This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the February 9, 2012 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

          Spring seems nearer this week as we have enjoyed some mild temperatures and a lot of sunshine!  We have been discussing early settlers of our area and noting how some surnames grew in number down through the years as descendants continued to live in the area.  It has also brought questions to mind as to where some of the early settlers may have been buried. 

          We have had one writer who has inquired several times as to the burial site of Newton P. “Newt” Howard who was born in 1890 and died in 1960. His wife was Ida Howard.  If anyone can help here, it would be appreciated.

          Another query concerned the Keetons.  Back in our earlier days I copied several Keeton cemeteries.  One I believe is located at the junction of 1081 and 3333. This is where Sam Keeton b. 1858, Bill Keeton, George Keeton and Charlie Wilson b. 1865 were buried. 

          There is another cemetery located near the mouth of Negro Branch on Rt. 33 that contains 30 or more graves.  The Keeton’s in this cemetery were Flora Keeton b. 1880 d. 1886, William Keeton b. 1852, Lourane Keeton b. 1865, George Keeton b. 1867 and Sam Keeton b. 1868. 

This next cemetery is now referred to as the Lykins Cemetery and is close by but the two cemeteries do not join.  Here I found John Lykins b. 1812, wife Jane Lykins b. 1817 and 30 or more unidentified graves.

A Sam Keeton b. 1871 d. 1944 who married Lula Gardner b. 1877 is buried in the John Cooper Cemetery at the Mouth of Buffalo. This is the Sam who is referred to as the “older” Sam Keeton.

I’ve pondered on the burial site of Archibald Rudd, the progenitor of all the Rudd’s in our area.  I’ve suspected it to be on the ridge opposite the old Samaria Church on the Left Fork of Johnson because a descendant, H. G. “Green” Rudd owned land near the mouth of that hollow.  This old cemetery has many field stones with no visible readings and it is close to the Breathitt County line, so I’m told.

Archibald Rudd, Jr. was a Civil War soldier.  He was born in 1830 and died in 1907. His wife was Nancy Jane King.  He is interred on Turkey Branch of the Purcell Fork of Johnson’s Fork.

There is a Whitt Cemetery near the mouth of Brushy Fork of Lick Creek and in an abandoned condition.  Back in 1978 my daughter Abbie and I copied it. At that time we found 15 readable Whitt monuments and 35 or more unidentified graves. It appeared abandoned at that time.

Nehemiah Crace (sometimes he is called “Nemi” or “Demar”) is buried on Tick Lick opposite the home of Sammie Lemaster.  There was a post office named Nehemiah which was relocated and renamed Wheelersburg.

The A. H. Howard Cemetery located on the Jones Branch right here in lower Salyersville is in a deserted condition.

The Jackson/Helton Cemetery on Mash Fork was moved uphill when the new Route 460 was constructed. The graves were marked with small metal markers that have now rusted away.  The GPS reading is N-37-45-85, W-082-59-011, elevation 1147.

Another abandoned cemetery is the Picklesimer Cemetery located on Goose Creek.  Willie, Irvin and Liddie Picklesimer are all buried there.

Malvana Helton who was born about 1845/48 and married in 1860 to William T. Penix is said to be buried on Mash Fork in the Viney Branch on either the Brock Caudill or the Powell Prater Branch.  I haven’t found the gravesite yet.  Wm. T. Penix left Viney and went to Ohio where he married a Montgomery.

Another important gravesite that I yearn to find would be that of “Aunt” Chaney Caudill who was a lady of color, once a servant in the household of Rev. Benjamin Caudill and Abigail Pennington.  I have been told the family story of her preparing extra sweetbread for my grandmother Abbie’s children when they visited.