Deem's History of Butler County Missouri by David Bruce Deem, Probate Judge, Butler County, MO THE KEARBEY FAMILY THE Kearbey family of the Cane Creek district is one of the pioneer families of the county having celebrated its hundredth anniversary as residents of Butler county in 1938. Joel Jasper Kearbey was born in 1835, one of 10 children in the family of Thomas Lee and Nancy Scott Kearbey, who lived near Nashville, Tennessee. Their parents came to North Carolina from England and Thomas later moved with his bride to Tennessee. Deciding to move farther westward, a few years later, they loaded their household possessions into a wagon and headed for North Missouri when Joel was 3 years of age. On their way they stopped in the Halloran settlement of West Butler county to camp for a few weeks. During this time another son , Francis, was born. Several months later Thomas decided to remain in the west section of the county and put in his claim for a large tract of land paying the government twenty-five cents an acre. He erected a home near Ten Mile creek, a beautiful location in a fertile farming section about 15 miles west of Poplar Bluff. There were no public schools when the Kearbey children became of school age and Thomas Lee and a few other settlers in the community made up a subscription school each donating his share to hire a teacher during the winter months. Classes were held in the home but later churches were built and school classes were conducted at the church house. During the gold rush of 1849, Joel Jasper Kearbey left his father's home and accompanied two of his brother, Lafayette died in the west and Joel and Rosen returned after two years coming up the Mississippi river from New Orleans to Cape Girardeau and walking home from there. Joel Jasper Kearbey was married in 1861 to Miss Rebecca Ann Nance, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. John Nance who resided in the northern part of the county. The bride and groom made their home on Cane Creek where the Halloran school now stands. The elder Kearbey had given each of the children a large tract at the time of his marriage. He served a three year term on the Cane Creek school board and was one of the faithful religious leaders in the district. In 1875 a heavy rain on the upper part of the creek flooded the home and washed all the fences and buildings away with the exception of the barn. In 1880 the Kearbey Chapel was erected near the original homestead but it burned several years ago and has never been replaced. The Kearbey cemetery, started upon the completion of the chapel, is still maintained and carries the Kearbey name. The same year the J. J. Kearbey family moved to the district near where the Cane Creek school now stands. After several months they bought a 40 acre tract east of the school. Life was not easy, even for the second generation of the family. Supplies had to be brought from Cape Girardeau or Ironton by ox team about once a month. Joel Kearbey erected the Good Hope Methodist church near the Sparkman cemetery and, at all times, was considered a progressive farmer and an outstanding churchman. Children born to Mr. And Mrs. Joel Jasper Kearbey were Joel E., Nancy Jane Sparkman, Elizabeth Ellen Craft, Saphronia Caldwell, Isaac Miller, William Henry, James Anthony and John Wesley. All of the children of the Joel Kearbey family have made their homes in Butler county. The five brothers own farms within three miles of each other and have reared their families in the Cane Creek district. Joel E. Kearbey married Parthenia Spurlock and bought a farm of 160 acres cast of the Cane Creek school. He served on the school board several years ago and has been a leader in community affairs. His children are Mrs. Hettie Hedspeth of near Williamsville; Mrs. Ruby Scott who lives near Kearbey Chapel; Mrs. Agnes Cox of Marion, Illinois; Mrs. May McGoldrick of St. Louis; Tom who works in a Detroit auto plant; Carl, a farmer residing north of the Cane Creek school; Robert, bookkeeper at the Allen-Garner Chevrolet Company in Poplar Bluff and Chester, manager of the Bramur D-X service station in Poplar Bluff. Nancy Jane married Perry Sparkman and lives on a 160 acre Cane Creek farm. Their children are Elizabeth, wife of John Henson who lives nine miles south of Poplar Bluff; William Sparkman, Poplar Bluff carpenter; Jesse, Central States Insurance representative in Poplar Bluff and Albert, a Springfield,, Mo., salesman. Elizabeth Ellen married William Craft and their children are Mrs. Fannie Penney of St. Louis; Joseph, a Granite City, Ill., steel worker and Schwanner Craft of Poplar Bluff. I. M. Kearbey married Rosaline Eskew Stromatt. Following her death he married Hattie Davies and in 1891, bought 160 acres south and west of highway 60 west of Poplar Bluff. He has served on the Cane Creek school board for 30 years and had held all offices in the Good Hope camp of the Modern Woodmen lodge. In recent years he had devoted his time to his 14 acres orchard turning over the major part of his farm work to hired hands. Saphronia Kearbey married M. D. Caldwell. Their children are Roy Caldwell of Poplar Bluff and Myrtle C. Shell who resides at the family home. W. H. Kearbey married Velda Scott and lives on a 40 acre farm west of the Cane Creek bridge on highway 60. Their children are Mrs. Ruth Lampkin of near Bay Springs; Mrs. Alta Campbell who lives on the old Military and Doniphan road west of Cane creek; Mrs. Lattie Warbington who lives across highway 67 from the headquarters of Troop E of the State Highway Patrol; Mrs. Lucille Godwin who lives on a Cane Creek farm; Earl of Poplar Bluff and Irvin who lives at home and operates a filling station on highway 60 west. W. H. Kearbey had also been a member of the Cane Creek school board for many years and has been active in the Farm Bureau serving as secretary- treasurer for 20 years. He was a road overseer in Epps township for 20 years and was a deputy when Phil Kearbey was sheriff of the county. He was Sentinel of the Modern Woodmen in 1904 and is now a member of the Farm Bureau mill committee. J. A. Kearbey married Mary Guffey and lives on a 40 acre farm near the Caldwll place on Cane Creek. Their children are Leo, who owns a farm near his father's home; Mrs. Bertie Parson of near Beaver Dam; James who lives at home and Mrs. Thelma Mayo who lives near her father's home. J. A. Kearbey is a member of the Good Hope camp of Modern Woodmen and has served on the Cane Creek school board. He was collector and assessor in Epps township before the present system was placed in effect and now is clerk of the Sparkman Cemetery Association. John W. Kearbey married Blondie Burkeen. They live on a 160 acre farm one mile south of the Cane Creek bridge. Children of Mr. And Mrs. J. W. Kearbey are William and Douglas, Butler county farmers and Mrs. Myrtle Peters of Detroit, Michigan. All five of the KEarbey brothers have been life long members of the Methodist church.