on the 12^th of April.  Rush, was the hub of the area, complete with train depot and a post office. The road from Rush leads to first Pigeon Roost and then what is now called Long Branch Road.  John’s father died in 1886 and is buried in Sexton Cemetery on Pigeon Roost, which is the ridge north of Long Branch, Garner Creek, and Klaiber Cemetery.  His wife, as stated above, is buried in Klaiber Cemetery on Long Branch where Cora and the children were living. Walking through both cemeteries, it is, in this compiler’s opinion, obvious that John H. Fannin is buried beside his first wife, close to his home, in the area of our cemetery, where there are known unmarked and field stone graves.  It would not be a stretch to believe that Charlotte and Clara Mae Fannin, infant children of John and Lizzie are also buried in the area marked by an arrow, next to the tombstone of Mary Elizabeth Klaiber Fannin.  But please draw your own conclusions, hopefully, until further proof surfaces.

 

 

 

 

 

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[i] Now Long Branch Road, Boyd County, Kentucky

[ii] Charlotte, Clara Mae, Kathryn, Wm Denver, Arthur Elsworth,

[iii] At this writing the lane is called Willow Lane with the property owned by Pierzala.

[iv] Ohio  Vital, Scioto,  21827

"Sawdust, Spangles & Dreams"

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber
October 2010

Genealogists come from all walks of life. Like other fields, genealogists have their own network. Within that network I am known by some through my research business, Family Lineage Investigations; some through genealogy organizations; others recognize me during my time as a staff genealogist for the Boyd Library; or by many simply as the cemetery lady. But I also have another past.

My past is full of wonderful animals, and to borrow from the musical Jumbo, it has had a share of "Sawdust, Spangles & Dreams."

While Eastern Kentucky is well known for the Country Western Highway and music entertainers, our area is rich with other performers as well.

My first memory of a big top was as little more than a toddler when Coles Brothers Circus came to Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky. The canvas went up in the field that would later become Hecks and is now owned by Kings Daughters Hospital behind the famous Bluegrass Grill.

My mother, already friends with many performers, knew no strangers and my father, early in his veterinary practice was already becoming known for his skills with circus animals. While there were no official winter quarters for a given show in Boyd County, for over three decades performers were made welcome in the community by my family. By the time I was in grade school, in the 1950's, our tiny house on Algonquin Avenue already had a trapeze bar, tight wire and trampoline placed in the back yard for performers that wanted to practice.

I was taught how to twirl a baton by performer Rusti Delaney. Trapeze artist Jimmy Lloyd helped me with my roller skates. My first elephant ride was on Burma. I still have a letter in my collection from her keeper Lou Turner who taught me how to properly mount and dismount. Ironically Jimmy Lloyd would later be killed by a rogue elephant [while they are magnificent animals I have a great fear of them but always loved & trusted Burma].

In 1959 George Wolfford did an article for the Ashland Daily Independent titled "Circus Clowns Serve As Baby Sitters For Ashland". I made the newspaper seated between Victor Lewis and Coco the Clown. Under my picture it read "Real Life bedtime Stories - Terry Martin,...enjoys true-to-life bedtime stories read by two honest-to-goodness clowns." In the picture I am holding the latest edition of The Billboard as they look over my shoulder.

Victor Lewis encouraged my fledgling attempts at art. Coco, Michael Polakovs, born 1923 in Rega, Latavia married Hazel Fannin and became a resident of Boyd County, Kentucky. He designed the first Ronald McDonald outfit, headlined with Ringling Brothers and was a member of the Clown Hall of Fame. But to me he was my champion & part of my family. When troubled or in trouble he was always there with his gentle smile. In or out of greasepaint he made me laugh.

He was not my father's brother but they loved each other as such and in the world of sawdust it is an honor to give someone a "family title" which could leave genealogists pondering when doing research. He will always be my "uncle Mike".

The Fannin's have a long history and were pioneers in Lawrence and Boyd County. Hazel is the daughter of Harry F. and Madeline Davis Fannin. Madeline was the great grand daughter of David Davis and wife Catherine Bryson. Her maternal lineage includes John and Elizabeth Chadwick Eastham.

