HISTORY OF MT. KENTON CEMETERY:

The original tract of land constituting Mt. Kenton Cemetery was an ill-described parcel which was, on July 6, 1857, deeded by Joseph Kenton of New Orleans to Charles A. Campbell, Hiram Hall, J.D. Brandberry, T.P. Reynolds, and a Church of the Old School Presbyterians in the United States of America, for them to erect upon it a church edifice in which God may be worshiped and when not used by them for worship to be free to other religious denominations, and also to be used as a burying ground for the neighborhood, and also to have a school house erected upon the land.
Shortly after they acquired it, these "Old School Presbyterians" conveyed from the southerly end of their "burying ground" the parcels of land which are now known as Temple of Israel Cemetery. Although the directions to the trustees in 1857 were ambitiously comprehensive, the Church itself later limited the uses to which the land could be put. On April 18, 1872, the pastor of the Old School Presbyterian Church, J.T. Hendrick, held a meeting of the elders and deacons at which new trustees were appointed to succeed those named in 1857 deed. These trustees, Dr. S.P. Cope, A.A. Trimble, Charles H. Rieke, J.W. Dick and Stewart Dick, were directed to have the ground surveyed, enclosed and laid out for a Presbyterian Cemetery and to draw up a code of regulations for the management of the land.
Except for the story which the tombstones tell, little is known about the Old School Graveyard during the period between 1872 and 1930. In one 1918 deed the trustees are identified as J.J. Sanderson, C.K. Lamond, E. Futrell, L.S. Dubois and Dennis Mocquot. On June 5, 1930, the trustees of what had become known as Mt. Kenton Cemetery, Slavie Mall, Gus Hank, Jr., A.Y. Martin, J.J. Sanderson and W.M. Husbands, were deeded a twenty foot strip immediately west of the old "burying ground." In 1933, 1938 and 1943, more property was acquired by the board of trustees, the membership of which included Thomas J. Marshall, Jr., W.M. Husbands and Ewing P. Gilson. Most of the property was obtained from W.M. Husbands, who for many years conducted the affairs of the Cemetery on behalf of the First Presbyterian Church. Mr. Husbands was followed by Roy C. Manchester in the 1950's, who served for over a decade. Mt. Kenton Cemetery has become an attractive landmark of approximately thirty-five acres, of which only about fifteen acres have been laid out and developed. There accordingly is ample room for expansion in future years. Among those who have served in earlier administrations as trustees in the past are James Rieke, Dr. R.W. Robertson, Gus Hank, Sr., Dr. Walker M. Turner, Dr. G.B. Donoho, Dean R.G. Matheson, Victor Speck, Charles Garland, John Wells, E.M. Bailey, Lloyd Emery, Ed Hank, John Cathey, Clyde Boyles, Jim Toy, James Flynn, George Wiley and Joseph Framptom.
In 1967 a Perpetual Care Plan was adopted. A portion of the proceeds from each lot sale is permanently invested and, under the terms of the Perpetual Fund Trust Agreement, the income earned by this fund may be used for Cemetery maintenance. By 1978 the principal in this trust exceeded the total annual expenditures of the Cemetery, and it continues to grow.
Mt. Kenton Cemetery boasts a picturesque setting in which men and women of local, state and national prominence and renown have been laid to rest with those less famous, but equally well remembered. The state legislature, the federal judiciary and even the Vice Presidency of the United States are among the offices attained by individuals interred at Mt. Kenton. Situated on the west side of Lone Oak Road within the Paducah city limits, Mt. Kenton is convenient to the community. Yet its size and surroundings free the Cemetery from the hurried atmosphere of city life. While its roots are in the Presbyterian Church, its benefits are offered on a nondenominational and nonreligious basis. In November 2013 a reorganization occurred separating the cemetery from the church at the church's request. A new nonprofit organization was created; Mount Kenton Cemetery, Inc. The Board of Directors of Mount Kenton Cemetery, Inc. are strictly volunteer from those who love and care for the cemetery.

In an effort to increase the accuracy of our database, please contact us at [email protected] with your loved one's name, your name, address and phone number.

