Fairview Cemetery, Payne Township, Kechi, Kansas

Fairview Cemetery, or Old Fairview Cemetery, near Kechi was established in 1873 when the landowner’s son was struck by lightning.

Grave of John Lane (1860-1873) in the foreground

According to the report of his death, Johnny Lane was herding cattle when the storm hit, and he sought shelter in a nearby ravine. The lightning “bereft him and his faithful pony of light and life.”

The Weekly Eagle, Wichita, KS, Jul 24, 1873

There is a creek that runs right by the cemetery, and this is presumably the ravine where John and his faithful pony died.

John shares a gravestone with his mother, Susan, who died in 1875 of “quick consumption” shortly after giving birth to a daughter, Rachel.

Rachel died in 1876, a year after her mother, and her name is also carved on the Lane family gravestone.

Fairview Cemetery is the final resting place for just over 230 people, and is currently managed and maintained by Payne Township.

Landowner Reuben C. Lane (1833-1916)

Reuben C. Lane and his wife Susan Wood were both born in Ohio. They married in 1851, and Susan had birthed at least five children when Reuben volunteered for Civil War. Susan was just barely pregnant when he left, and a sixth child was born while he was away.

Reuben came home safe, and the family headed to Kansas around 1870. Susan had her seventh child, a son named Emery, who died on the way to Kansas. Her eighth child, a daughter named Julia was born that year in Emporia, presumably on the way to Sedgwick County from Iowa.

Reuben’s land patent was dated April 20, 1875, about a month after his wife died. Their claim would have been staked and applied for prior to that, probably when the family arrived in 1871.

Source

47-year-old Reuben married 26-year-old Nancy Jane Gramling a few months after Susan died. He had five children at home at the time, and Nancy birthed at least seven more of his children during their 41 year marriage.

In 1879, a Notice of Sheriff’s Sale of Reuben’s land (including Fairview Cemetery) was published, indicating he owed taxes that had not been paid. He lost the land, and made a new land claim in Sumner County later that year.

The only members of the Lane family that are buried here are Susan, John, and Rachel. Reuben is buried at Prattsburg Cemetery in Stafford County, Kansas.

Other Burials at Fairview Cemetery

Jesse Cain was the third person buried here, after John and Susan. He was just two months old and was buried near the Lanes.

Jessie L. Cain, Son of J.W. & L.R. Cain, Died Jan 6, 1876, aged 2 ms. 12 ds.

Nellie Herr was the fourth person buried here, and she was just two years old when she died in 1876. Her stone has been broken and crudely repaired, causing further damage.

A Kimmerle & Adams mark can barely be seen at the base of this stone.

What’s left of the grave of Murrilla Moffett, the fifth person buried at Fairview Cemetery.

Aged 42 years

Berty DeVore’s gravestone was also made by Kimmerle & Adams

There are at least two gravestones in this pile. Sophia Kilpatrick’s stone is broken in at least three pieces, but is still connected to the base. The other broken stone is for Oscar Mapuin.

Sophia, wife of J.A. Kilpatrick, died May 1886, aged 72 years

Oscar S. Maupin, died April 2, 1883, aged 1 month

Dove on top of the grave of Minnie Bell “Annie” Ittner

R.A. Barns, Physician

Nancy Gay’s stone has been broken, repaired, and broken again.

Nancy, wife of Rev. George Gay, or Father Gay

Mother Korber

The 1905 Standard Atlas of Sedgwick County shows that Sven Svenson, or Swan Swanson, owned this land at that time. Sven died in 1932 is buried here with his wife and other family.

Roy Clark, WWI veteran, was the assistant superintendent of Cudahy Packing Company when he died of a heart attack in his chair at work. There are eight members of the Clark family buried here.