Cletus Garvin

Resident of Barlo, KY.

In the winter of 1909, Cletus Garvin developed the black lung, an ailment coal miners get from inhaling coal dust. He was told he would be fired at the end of the week, though he could keep his house, and would receive a pension. While finishing out the week, he heard voices at the bottom of the mine, which knew details about his life. They promised to restore him to health, in exchange for his services in the outside world.

The voices help him to give sermons, and he steps into a preaching role in the local Pentecostal church, the Tabernacle of the Elder Covenant. Cletus became its pastor once his predecessor Pastor Reeves dies in a hunting accident. Throughout this time, he continues to receive instructions and suggestions from the voices; he initiates new traditions amongst the congregation, including speaking in tongues and laying on of hands, and these seem to hold some sort of power to affect the lives of the congregation including "the power to heal...or in some cases, to kill."

Cletus prepared the bodies of the victims of the Old Number 7 disaster to be resurrected. He also tried to protect the bodies of those close to him (his son Noah, who died in the collapse), by wrapping them in linen washed in running water, and putting salt in the wrappings.

Cletus Garvin was married to Ruby Garvin and had an extensive family, with seven children (Cletus Garvin Jr., Lily Ruth, Noah, Amanda, Virginia, Clay, and Hershell). His son Cletus married Mary; his daughter Lily Ruth married Daniel Taylor. Cletus had two grandchildren, Isaac Garvin (son of Cletus Jr.) and Daniel Taylor Jr (son of Lily Ruth).