HISTORY OF MT. KENTON CEMETERY:

The original tract of land constituting Mt. Kenton Cemetery was an ill-described parcel which was, on July 6, 1857, deeded by Joseph Kenton of New Orleans to Charles A. Campbell, Hiram Hall, J.D. Brandberry, T.P. Reynolds, and a Church of the Old School Presbyterians in the United States of America, for them to erect upon it a church edifice in which God may be worshiped and when not used by them for worship to be free to other religious denominations, and also to be used as a burying ground for the neighborhood, and also to have a school house erected upon the land.
Shortly after they acquired it, these "Old School Presbyterians" conveyed from the southerly end of their "burying ground" the parcels of land which are now known as Temple of Israel Cemetery. Although the directions to the trustees in 1857 were ambitiously comprehensive, the Church itself later limited the uses to which the land could be put. On April 18, 1872, the pastor of the Old School Presbyterian Church, J.T. Hendrick, held a meeting of the elders and deacons at which new trustees were appointed to succeed those named in 1857 deed. These trustees, Dr. S.P. Cope, A.A. Trimble, Charles H. Rieke, J.W. Dick and Stewart Dick, were directed to have the ground surveyed, enclosed and laid out for a Presbyterian Cemetery and to draw up a code of regulations for the management of the land.
Except for the story which the tombstones tell, little is known about the Old School Graveyard during the period between 1872 and 1930. In one 1918 deed the trustees are identified as J.J. Sanderson, C.K. Lamond, E. Futrell, L.S. Dubois and Dennis Mocquot. On June 5, 1930, the trustees of what had become known as Mt. Kenton Cemetery, Slavie Mall, Gus Hank, Jr., A.Y. Martin, J.J. Sanderson and W.M. Husbands, were deeded a twenty foot strip immediately west of the old "burying ground." In 1933, 1938 and 1943, more property was acquired by the board of trustees, the membership of which included Thomas J. Marshall, Jr., W.M. Husbands and Ewing P. Gilson. Most of the property was obtained from W.M. Husbands, who for many years conducted the affairs of the Cemetery on behalf of the First Presbyterian Church. Mr. Husbands was followed by Roy C. Manchester in the 1950's, who served for over a decade. Mt. Kenton Cemetery has become an attractive landmark of approximately thirty-five acres, of which only about fifteen acres have been laid out and developed. There accordingly is ample room for expansion in future years. Among those who have served in earlier administrations as trustees in the past are James Rieke, Dr. R.W. Robertson, Gus Hank, Sr., Dr. Walker M. Turner, Dr. G.B. Donoho, Dean R.G. Matheson, Victor Speck, Charles Garland, John Wells, E.M. Bailey, Lloyd Emery, Ed Hank, John Cathey, Clyde Boyles, Jim Toy, James Flynn, George Wiley and Joseph Framptom.
In 1967 a Perpetual Care Plan was adopted. A portion of the proceeds from each lot sale is permanently invested and, under the terms of the Perpetual Fund Trust Agreement, the income earned by this fund may be used for Cemetery maintenance. By 1978 the principal in this trust exceeded the total annual expenditures of the Cemetery, and it continues to grow.
Mt. Kenton Cemetery boasts a picturesque setting in which men and women of local, state and national prominence and renown have been laid to rest with those less famous, but equally well remembered. The state legislature, the federal judiciary and even the Vice Presidency of the United States are among the offices attained by individuals interred at Mt. Kenton. Situated on the west side of Lone Oak Road within the Paducah city limits, Mt. Kenton is convenient to the community. Yet its size and surroundings free the Cemetery from the hurried atmosphere of city life. While its roots are in the Presbyterian Church, its benefits are offered on a nondenominational and nonreligious basis. In November 2013 a reorganization occurred separating the cemetery from the church at the church's request. A new nonprofit organization was created; Mount Kenton Cemetery, Inc. The Board of Directors of Mount Kenton Cemetery, Inc. are strictly volunteer from those who love and care for the cemetery.

In an effort to increase the accuracy of our database, please contact us at [email protected] with your loved one's name, your name, address and phone number.