Rooted in Irvine, Kentucky
The Turpin family cemetery began in the mid-1800s as a small burial ground on rolling Kentucky hillside — a quiet place where pioneers, farmers, veterans, and children of Estill County were laid to rest near the land they loved. For decades, care fell to family members and neighbors who mowed grass, cleared brush, and remembered the names on weathered stones.
By the early 2000s, the cemetery faced the same challenges as many historic burial grounds across rural America: aging monuments, overgrown pathways, incomplete records, and limited resources for ongoing maintenance. Families who wished to visit their ancestors often found impassable paths and unreadable headstones. The stories etched in stone risked being lost forever.
In response, community leaders, historians, and descendants came together to form Turpin Cemetery Inc — a federally recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (EIN: 81-5231382). Our mission was clear: transform passive neglect into active stewardship, ensuring that every grave receives dignified care and every family retains access to their heritage.
Today, we manage more than 150 acres of sacred ground, coordinate hundreds of volunteers, restore historic monuments, digitize burial records dating to the 1800s, and host memorial gatherings that bring our community together. We operate from PO Box 688, Irvine, KY 40336, and welcome inquiries at info@turpincemeteryinc.org.
