Clay County Cemetery Records,
Vols. I & II
Source: Ancestry.com
Description:
This collection of cemetery records adds to the growing
number of databases in the "Ellsberry
Collection." The database (and the collection) was
compiled by long-time researcher, school teacher, and
professional genealogist Elizabeth Ellsberry. These
cemetery records contain the name of the deceased and his
or her relatives, birth date, death date, and age, when
given. Researchers may also find notes on some of the
listed graveyards. The database includes more than 3,000
entries.
These records were originally transcribed from
gravestones by volunteers for the Daughters of the
American Revolution. In the 1940s, DAR made an effort to
transcribe as many country graveyards as possible,
including those in Clay County. The findings were
initially published in a Liberty, Missouri newspaper, the
Liberty Tribune.
Extended Description:
Ms. Ellsberry began genealogical publication in 1958,
when she published her own family history, The Warrens
and You. In researching her own family, she found that
libraries needed additional information from cemetery
records, wills, land records, probate records, census
records, etc., to help people with their family history.
Ellsberry decided that she wanted to help by publishing
books that contained solid genealogical data. She taught
school for 34 years, but on weekends and summer vacation,
she would travel around to different courthouses and
cemeteries, recording the information she found. She also
corresponded with several researchers and helped them in
their research. Ellsberry self-published more than 300
books, and most of them are available for sale. Most of
the compilation of these books took place between 1958
and into the 1970s, so the recorded information should
include the cemetery and/or courthouse records of that
time period. Address: Ms. Elizabeth Prather Ellsberry,
P.O. Box 206, Chillicothe, MO 64601
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. Clay County, Missouri Cemetery Records,
Volume I-II. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com,
2001. Original data: Ellsberry, Elizabeth Prather, comp.
Clay County, Missouri Cemetery Records, Volume I-II.
Chillicothe, MO: Elizabeth Prather Ellsberry, 1962.
Newspaper Article - March 21, 1946
Liberty Tribune - Liberty, Missouri
Clay County Inscriptions In D. A. R. Library In
Washington, D. C.
Miss Edna McKinley, chairman of the genealogical records
committee of the Alexander Doniphan chapter of the D. A.
R. has recently received a letter from Mrs. Alexander J.
Berger, national geneological records chairman,
commending her for her work of the past year in securing
the publication of 967 old Clay county tombstone
inscriptions from 37 country graveyards.
Mrs. Berger said, "As soon as time will permit, I
plan to mount the inscriptions and place them in a stiff
back binder and also to prepare an index for the names
appearing on the tombstones. This will then make it
possible to place the recorders on the Missouri shelf of
our National D. A. R. library, and I feel confident it
will prove helpful to many desiring information on Clay
county ancestors."
The graveyard records are published in the Tribune each
week, and they have been gathered by Miss McKinley in
numerous trips over the county. There are many additional
graves that are not recorded, and the cooperation of
those who know of out-of-way family burying places will
be appreciated, Miss McKinley said, since she hopes to
make a complete list of all tombstone records in the
county.
Miss McKinley has also collected marriage records of the
county since the year 1822, and these are published each
week in the Liberty Advance.
Newspaper Article - September 7, 1944
Liberty Tribune - Liberty, Missouri
DAR Collects Data from Old Cemeteries, Begin Report Today
In pre-war days when it was possible to take leisurely
automobile rides over the pleasant country roads of Clay
county, almost forgotten cemeteries in rural church yards
and sadly neglected family burial plots on pioneer farms
offered fascinating opportunites to the research worker
and the casual visitor alike to delve into the romances
and tribulations of generations long passed. Those
interested in genealogical research found in these burial
ground authentic data which enabled them to fill the gaps
in family histories.
Years ago, the Alexander Doniphan Chapter, Daughters of
the American Revolution began a systematic effort to
collect gravestone records with the idea in mind of
having them published later. Miss Edna McKinley, chapter
historian, with diligence has sought out the ancient
graves of the pioneers, torn away the tangle of vines and
underbrush, exposed crumbling monuments and faithfully
copied names, dates and epitaphs.
While her work and that of other members of Alexander
Doniphan Chapter is not complete, sufficient records have
been copied to justify starting publication, which is
being done through the co-operation of the Liberty
Tribune.
In these later days such records have assumed a practical
aspect. Now it is required that every man or woman who
works in many fields of activity shall be able to prove
that he or she is an American citizen. Many turn to thses
not-to-be-dis-puted records on stones in country
graveyards to authenticate their claims to American
citizenship.
The DAR recognizes the valuable assistance rendered in
this project by Edgar Archer and Mrs. John Earls, whose
interest has led them to visit many of Clay county's
neglected and out of the way burial plots and to copy the
records carved in stone.
To make the work more valuable through its completeness,
others are invited to co-operate with the DAR by
reporting the location of isolated graves and by sending
in copies of records to Miss Edna McKinley, Liberty.
Volume I
Table Of Contents
Arnold-Spellman
Graveyard
Baldwin Graveyard
Baker-Evans
Graveyard
Big Shoal
Graveyard
Buxton Graveyard
Cameron Graveyard
Elishi Cameron
Graveyard
Chandler
Graveyard
Marion Crowley
Graveyard
Davidson
Graveyard
East Bethel
Church Yard
Enon Church
Graveyard
Graddy Graveyard
Hall Graveyard
Hodges Graveyard
Hart Graveyard
Holland Graveyard
Howdershell
Graveyard
Hunt Graveyard
Hymer Graveyard
John R. Keller
Graveyard
Ligen Graveyard
Lincoln Graveyard
Martin Graveyard
McQuiddy
Graveyard
Means Graveyard
Moore Graveyard
Munkirs Graveyard
Old Liberty
Graveyard
William Pence
Graveyard
Pickett Graveyard
Price Graveyard
Rice Graveyard
Robertson
Graveyard
Scott Graveyard
Shady Grove
Cemetery
Stephenson
Graveyard
Tillery Graveyard
Tull-Clark Graveyard
Valentine
Graveyard
Wade Graveyard
Walker Graveyard
Wallis-Mosby
Graveyard
Watkins Graveyard
Wilson Graveyard
Wood Graveyard
Volume II
Table Of Contents
Antioch Graveyard
Barry Graveyard
Brasfield
Graveyard
Cameron
Graveyard
Chandler
Graveyard
Christian
Church Cemetery
John (Jack) Crowley
Graveyard
Ecton Family
Burying Ground
Estes Graveyard
Faubion Chapel
and Graveyard
Field Graveyard
Gash Graveyard
George Graveyard
Gill Graveyard
Little Shoal
Graveyard
Lufflough
Graveyard
John Majors Private
Burial Ground
Mt. Zoar Graveyard
Mt. Zion Baptist
Church and Graveyard
Mount Zion
Graveyard
Muddy Fork
Graveyard
New Hope Cemetery
Nicholas
Graveyard
John H. Price
Cemetery
Providence
Church Graveyard
Sims Graveyard
Richard Simms
Family Burial Ground
Stollings
Graveyard
Tapp Graveyard
Watkins
Graveyard
Weber-Irminger
Graveyard
Welton Family
Graveyard
Winn Cemetery
Woodland
Cemetery
Woods Cemetery
Writesman
Graveyard
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This page was last updated June
7, 2005.
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