Harry Fannin was the son of George and Emma Lambert Fannin. Michael Polakovs came to America in 1953. He was laid to rest in Rose Hill Cemetery, Ashland, Kentucky in December 2009. He leaves a legacy and wonderful family in Boyd County.

My first "gig" was with Coco and Victor around 1960 when they performed at the Children's Home in Ironton, Ohio. I was supposed to squirt water on Coco as part of the "busy bee" skit. Of course I botched it up which apparently made it all the funnier. I went on to do several more one night stands. I was the stooge for Narbu the guerrilla once. I was not supposed to hit him hard with the purse [as per instructions]. I konked him a good one! Again it apparently brought more laughs.

By the 1960's Ashland Oil was presenting a circus each Christmas for employees and family. The performers found their way to our new home. My parents place was named Jomar [for John and Mary Martin]. It also happens to be the name of the rail car that John and Mary Ringling North used. Today there are many homes on Jomar Road that receive mail with that street address but probably don't know the significance or link to circus heritage.

I was an only child but I felt I had siblings. The Wallenda children, Tino and Delilah Zoppe' spent summers with us. Many years later I would fill in for Tino's wife at a show in New Jersey. No laughs, but I am sure he was glad when it was over. All I had to do was smile, hand him props and "ta da." I think he got all his props ok and can only imagine the description he gave Olinka when he got home!

By the time I was 15 I went on the road for several weeks with Kirby's Chimps. The Kirby's were great and it was a wonderful vacation. I had no duties or cares. When I was 16 I traveled with Clyde Brothers Circus for the summer. This time I had to pull my own weight. The Toth's had a roly poly act and I quickly learned to help with set up. I was given a costume and immediately put in Spec and finale and allowed to carry baby Oggie the Orangatang. He was wonderful and I missed him at the end of the season. I also was given my first real job. Under the tutelage of Gee Gee Engesser Powell I became a hawker of cotton candy. Today, tucked away in my jewelry box, among my treasures, is a small silver disk that she gave me when I left the show. It is engraved "Cotton Candy Queen."

My father would later write Doc, My Tiger's Got An Itch which gives a wonderful overview of life and circus friends. Among his narratives he mentions elephant man "Captain K. Y. Seagraves". He was an elephant trainer with Mills Brothers Circus.

K. Y. Sagraves was born Lonnie Virgil Sagraves 17 December 1920 in Boyd County, Kentucky. His father, James A. Sagraves was a boilermaker in the steel mill at Ashland. His mother was Katie Weaver Sagraves. James and Katie are buried in Dixon Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky. K. Y. died 24 November 1985 in Ashland.

Boyd County has been entertained by the circus for generations. The Boyd County Library Hanner's Photograph Collection contains ads and billboards for several shows including the announcement that the Forepaugh Show with its Wild West would be arriving in Ashland, October 2nd, 1890 by train.

1923 seems to have been an extremely popular year for circus entertainment in Ashland. An ad for Sparks Circus said they would be at the "circus ground" April 11th. Their ad said there were 350 performers, 2 herds of elephants and hundreds of thoroughbred horses. Two months later in June the Haag Show also played Ashland. The following month, July, the L. G. Heth show with 35 double length circus cars also arrived in Ashland. They were followed by the Al. G. Barnes Circus on August 16th. All these shows and later shows were at 35th & Winchester, the same lot that I remember in the early 1950's.

Nor are circus personalities limited to my life time in Boyd County. In the early 1900's many articles were written about the Nichols Brothers. Howard, Clyde, William, Walter and Millard were the sons of Thomas M. Nichols and his wife Lucretia. In 1910 the family is residing in Catlettsburg. Thomas is listed as an electrician and his sons are listed as traveling jugglers. Articles say that they learned to hoop juggle from their father who never did professional appearances. They played the Hippadrome Theatre in New York. After World War I the brothers scattered. Eventually there were three separate acts under the same name. Howard played in different areas of Europe. Millard, Bill, Walter and Millard's wife Birdie May of Ashland made up another act in the New York area while Clyde and his wife played the Chicago area. Thomas M. Nichols [1868-1945] is buried in Ashland Cemetery.

