Jimmy S. Childress bought 150 acres of land from Mary Phelps, and G. W. Phelps, December 24, 1895, for $40.
The record of this transaction, and description of the land, can be found in Deed Book #8, page 158, Butler Co.
No mention of a Cemetery is made in this transaction.
Jimmy S. Childress, and his wife Charity, entered into a mortgage agreement with George Blaine Keown, December 29, 1915.
This agreement was found in Mortgage Book W, page 26, in the Butler Co. Courthouse.
The mortgage involved a parcel of land, 75 acres, in Butler Co., which the Childress’s sold to George Blaine Keown.
This parcel of land was bound on the East by James B. Keown, on the South by Peolina Rogers, on the West by the Everett Honaker Farm, and on the North by Eeeline Massey.
This 75 acres is part of the 150 acres bought from Mary Phelps, and G. W. Phelps.
Butler Co. Deed Book 23, page 437, shows a deed made to George Blaine Keown, and his wife Candice, by Jimmy S. Childress, and his wife Charity, September 18, 1916.
Page 438, Butler Co. Deed Book 23, mentions the “Grave Yard”, its location, and dimensions.
It states the Grave Yard is 40 yards square, located on the Peolina Rogers line of said tract.
This is the first mention of the Grave Yard in any transaction involving this parcel of land.
The next mention of the Grave Yard is found in Butler Co. Deed Book 36, page 4.
This involved the sale of tract #3 to George Blaine Keown, by Jimmy S. Childress and his wife Charity.
This tract #3 was a part of the 150 acres bought by Jimmy S. Childress, from Mary Phelps and G. W. Phelps.
Again, this can be found in Butler Co. Deed Book 23, page 437.
In the description of Tract #3, Butler Co. Deed Book 36, page 4, it states the following:
“There is accepted from Tract #3 a Grave Yard 40 yards square, located near the Rogers line”.
This is the second mention of the Grave Yard, and it clearly states that it is not included in the sale of the land, but rather exempt from it.
The next paragraph states:
“To have and to hold these tracts of land, with their appurtenances unto the party of the second part, his heirs, and assigns forever, with General Warranty of title”.
Butler Co. Deed Book 37, page 394, shows a transfer of title of land between George Blaine Keown, and Everett Honaker.
This Indenture was made and entered January 31, 1924, shortly before Everett’s death, by George Blaine Keown, his wife, and Everett Honaker.
Everett paid $2000, cash in hand, for the land, Tract #3 containing 75 acres.
The following is a quote from Butler Co. Deed Book 37, page 394.
Quote:
Bounded on the North by W. E. Honaker, on the East by Ezra Whalin and Lizzie Hays, on the South by Everett Honaker, and the West by James B. Keown and Public Road, to the beginning containing 75 acres, more or less.
This is Tract #3, from deed dated June 30, 1921, recorded in Deed Book 36, page 47. End Quote:
No mention of the Grave Yard is made in this sale to Everett Honaker, 1924, and not further mention is made in subsequent transfers of this land.
From the above records, it is clear that Jimmy S. Childress developed the Grave Yard between 1895, and 1915, when Jimmy sold the land to G. B. Keown.
It is not know how many people are buried in the Grave Yard, but one marker has been identified, Ethen Hays.
A follow up visit to the cemetery site provided the following information.
The Coordinates for the location of this Cemetery are:
37* - 10 minutes- 26 seconds North Latitude, and 86*- 24 minutes- 14 seconds west longitude There are 21 stone markers; two have writing on them, laid out in symmetrical rows, west to East. The south boundary of the cemetery is approximately 150‘from the Minton fence line, south of the fence.
The first stones are about 18‘from the west tree line.
The Cemetery is approximately 25‘ wide, and 30‘ long.
Not to scale;
W
X X X X X
X X X X
X X X X X N
X X X X
X X X
S
