The Sparks Family: Whispers from the Grave; Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky

 

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

David Sparks was born 12 March 1898 in Elliott County, Kentucky.  He was the son of Reuben and Dovie Whitt Sparks per his obit and marriage license. The 1900 for Little Fork of Elliott County says his mother is Lina born May 1872.

David married Nora Gallion 1 September 1917 in Carter County, Kentucky.  When they married David was working as a rail roader.  David farmed on Durbin for many years.

 Nora Gallion was born 20 July 1902 in Boyd County the daughter of Thomas Al and Belle Stanley Gallion.  David and Nora had fourteen children.  David died 10 April 196.  Nora died 2 November 1972.  Both David and Nora’s funeral service were held at Cyrus Chapel on Durbin.  Nora’s death date was never carved on her stone.

Son, Franklin Douglas Sparks was the youngest son of David and Nora.   Born 20 March 1942 on Durbin, he died in Frankfort 23 February 1969.  The funeral service was also conducted at Cyrus Chapel.

Son, William “Bill” Sparks was born 8 June 1936 in Cyrus Hollow of Boyd County.  He was a processor at Kraft Poultry Farm and was a member of Cyrus Chapel.   He lived with another brother on Durban at the time of his death.  The Durbin volunteer fire department donated money for his funeral.  A simple wooden cross was placed at his grave.  As trustees we later made a flat cement marker placed at the head of the grave.

Gallion Family. Whispers from the Grave; Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky

 

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 2^nd 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.

 

 

 

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[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

David Wayne Fugate. Whispers from the Grave; Klaiber Cemetery, Boyd County, Kentucky

 

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber 2023

 

Catlettsburg has been dubbed with several nicknames including Gate City (because of flood walls) and Cow Town (because of the stock yard that was there for many years). The residents of Catlettsburg, Boyd County, Kentucky are a tight knit group of caring people.  Many folks already had Halloween decorations hanging outside and the weather was fair when tragedy struck Gate City, October 1966.

A terrible house fire occurred on the 26 October 1966 on Center Street [i]in Catlettsburg. The house was owned by Damron’s and rented to Ethmon and Juanita Sparks Fugate along with their eight children.  The local newspaper[ii]  published the tale the following morning, after the death of the youngest child David Wayne Fugate.

Eldest son, Simeon Thomas (age 20) had taken a gasoline can into the bathroom to clean (we assume to remove oil or paint), stepped into the tub, when another child knocked over the can which promptly ignited. He got out of the tub, grabbed the child and immediately ran from the house. All others, at home, including the owner, Damron, escaped but the home was gutted. 

David Wayne Fugute, the tiniest member of the family, was born 29 April 1965[iii] in Boyd County.  He was just eighteen months old.  A little angel.  There are several inconsistencies in the news article, including the various ages of the other children.  One blaring error is that Martha Klaiber Cox was a sister.  She was in fact a close friend and distant relative of David’s grandmother Nora Gallion Sparks.  At the time Cox was working in the county clerk’s office at the courthouse and was probably with her when the newspaper was trying to get an interview.  The Fugate family, did in fact have a little girl Martha (born 1948).

The article also states that David Wayne Fugate died from the burns he received.  But another sister, Darlene, then only four, wrote me in 2004 stating that he “hid and they could not find him.”  She goes on to say “I was only 4 when our house burnt and David was lost. David did not die from the burns, but his lungs gave out.”  No matter the circumstances, the little tyke, had been taken from them.

David Wayne Fugate was named for his grandfather Dave Sparks.  David born 12 March 1898 in Elliott County, Kentucky had married Nora Gallion[iv] in 1917.  Dave had died 10 April 1966, after a two-day illness, and was buried in Klaiber Cemetery where Gallion and Sexton’s  also were laid to rest. Little David Wayne Fugate was buried in Klaiber Cemetery.

 

 

Mother, Juanita Sparks Fugate[v] moved to George County, Mississippi and was living with daughter Darlene when she died 19 January 2016.  She was brought back to Kentucky and is buried next to her forever baby, David Wayne Fugate.

 

 

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[i] 2213 Center Street

[ii] Ashland Daily 27 Oct 1966 front page

[iii] KY Birth cert vol 0336 certificate 17672

[iv] Nora d/p Thomas Allen Gallion and Belle Stanley; gg of Thomas Alias Sexton Gallion

[v] Mississippi State Dept of Health cert 2016 04123