Rev. William Henry Ketron was Methodist Minister in a long line of Methodist ministers in his family. Rev. William Ketron joined the Holston Conference in 1825 and became a traveling Minister, he served the following appointments: 1825, Giles, County, Va circuit.; 1826- New River Circuit; 1827 Black Mountain, NC.; 1828 Greenville SC. n 1829 he transferred to the Missouri Conference.

In 1850, lived in Holt co., Mo.

The following information is quoted from 'The History of Methodism in Missouri'.

"William Ketron joined the Holston Conference in 1825, in Sullivan Co., Tenn where he labored five years; was transferred to Missouri in 1830 and appointed to Palmyra; 1831 Boonslick; 1832 Cape Girardeau District for three years. 1835, to the Shawnee mission; 1836 Boonslick; 1837, Columbia; 1838 superannuated for seven years. 1845 Weston district for two years, 1847, Savannah; 1848 Oregon mission for two years, 1850 located; 1854 readmitted Trenton mission two years; 1855 Spring Hill mission two years; 1857 Gallatin; 1858 Bethany mission; 1859 Pattonsburg mission; 1860 Trenton circuit; 1861 superannuated two years; 1863, Gallatin district two years 1865 the minutes say: "William Ketron, presiding elder of the Gallatin district, a veteran itinerant and indefatigable servant of the church, has passed away. He fell at his post, his face to the foe, with his armor on. He died as he lived, full of faith, exclaiming - the last words he spoke - "All is well."

From "The History of Johnson County" (Kansas) by Ed Blair

Excerpt from Chapter II, Indian Missions

The church building belonging to the Shawnee Mission was located in a beautiful grove on a country road leading from Westport into the Indian country, and was about four miles west of the manual-labor school, and about six miles southwest of Kansas City. The manual-labor school was not erected on the old mission premises, but was four miles south of the original site of Turner. The church building was constructed of hewn logs, and was about 20X40 feet, plain and old- fashioned, and faced to the north, a door in the south end of the building opening on the camp-ground and cemetery. The date of its erection was about 1840, services before this having been held at private houses. Love feasts were held in connection with quarterly meetings and camp-meetings, the latter being held annually on the grounds near the church, and were attended by Methodists from other tribes. A parsonage was connected with the church. This historic old meeting-house stood till the latter part of the war, when it was torn down and used for fuel. A part of the time it was loop holed and used by the Kansas militia as a fort. Nothing is left but the little reservation of five acres used for a burying-ground.

The conference of 1835 appointed
Rev. William Ketron as missionary to the Shawnees. Mr. Ketron was a Southerner, having conference in 1829. He served but one year in the Indian mission in Kansas. His assistants in the school and mission were Mrs. Ketron, his wife, Mrs. Miller, Rev. David G. Gregory, and Mrs. Gregory. They had thirty-four scholars under their instruction, who were instructed in English gratuitously. Nineteen of the pupils were supported by the mission and lived in the mission family; the others received one meal a day at the mission house, and were otherwise supported by their parents. It seems that the industrial feature which Mr. Johnson inaugurated upon such a large scale a few years later was introduced at this time, as five of the boys were learning cabinet-making and two shoe-making. The missionaries taught some of the Shawnees to read in their native language, and some of these in time became teachers of others. Instruction in Indian was placed under the immediate notice of native class-leaders of the church. A small book in the Shawnee joined the language on religious subjects, and some hymns, was, published by the missionaries and introduced among the people with good effect. Some of the native church members, who numbered 105 at this time, took active part in public religious exercises, and had prayer in their families. The next year, 1836, Rev. Thomas Johnson was assisted by Mrs. Johnson, Rev. N. T. Shaler, Rev. D. G. Gregory, and a Mr. Holland.

Rev. Henry Ketron was born in Wythe Co., Va as the oldest child of Henry Ketron and the grandchild of our immigrant ancestor, Johann Michael Kettenring, 'the stocking weaver' and moved with his parents to Sullivan County, Tennessee, where many of his siblings settled, while others moved west.

KETRON CHAPEL CHURCH: Built in 1979 and named after prominent Minister William Ketron