Gee Gee, my father and Coco have all passed away along with so many others. All have touched my life and left memories. And while the circus has evolved "Sawdust, Spangles & Dreams" never die. The Wallenda's carry on the circus tradition. The family friendships continue into new generations. Their children along with my children share pictures of our grandchildren [thanks to Facebook]. Another generation that have dreams and who can enjoy the wonder of the circus with all its sawdust and spangles.

Garner, Boyd County, KY 1923 Diary Entries

Transcribed and annotated by Teresa Martin Klaiber 2010

Diaries come in many shapes and forms. This particular diary is simply one, moth eaten sheet of paper, written in blue ink on the back of a NeedleCraft Magazine form letter.

The author is not cited nor is the year cited. However, with a little sleuthing this compiler has been able to ascertain that the compiler was Julina Leota Sexton Horton Klaiber. Besides the entry that President Harding has died, other entries concerning deaths have been confirmed as 1923 as well.

This flimsy, fragile, tattered sheet is just one of many treasured items discovered in the smoke house on property that has been in the Sexton and Klaiber family for 125 years.

The area is known as Big Garner and over the years the road has had several names including Poor House Fork and finally Long Branch Road. The smoke house and cellar still stand beside the well as a testament of days gone by.

Original entries are in bold. Annotations in brackets.

Jan. 23 Ruth Fannins baby died buried...[Hattie May Fannin daughter of Thomas & Ruth Stapleton Fannin. Buried in Sexton Cemetery on Pigeon Roost, Boyd County, KY. Death certificate 217.]

Feb. 7 School closed.

Feb. 19 Mrs. Fannin died buried the... [Samantha Jane Fannin born 20 June 1839. A widow, died at Coalton and buried at Fannin aka Sexton Cemetery. Death certificate 6755.]

March 3 Lelia [Horton Meeks, daughter of Julina and first husband William Horton] and Wilmont [Meeks son of Lelia] came out home went back. [Went back to Ironton, Lawrence County, OH where resided.]

March 5 Mrs. Lambert died buried 8, Thurs. [Marrieta,as spelled on the death certificate, born September 25, 1848, widowed. Daughter of Aaron and Miriam Eastham Davis. Burial was in Sexton Cemetery. The certificate says the death occurred on the 6th. Certificate 6756.]

March 20 Lizzie Sexton baby borned. [Juanita Catherine daughter of John Milton Sexton and Elizabeth - Lizzie- Mae Klaiber Sexton.]

March 31 Goldia and Mattie were out home.

April 1 Mr. Pinkins died buried Tue 3 [? very difficult to read.]

April 2 Ed Harris died at 5:30 buried -- 5 pm.

--- I did my first washing machine.

April 22 Sunday. Cynthia, Arthur and Martha [Klaiber would later marry 1. Zachary Jones 2. Fred Cox] went to Mrs. --

April 28. Saturday. Nick cat kittens born 3 Sat 12

May 1. Sunday. Martha went to Millards K. [Klaiber] I went to Lelia's.

May 19. Saturday Lelia, Wilmont and myself came home.

May 21. Tuesday. Millard [Klaiber] moved to Detroit.

June 5. Tom Kitten died.

--- Alice Kittens were borned.

June 22 Sunday. Mrs. Selbee died at 4:40. [Kate born 1866 wife of W. R. Selbee, buried in Banfield Cemetery.]

June 24 Lelia and Wilmont came out.

--- School at East View started. Mrs. Te--- [East View located on Garner on RR 854 facing the junction of Jacks Fork.]

---Willa S. baby borned and buried 31. [Willa Sexton. Infant death certificate 19880.]

---Thursday. Uncle Walter Reece, Bird and Paul Ambs were here. Went home from here Aug. 8. [Bird is Virginia the daughter of Walter and Martha Sexton Reece who married Paul Ambs.]

August 3. Friday. President Harding died buried the 10. None Charged.

