30. Jacob KEVER was born
on Jun 8 1792 in Pennsylvania. Date also recorded as June 18th somewhere...
He died on Aug 17 1880 in Wolf Bayou, Cleburne County, Arkansas. Listed elsewhere
as After 1850 in Alexander County, North Carolina. The Kever family moved to
Wolf Bayou from Alexander County, North Carolina. In his wife's father's will,
the spelling was KEEVER.
New Information: John Kever, father of Jacob Kever, listed on a List of German
Passengers on Board the Ship North America, Tys de Haas, from Amsterdam, October
10, 1787.
On a list of the Names of Persons who took the Oath and Affirmation of Allegiance
to this State, passed the fourth of March 1786, dated September 24, 1787. John
Kever, of the Northern Liberties, Cordwainer, took the oath on October 10, 1787.
Enrolled in the Rolls Office of the State of Pennsylvania in Commission Book
No 1 Page 101, Witness my hand and Seal of Office, the 20 October 1790, Matthew
Irwin.
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Jacob Artimaes (various spellings used) Kever (126) (1792-1880) was the first
of the Kevers we know much about. He is shown on the 1820 census in Iredell County,
North Carolina but not on the 1810 one, so presumably he arrived there in that
ten year period.
Martha Kever Rakes has shared with me a history of the Jacob Artimus Kever family
written by a descendant, Homer M. Keever. Much of the information about the Kever
and Correll ancestors comes from his account. He says it is not clear who Jacob
A.'s parents were, that some descendants think his father was named Henry, but
no records can be found to document this. He says that Jacob A.(126), who lived
at Third Creek, was probably the son of Jacob Kever of Norwoods Creek. Word of
mouth stories told by descendants say that Jacob A.'s father died when he was
about 12 years old, in 1804 or 1805 and there was a Jacob Keever at Norwoods
Creek who died at that time.
The same tradition says that Jacob was bound out to a blacksmith and census records
bear this out. He became a blacksmith and used earnings from his trade to buy
land for farming and taught his sons to be blacksmiths. Iredell County indentures
of the day required that one bound out be given a rudimentary education as well
as being taught a trade.
In those days it was not uncommon for needy families to put out a child to serve
as an indentured servant. The family from which he came would get some badly
needed money, the the child could learn a trade. It seems plausible that this
might have happened soon after the death of Jacob's father. Sometime about the
time he was 21 and his indenture completed Jacob Kever (126) married Mary Ann
Correll (127) who lived near the head of Third Creek in what was then Iredell
County.
The first documented evidence of Jacob at the head of Third Creek is to be found
in two deeds made to him in 1817, one of which was made by his father-in-law,
John Correll (318). Eventually, Jacob acquired and paid taxes on 530 acres on
Third Creek and the head of Elk Shoal Creek. It is said that his goal was to
leave each of his children a tract of land and there are deeds to some of the
daughters to suggest that he tried it. After Mary (319) died in 1859 he made
over his farm to his son, Artimus, to care for him.
Mary Ann Correll Keever (127) spent all of her life near her birthplace in North
Carolina but Jacob made a big move after he was widowed and an old man. He deeded
his property to a son, Jacob Artimus, Jr. who wanted to "seek his fortune"
in Arkansas. Soon after 1870 the son and his family, along with Jacob Sr. moved
to the Wolf Bayou area.
We have a copy of a letter Jacob A. (Sr.) (126) wrote on July 11, 1872 from their
farm in Arkansas which shows that wherever he got his education, he definitely
had the ability to express his thoughts in writing, (but too bad he didn't have
a computer with a Spell-check!) He was writing to his son, John Calvin Kever,
and family who still lived at Taylorsville, North Carolina. Here's the letter:
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"Dear Children:
"I seit myself to try to rite a few lines and to inform you that we are
all well at this time--except myself. I am not so hardy as I was some time ago.
I think the dry and hot weather (causes) summer complaints. And when thease few
lines come to hand, will find you all well and doing better."
"My fare is like it has bin. I can tell you that we are living in a naighborhood
(where) the people wants to do right. I have not heard a profine word spoken
sense I am out hare."
"Thomis Payne Jr. wants to know if a man can live easer hare than in Carolina,
and (he says) all of you wants to move. I will tell you we live in a brokin rough
rocky part, but it is healthy--as much so as where you live. I can tell you that
the river bottom is for welth and the riches. For helth we have good water near
as any in these parts."
"The land produces from 20 to 25 buchels (corn) to the acre and lasts as
long again as whare you live. We can git a bale of (cotton) to 350 pounds to
two acres. But if a man coms out hare to own the country before he moves, he
will not like it, but it is like a stranger com into a nabourhood that you think
he is the homlist person you ever saw. After you git used to him you will think
that he is a rite pert fellow. And so you will think of this country when used
to it--so it is a rocky rough country."
"I will tell you that the people hare burns the woods like they did in Carolina
and in the time of the war (Civil) (there was) nobody to fight the fire and all
the improved placeis ware burned up--that is, fences and cabans."
"Thare is planty of vacant land yet. If a man moves hare full handed (with
money) to by a improved place he can git along very well. If not, it will take
him three or four years and than may git along and make more that he can in Carolina."
"Artamus (his son) baught 80 acres from a wider joinging (his farm) and
that give him a batter start. I cant put down all the items, but on this last
lot, there is a bout two hundred baring peach trees and he made a bout $20 off
the orchet last fall."
"I mus soone com to a close. When I look so steady my head gits dissy but
this is about as good an 80 years old man can do."
"Jacob Kever to the childran and all inquiring frends. To J. C. Kever and
family. My name again Jacob Kever."
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How would you respond to Jacob's letter? Didn't you get the impression that it
was a little less than a ringing endorsement of Wolf Bayou, Arkansas as a place
to go for your future -- especially if your goal was "welth and riches"
instead of the absence of profanity? I'm not sure how much influence his letter
had, but only one of his other children moved to Wolf Bayou, Exie Kever Sharp.
However, of course some grandchildren and great grandchildren came, including
our ancestor, Hubert Martin.
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Following is a historical sketch written by my mother, Elva Martin Stuart about
the Kever ancestors using the information she had at the time she wrote it in
the 1960's.
"Jacob Artimaes Kever - great grandfather of Hubert M. Martin and Samuel
Gatis Martin, also of Arthur Marvin Kever, was born June 1792, died August 17,
1880 - 88 + years buried in Oak Grove Cemetery at Wolf Bayou, Cleburne County,
Arkansas. He came to the United States from Germany, was of German "deutsch"
descent, spoke the German language, then learned to speak English with considerable
accent."
"He settled near Hiddenite, North Carolina. He was the father of four sons
and six daughters, most of whom lived their entire lives around Hiddenite, N.C.
Children's names are as follows: Sons: Davidson Kever, Jacob Artimaes, Jr. (or
Uncle Art), John Kever, Calvin Kever. Daughters were: Mary Emmaline Kever born
1823 wed to Clint Prichard, Rachel or Aunt Lena wed to John Lackey (twin girls
Adeline or Addie Kever Warren and Katie Kever Payne), Miranda or Aunt Martha
wed to George Washington Martin, Exie wed to Frank Sharp, son of Azel Sharp."
"Soon after the Civil War, J. A. Jr. (Uncle Art) moved with his family and
aged father to Arkansas, following a brother-in-law, D. W. McDonald. Then Exie,
whose husband had died, moved with her family to Arkansas also."
"Some have tried to locate a large thick book with wooden backs, a bible
in the German language that belonged to grandfather Jacob A., but without success
as far as I know. It is said that Exie, the youngest, was in chart class at school.
They had no books like the other kids so she took a smaller book of her dad's.
Guess it didn't profit her much - being in the German language!"
"The ones (Kevers) from Arkansas went back to North Carolina in 1900 or
1901. Some of us have some pictures and copies of pictures made on that trip
back there for a visit. The Kever family has three grandfathers buried in Oak
Grove Cemetery, Grandfather John Kever, Great Grandfather (Uncle Art) and Great-Great
Grandfather, "Uncle" Jacob A. Kever."
Jacob A. (126) may have been born in Germany, perhaps in Pennsylvania, or North
Carolina. The name was usually spelled "Keever" in North Carolina,
but the Kevers who came to Arkansas changed their spelling to "Kever"
so that is the spelling used by their descendants today. The Kever (Keever) family
has frequent family reunions in North Carolina and some of our relatives, including
Martha Kever Rakes, have attended them.
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He was married to Mary Ann CORRELL in 1833 in Iredell County, North Carolina
(was Rowan Co.).
31. Mary Ann
CORRELL was born on Jan 17 1795 in Iredell County, North Carolina (was
Rowan Co.). She died on Aug 16 1859 in Alexander County, North Carolina. Children
were:
i. Rachel
Ellena KEVER was born on Aug 16 1814. John and Rachel stayed in Wolf Bayou.
ii.
John Calvin KEVER was born on Mar 9 1818. They moved away from Wolf Bayou.
iii.
Mary Emmaline KEVER was born on Sep 4 1823.
iv.
Susan Catherine KEVER was born on Mar 5 1826. Catherine and Adeline are
twins. Moved to North Carolina.
v. Adeline
KEVER was born on Mar 5 1826. Moved to North Carolina.
vi.
Jacob Artimus KEVER was born on Oct 21 1828 in North Carolina. He died on
Oct 26 1918. He was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Wolf Bayou, Arkansas. Jacob
and his son Wilson (James Jacob) left North Carolina about 1869. They first arrived
in Batesville in January of 1870. The rest of the family followed shortly traveling
by boat and train. The family first settled in Greenbrier bottoms, but because
of chills and fever moved to the mountains (Wolf Bayou).
vii.
Martha Miranda KEVER was born on Sep 23 1831.
viii.
Daniel Nelson KEVER was born on Jan 22 1834. Lived in Tennessee.
15 ix.
Exah Elizabeth (Exie) KEVER.
x. Joseph
Davidson KEVER was born on Jul 17 1839. Lived in North Carolina.