Houston County Keel Cemetery
I am trying to locate the owners of Houston County Keel Cemetery. It is located on the East bank of the Tennessee River, just south (approx 1000 ft) of the mouth of White Oak Creek. It contains 107 graves dating from 1841-1934, with most dating from 1870-1910. When this cemetery was established it was in the soutern part of Stewart County (which became Houston County in 1871), and many of the families buried here have deep Stewart Co roots.The cemetery was scheduled to be flooded in the 1940's. After the Tennessee River Dam was completed, however, the river rose only within about 200 ft of the cemetery. The TVA records confirm that no graves were actually relocated.The current condition of the cemetery is very poor and in shambles. i have a cousin, Lena Christine Sykes I visited in March 2009. She took me to the cemetery. She is probally the only one who knows where it is and the last of the family. I was able to have the Boy Scouts in Erin,Tn clean it up in Sept 2009.Of the 107 graves, 67 were identified by TVA records. Although the site is identified as "Keel Cemetery", only 13 Keel grave sites are accounted. They belong to William Thomas Keel(who is the grandson of William Thomas Keel Sr.) and wife Elizabeth Hudson Keel and thier sons Robert A. Keel and William Richard Keel and wife Martha Louella Cherry Keel and their children: Henry Homer Keel, Ruby Lee Keel, Ophra Lee Keel, Elbert Waymon Keel, and a Keel Infant, Jessie Richard son of William Howard Keel(son of William Richard Keel and Martha Louella Cherry Keel)and wife Sally Ann Stone Keel my grandparents. Also a Talmage Keel and Mary Keel and infant from Danville Tn (which was flooded in the 1940's. Other names represented in this cemetery are the McMillian's, Cathey's, Cook's, Bland's, Gill's, and Daniel's. I have ancestors buried here. G and GG grandfathers and their families. I am in the process of having markers place on the identified graves.I wrote a letter to the Keel Cemetery Stewart Tn 37175 in March 2009 (got this address from Real Estate Assessment Data Office in Erin, Tn).The poat office returned it as insufficient address, unable to forward. To this date do not know who are the owners are of the cemetery. Need to locate the owners before doing anything to cemetery.PLEASE anyone that has any info concerning this cemetry contact me to helprestore this cemetry and those families buried there.
Please contact me:
Raymond F. Keel Sr.
5890 Bridle Path Ln.
Montgomery, AL. 36116
phone 334-277-8736
[email protected]
Thank you so much for any help at all
Raymond Keel