August 4. Saturday. Gladys baby borned. [Gladys Klaiber married Richard Otworth, baby is Elizabeth Jane.]

August 6. Monday Fred Elzwick baby died buried 7. [Fred Elswick Jr. born at Normal, Boyd County, son of Fred and Melissa Boggs Elswick. Buried at Seed Tick in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Death certificate 19881.]

August 10. Friday. Ollia Church baby born. [The child was Virginia Evans born in Boyd County, certificate 39821. The index spells mother's given name as Ola.]

August 17. The horse fell on me.

--- Monday school began.

September 3. Aunt Miriam, Alle, Frank, Wren, John, Ethel come and we went ---

--- Saturday Goldia and Mattie married.

---Thursday Esther married.

September 17. Wednesday. Mr. John Lambert died buried the 20. [Death certificate states he died on the 18th. He was the son of Cal and Anna Hogan Lambert. Buried in Ashland Cemetery. Death certificate 27172.]

September 19. Friday Mrs. Hubert died buried 21.

September 21. Sunday. Martha Lucas burned died the 22. [Born 23 June1919. Her full name was Martha Edith. The certificate states she died on the 22nd. Her clothing caught fire. She was the daughter of Frank and Nancy Perkins Lucas. Burial was in Klaiber Cemetery.]

On the form letter side there are several entries written over the printed heading which are very hard to read:

--- Lewis Combs got killed. [The tombstone says 1923 with no month or day. A train hit his automobile. He was killed at Frazeysburg, Muskingum County, Ohio November 15, 1923. His usual residence was Columbus, Ohio. The certificate says he was to be buried in Ironton, Ohio. He is buried in Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky.]

---Louise Carmack [??? very hard to read.]

--- Mrs. Kounse died buried 11.

---18. Harry Church

--- [unreadable]

--- [unreadable] Wilmont came out.

--- 24. Mrs. Bell Job died buried 26. Preacher stayed here one night. [Belle Jobe died 24 December 1923. She was born 28 Sep 1872 the daughter of James Stanley and Sarah Clark. She was a widow buried at Garner, Kentucky. Death Certificate 29604. Other siblings of Belle say their mother was a McGuire. Further research is suggested by anyone working on this line.]

END

Julina Leota Sexton Horton Klaiber

The author of this sheet of paper with so much genealogical information, Julina Leota Sexton Horton Klaiber was born 30 June 1877. She was the daughter of Henry Powell Sexton and Julina McCormack. She married 28 October 1896 William Henry Horton and for a short time resided in Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio. Horton died in a gas explosion in the saloon he ran in Ironton. Julina married 2nd James Matthew Klaiber 2 April 1905. She lived for 101 years and died 20 May 1978. She is buried in Klaiber Cemetery on the property where she spent most of her life. Her flowers still grace my gardens.

Garrett Chapel United Methodist Church Records

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber
May 2010

Many years ago cherished friend, Hazel Fannin Polokovs, showed me an early ledger of records for Garrett Chapel Church. Knowing my love of history and all things genealogical Hazel graciously allowed me to make a photo copy which I have kept in Family Lineage Investigations office.

On a recent family visit Hazel said she missed looking at the old ledger because another relative had taken it to another state. I immediately told her I would provide her a copy. Then I began to muse about all the times I have been involved with "lost" records.

There was the time when I worked with New Concord, Ohio Village Council and later published a book of early village records. When publicity went out that I was getting all the available records microfilmed, a package arrived from Florida with the first minute book of the village. A note explained that when a new village hall was erected items from the old building were dumped and this person had salvaged the book. Thrilled that it "came home" it has been microfilmed and is now housed in the archives of Muskingum University.

When I physically moved from Ohio to Kentucky we moved approximately 30 ledger books and diaries that I had purchased at auctions while in Ohio. They were used in my office, some with the intent to possibly publish in the future. But once I became settled I knew they needed to "go home." Those Guernsey, Noble and Muskingum County items were donated to the Guernsey County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society so that anyone with roots in that area will have ready access to them.

