Transcribed with comments by Benjamin D. Buckner, April 3, 1993, from notes taken by A. Marie Buckner in the summer of 1986.
The Bethel Cemetery is located on State Route 2 out of Olive Hill, KY, north of I 64 between Smokey Valley and Wesleyville. The section containing the Buckner gravesite lies at the far left of the cemetery to an observer facing from the road. There is a large marker reading "Buckner" to indicate the section, but some of the individual markers are broken, unmarked, or illegible. The Christian Church, ded. 1866 and rebuilt 1948, stands by the cemetery on land sold to the church by Overton M. Buckner on Dec. 23, 1866 for $1 (see Rowan Co., KY deeds, book D, pg. 160, in which the graveyard is expressly included, suggesting its prior existence.) Both the church and cemetery are plainly visible from the two-lane highway.
I have tried to reproduce the inscriptions as accurately as possible, but faded lettering and rough notes may have introduced a few transcription errors. My comments are enclosed in square brackets [thus].
Legible markers:
William Buckner Eliza J. Buckner
died Sept. 13, 1884 Sept. 20 [22?], 1839
aged 47 yrs, 8 mo 20 days Feb. 5, 1920
J.W. Buckner Rebecca L [E?] Buckner
June 22, 1858 1856 - 1941
Feb. 22, 1930 "In Gods care."
"A friend to his country
and a believer in Christ."
Wesley son of Eliza E. Buckner
O M and E Buckner Dec. 30, 1873
age 26 July 26, 1984
"In life beloved and in
death."
[Top missing] [The stone listed to the left almost
1813 - 1875 certainly belongs to Elizabeth (Fultz)
"My many vertues form the Buckner, mother of Wesley (above).]
noblest monument to her
memory."
Wiley Buckner
1897 - 1955
[son of John and Rebecca]
There is also a plain unworked stone marker in association with these. It's definitely not Overton Buckner or Patrick Buckner, who both died elsewhere, but the high death rate at the Buffalo Creek property makes it impossible to guess who this might be. George Buckner (Overton's brother) is high on the list, but Andrew Lafayette and Elizabeth (Overton's children) also apparently died there, along with Elizabeth Gillum Buckner (Overton's mother). Wesley Buckner is probably John Wesley, who would have died around 1866, making it the oldest marked tombstone. One can presume that the plain stone marker is an even older grave. I would guess that there are probably a few more there that are now completely unmarked.
-- Ben Buckner