Keller Cemetery history: Clinton Co. MOGenWeb

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Clinton Co. MOGenWeb

Keller Cemetery History

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Keller Cemetery History

Fig. 1. Mary Keller (deceased) and tombstone of Rollen Hankins (d. Oct 19, 1851, age 52 years)
-- photo credit to Eva Segar 1987

Fig. 2. unknown infant, belonging to a Gypsy family in the late 1800s.
-- photo credit to Eva Segar 1987

Area Cemetery has Gypsy link: Origin traced to a dream

Stewartsville, Mo. --
    In the Keller Cemetery on Highway NN, southwest of Stewartsville, stands a small grave marker with an outline of a dog and the word "Gypsy" inscribed on it. [Fig. 2 above]
    Visitors often gather a the stone and wonder aloud about the grave and what or who might be buried in it.
    "That's not a dog. That's a real Gypsy baby," says Mary Keller, who with Eugene Keller, owns the cemetery.
    The outline of the dog is just for decoration, she said.
    "Gypsies used to camp on the creek south of the cemetery every year. One year in the late 1800s it turned cold. A young gypsy couple put their baby between them at night to keep it warm and it smothered," she said.
    The head of the Gypsy clan was given permission to bury the baby in Keller Cemetery. There is no record of whether the baby was a boy or girl. The Gypsies stopped camping in the area, but sent money for the upkeep of the grave, she said.
    The grave was permanently marked when Eugene Keller poured a cement block.
    "He had a printing set so he just printed "Gypsy" on it, said Mary Keller. Keller family members have decorated the grave regularly over the years she said. [Wiki: Gypsy -- information on various groups]
    Rolin Hankins, former owner of the land where the cemetery is located, dreamed he was walking across his pasture when a storm came up. He took refuge under a tree, but the tree was struck by lightning and he was killed. He told his family about the dream and said he wanted to be buried in the pasture of his dream. When he died in October 1851 the family honored his wishes. The dream, incidently, did not come true, Hankins died of natural causes. [Fig. 1 above]
    C. N. Keller, who came to the area from Ohio on a river boat, bought the farm from the Hankins estate in 1854.
    The farm and the ground the cemetery occupies is now owned by Eugene and Mary Keller, who live. Keller is the grandson of C. N. Keller.
    The cemetery is incorporated and governed by a board.
    The Keller's son, Conner E. "Gene" Keller, is chairman of the board and Mary is secretary and treasurer. Gene does most of the upkeep work and digs some of the graves by hand.
    "NN is a well-traveled road," says Mary Keller, "and often we see strangers looking at the names and dates on the markers.?
Source: Eva Segar, "Area Cemetery has Gypsy link: Origin traced to a dream", St. Joseph, Missouri, Gazette, January 15, 1987. photo credit to Eva Segar.