I stand firm that records belong where they were created in a safe environment for historical purposes. All of my office records are tagged to go to the Boyd County Public Library, eventually, but now that I am aware that the Garrett Chapel Records are not at home anymore it is a time for action. While the copy that has been in my files is not the highest quality it is still clearly readable. The Garrett Chapel Church ledger has now been created in .pdf format and safely filed at the Boyd County Public Library, Minnie Crawford Winder Genealogy Room. A back up .pdf resides in the office of Family Lineage Investigations on dvd [several backups]. The photocopy has been given to Hazel Fannin Polakovs so that she can continue enjoying reading about our area pioneers.

Garrett Chapel United Methodist Church sits along the side of Route #3 at the corner of Route 3399, 2 miles from the Boyd County line. The church ledger is far from complete. Many of the marriages are just notations that they have married without even the year cited. But still it is a goldmine for research.

The first appointment of a Pastor recorded in the book is for R. F. Rice dated 12 September 1887. He ministered for a year and then was replaced by Isaac Fannin.

The first marriage is for James Taylor and Sophia Savage [no dates] followed by the marriage of George Fannin to Emma Lambert 3 July 1910.

The baptismal and member list contains notations such as "gone to Portsmouth," "gone to West Virginia," and "joined the Morman's." While not listed as Pastors J. C. Crooks, John Martin and J. D. Garrett received several members into the fold. J. D. Garrett is listed in the 1898 Minutes of the Annual Conferences of Methodist Episcopal Church South for Mt. Zion in the Catlettsburg District and John Martin is listed at Grayson also in The Catlettsburg District as ministers.

James and Sarah McGlothlin Buckley were members of the church. The Buckley's and Sarah's parents Robert and Rebecca Correll McGlothlin are laid to rest in Buckley Cemetery on a high point across the road from Garrett Chapel. Wade Chambers married another daughter, Martha, and is listed as a member of the church. Wade "went back into the old sinful world."

David Elswick and his father in law Walter Queen appear side by side with the date 29 February 1896. Because the page is a register of members it is unclear if this is a baptism date or date accepted into the church because the notation for both is in the column of "whom married." None the less from my own research David Wise Elswick [1866-1941] married Laura Adelaide Queen 3 April 1890 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. David's parent's Tolbert Birdwin and Margaret McGlothlin Elswick are also members of the church.

Thomas and Rebecca Elswick Enyart appear in the church register. Thomas and Rebecca are also buried in Buckley Cemetery. William N. Bostick and wife Mary Elswick Bostick are listed. Mary died 3 April 1935 in Cabell County, West Virginia.

Charles Henry and Margaret Reynolds Fannin's daughters all attended Garrett Chapel. Their married names have been scrawled beside their maiden names. Emma Fannin Herald went to Columbus. Lewis P. Fannin's death date is entered as 1909. He is probably the son of John Fannin.

Robert C. Ross states "not baptized. Droped" Robert Crittenden Ross [1861-1931] was the son of John Davis and Martha Jane Leslie Ross. John D. Ross appears on the rolls with the notation of a baptism simply written as '40 [1840]. Much has been written about him as the first judge of Boyd County. He is buried in the J. D. Ross Cemetery, Bolts Fork Road, Boyd County, Kentucky.

Thompson Berry's entry says "d. 1898". Thompson was the son of Hiram and Kizziah Stewart Berry. This entry predates any vital records for our area.

J. S. McCormick [aka McCormack] has an entry stating "lost sight of." John Samuel McCormack lived most of his life around Boyd and Carter County, Kentucky. He is buried in Elijah Rice Cemetery Lawrence County, Kentucky. His wife Sarah Burke McCormack died 6 January 1935 in Carter County, Kentucky and was buried in Elijah Rice Cemetery. Two years later John Samuel died in Lawrence County, Ohio. Is this why they made the notation "lost sight of"? His daughter resided in Ohio.

The membership list is long. The handwriting is easy to read. With some genealogical research one sees that most are related to each other or close neighbors. I have only listed a few entries and comments from the material. The material is now available to be reviewed by anyone doing research in our area at our wonderful genealogical facility. The Boyd County Public Library is located at 1740 Central Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky.