FIRST CEMETERY OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CATHOLIC CHURCH, SPURLINGTON, KY

The first cemetery is located on a side road, off the Finely Ridge Road, that connects The Old Lebanon/Campbellsville Road and the new Hwy 68. I would guess it to be approximately 2 miles from the second cemetery. This recording of the old cemetery was done first on March 27, 1977, by Mary Parrott. The cemetery had just been burned and in places the ashes were still smoking. Only 14 tombstones were accounted for. Mary recorded the cemetery a second time in the spring of 2008. There had been vast improvements made in an effort to restore the cemetery.

HISTORY OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CHRUCH

The first St. Francis de Sales Church was a converted log barn in Taylor County, about 2 miles from the present church. Mass was first offered there in 1832. Only the cemetery is there now.

When looking at the photo, the two graves with the concrete slabs in front of them are Elias Newton and his wife Sarah Margaret Newton. Every known person buried in this cemetery has a link either through a marriage or direct descent to Elias and Sarah Margaret Newton. The tall tombstone in the far background is John B. Shively. John B. did not have blood ties with Elias and Sarah Margaret Newton. The closer tall tombstone just to the right of Sarah Margaret Newton's grave is Samuel L. Wilson's tombstone, son-in-law to Elias and Sarah Margaret Newton.

Thank you to Mary Parrott for the wonderful history of the cemetery. I am also using photo's taken by Larry Shively of Chicago and Rich Shively of Nebraska.