A Letter From the Past to the Future

I had the most amazing Email a few days ago, from Sara Howard, a granddaughter of Charlotte Gibbs Fry.

(The following was copied verbatim from notes and letter written by Charlotte Gibbs Fry)

Tulsa-Tulsa Co. Oklahoma
Jan 24, 1937

To my children:

Have waited until I am nearly 67 yrs old to write the history of my life in which there are no "high lights"

My grandfather, Jas. Loreuza Dow Gibbs lived in Chilicothe Ohio at the time of his death and was a tailor by trade. He died in 1875 aged 64 yrs think he was from Virginia.

My grandmother Nancy Donohue Gibbs died at Clarksburg Ohio Feby 15 1840 age 28 years. Two children were born to this union, my father Joseph Lewis Gibbs at Clarksburge in 1835, Matilda, a baby at her mothers death. My grandfather married again and reared one daughter Minerva who died at 20 yrs.

My great grandfather, Amos Donohue died the year 1849 age 71 years 28 days.
My great grandmother, Hannah Donohue, died in 1868, age 82 years 10 mths.
I do not know their native state
I do not know how old my father was when he went to Illinoise

My grandparents on my mother's side were Archabald and Charity Scott of Bellfontain Ohio, he was a physician and soon after their marriage emigrated to Tipton Iowa where my mother and five other children were born.

My mother, Martha Jane Scott was born Mch 13, 1843. Her parents when she was 5 years old got the gold fever and with their family and a number of other families made up a large train of wagons and ox teams and started for California. They came into a town where the Drs were fighting the smallpox, he tarried a few days to help them out and went their way again and in a few days he died and the next day his wife died, and they were both buried by the lonesome trail. Her oldest bro John Scott was 16 yrs and her youngest sister, Rosaltha 9 ths--the children was given an ox team and started on the return trip to their grandparents at Bellfountain Ohio--How long the grandparents kept the children I do not know. I heard mother say her grandmother was the best woman that ever lived and her grandfather the meanest man in the world. Her grandmother helped her steal out many time to go to parties when he had said she could not go. Now how my mother got to Illinoise I do not know, but do know all the bro and sisters were in Illinoise and near Mattoon Coles Co when they were grown--I believe they all married there and after my father and mother married the other five went to California, lived and all reared families and died there. They all lived to a good age. Her oldest bro John died first at 64-- Uncle Sam, Zela's father, died at 86. Uncle Sam still has a son, Sam Scott, living at Santa Cruz. Aunt Rosaliha has children living. Mrs. Roy Sterritt (Daisy) who visited mother once and visited our family once on their way from South America where Roy worked for an oil co. Aunt Peninah has children living--two of the girls married men named Mitchell--Uncle John had only two adopted children. I think all of Aunt Elisa's family have passed on. Joseph Lewis Gibbs and Martha Jane Scott were married at Mattoon Coles Co, Ill the 8th day of Sept 1859 at the home of T. Riggs, and were married more than 50 yrs. They were living in the country during the Civil War--father was a blacksmith by trade, and during the War shod horses for the Government. They lost their two first children (2 girls) Charity Delilah at 9 mths and the next summer Nancy Peninah at 2 yrs 10 m and 5 days. After that they moved into Mattoon where your Uncle Joe was born. The rest of children were all born at Mattoon in the same home.
When I was 11 yrs old father got the fever to go west. He traded his home in Mattoon for a home in Independence Kansas
After we lived there 2 or 3 years bro Joe came into Indian Territory on a hunting and fishing trip (which has always been his long suit)

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He was completely carried away with the country--
Nothing would do after that but we must move to beautiful I.T. So mother gathered up what we had and moved down with her family, dad remained in Independence to carry on his trade. We went to a farm near the "Big Lake" and lived there 2 yrs. At that time I was 14 yrs old and that was where I met your daddy for the first time. We traveled back and forth a good many times to Independence as it was yet home to us. Finally dad sold what he had at Independence and came with us and then it was home. We live there on a farm near the Fry farm and I then was seeing a lot of Wm H. Another year we moved into Claremore mother and father went into the hotel business and remained in it the rest of his life, had moved out into a home in March and in April, about the first, he was injured when his horse became frightened, turned the buggy over and died April the 16th 1910.

I think it was 5 yrs after father's death mother married again, lived about a yr with him and divorced him, I forget his name. About a yr she married again, a man named Rose. She always wanted to pioneer again in father's time, but dad always said no, he had had all of that he wanted. When she married Rose, she was then 73--sold all she had and went to Colo, into the Mts and bot a farm--She enjoyed it for a time and had she lived soon would have been at home again.

She was subject to the sick headaches
Migrain they now call it I think--she got up from her bed in the eve--lit her coarl-oil lamp which had been filled in the am and lay down again and fell asleep--when she awakened the oil was all burned out and she had inhaled the fumes--when her husband returned later she was so overcome from it pneumonia soon set up and she died suddenly--
She died Feb 25 1920 She was brot back and buried by father--died at Fruita Colo, had moved in from her Farm. Children are often asked the cause of parent and grandparents deaths and this shows you how they were taken--In Mch 13 she would have been 76 yrs.
Yes, your dad and I were married, and soon would or will have lived 48 years of sunshine and storm weather. He seems to have weathered it pretty well, but I for some reason seemed to have gotten the worst of it.
You will find the family births as I have recorded them and each can copy them if you they are to.
I can say here, we surely have a family of devoted children, none could be better to parents than ours are, and we do appreciate it.
Lovingly
Your mother
Charlotte Gibbs Fry"