Gibbs Family History

Lizzie

2010-08-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have digitized the interview with Lizzie that Kathy and Norbert did. I have an idea of what I want to do with it, but I haven't had time recently to play with it. Here is a link to where I have some sound clips from the interview. I just tested it and the sound is low at least on my computer with no other speakers attached. You have to click on the link under the picture of Lizzie that says "The Flood" Then click download, you will be asked to choose what to play it with, after you do that it might take a few seconds for the player to open and start to play, I am really sorry about the volume problem, can't fix it here but then you might not have the problem, let me know.

These wavs go along with this post

Lizzie talks about the move to Claremore, OK

2010-06-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

I came across, Rogers County History, it was published by the Claremore College foundation in 1979, I found it on Ebay maybe 5 or 6 years ago now. It has helped me trace some of the family branches of Martha and Joseph Gibbs. I want to share the entries I found in this book that pertain to our family, I hope you find it as interesting as I did. First though, here is part of an interview with Lizzie, done by Kathy and Norbert Gariety, where she talks about why the Davis family moved to Claremore.

Lizzie said that when she was in the tenth grade at the Female Indian Seminary in Tahlequah, she went home for Christmas. She says, "We had the awfullest rain, all night it rain, day an night, well there was a big river, and that river got up, it was about 10 miles up above us where it started from an everything come way out there, all the farmers down in there, we called it the bottom, I guess there were about 25 or 30 farmers, we kept watching it come, an we had a big orchard an dad says well it's up there in the orchard now and its still a coming an by about 5 o'clock that evening, well it come through and hit our yard, it had to come about a mile from the river and the further it went down, well it just taken the whole (can't understand this part). Well there was about 30 or 40 houses down there an they all had to leave, we went out to the field, we called it the hill, going out to town, and we had grain, every farmer had a grainary and they tore down all the granaries they could tear down and built skiff, come and carry us all out. We had big ole cotton wood trees down there, oh they was tall, you know we came out right over the top of them trees. Kathy asked how big? Lizzie answered, "Our house was a double, it was high, and it come up to the top of the windows and when the water went down, it left the sand there and we had to go in an dig the sand all out.

Norbert asked, "it ruined everything in the downstairs? "oh yes, ruined everything" Lizzie answered. Furniture too? Norbert asked. Lizzie replies yes, had a parlor, had a big loft, we had an organ, one of them old time organs. Dad an me had to lift that up in the loft, dad cut a big hole in the ceiling. We had fireplaces, well that fireplace was filled up with sand and water, and the yard, didn't look like we had any yard with all that sand. Out in the fields it drifted, it would just go around and around, just left a big hole and when the water went down there were big old turtles in there. Kathy asks if they had turtle soup, Lizzie tells her, no they was dead, they couldn't get out, it was deep as this house, Lizzie was interviewed at Doc and Lahoma Underwoods house in Long Beach, CA, a single story ranch style.

Lizzie goes on to say after the flood, why that just tore us all up, they never had nothing. The farms was ruined, couldn't have a farm anymore. Norbert states, the land was ruined by the flood, couldn't use it anymore, Lizzie continues, yeah, filled with sand. The fruit trees, the sand would be on to, top of them trees. Couldn't tell there was ever a farm there. Well dad sold out, he got a chance, he got a little out of it. some man come in there to buy it out, buy them out.

Then we went to Claremore. We drove over, was three days going, from our house to Claremore. And we taken, oh, about ten or twelve cows and horses and hogs, had a hundred head of hogs. We drove em, drove those hogs to Claremore. Put a bell on one bog old sow, oh she was a big un. And she'd go in the front and they'd go, just right down that road.They'd all follow her, she was like a lead cow or a lead horse.

Well when we got down to Muskogee there was a little town next to um. It was called Red Bird, well there wasn't nothing but n******. And they had a big sign up there, "Mr. white Man, don't let the sun go down on you!" Well we got that far and boy we didn't know what to do, so dad and the man that was drivin', they went in an seen the clerk, and he talked to em, and he said well I'll tell you what I'll do, he says I can take care of you tonight, he says, I'll open the stock yard, cause nobody got anything to do with the outside. So that's what he done. Put all our stuff in there, thrown everything in there. Well the next day we had to cross the Arkansas River and we had to go across on the bridge, the wagons all went across first then the horses, they weren' no trouble, and the cows and then come to puttin' them hogs across, they'd get on ther and they'd get on the end and fall off the wall, they a a time, was nearly all day gettin' them hogs across that river. Norbert asks if any of the hogs were lost, Lizzie tells him no. But they all got a bath says Norbert, yeah replies Lizzie, they got a bath alright. Very few of them stayed on, when they landed then there had to be somebody over there to corral them in.

Kathy asks, did you get a farm in Claremore? Lizzie says yeah, we had a, dad had a brother. He'd been living there a long time. He had quit a farm and ran a ferry boat on the river there. So he told dad, he said "I got one empty house an if you want that" says "you can have it till you can get you a place." It was a log house, had two fireplaces in there ... well it was night whe we got down there and we got settled in, and the next day, oh, taken over in the boat. And that's were we stayed, oh, we was there about five years I guess.

That was Lizzie memory of her families move to Claremore. She mentioned Red Bird in this, I googled Red Bird and found very little information about it that long ago, which I figure would have been about 1897, I did come across a pamphlet written about 1905 encouraging African Americans to move there, you can view that here.

Five Generations

2008-10-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

This was taken this past June when Karen and her family flew down to Los Angeles to vacation, we drove the motor home down and surprised the California tribe, except for one member of the tribe, that's because she was part of it.

Front row: Hailey DYGAS. Behind her: Me, Connie GIBBS Giltz, I am holding Mya DYGAS. Next to us: Karen Dygas GILTZ, Janice GIBBS, Martha Lahoma GIBBS Underwood.

Daisy Mildred GIBBS Massengale

2008-10-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

I am very late in post this, no excuses.
September 11, 2008 we lost Aunt Daisy. She had just turned 94 on August 31st.

This is the Obituary that can also be found at the Mobley-Dodson Funeral Home website
by entering Daisy Massengale in the search field, there you can also sign and read the guest book:

Daisy Mildred Massengale, age 94 of Sand Springs, passed away on Thursday, September 11, 2008 in Sand Springs.

Daisy was born on August 31, 1914 in Claremore to James Frank and Lizzie (Davis) Gibbs. She graduated from Sand Springs High School in 1931 and married Ira T. Massengale on December 25, 1939 in Okmulgee.

Daisy worked for Commander Mills in Sand Springs and moved to California to work for AT&T for thirty-three years as a Traffic Supervisor. After retirement she moved and resided at Grand Lake for 20 years. She returned to Sand Springs in 1999. Daisy loved traveling, lighthouses and collecting Princess Diana and Shirley Temple Dolls. Daisy was loved by family and friends. She was of the Baptist faith.

She was survived by her sister Lahoma Underwood of Long Beach, California, nine nieces and nephews Sandy Null, Stuart Wayne Gibbs, Janice Gibbs, Karen Carper, Sally Gibbs, Paula Amemeya, Katherine Anna Money, Tom Underwood and James Gibbs. A multitude of Great nieces, nephews and great-great nieces and nephews. Daisy is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Ed, John Davis and James Frank Gibbs Jr., sisters Mary Gibbs and Agnes Stewart, a brother-in-law, Doc Underwood, nieces and nephews Eddy Gibbs, Victorine Anderson, John Underwood and Richard Gibbs.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday,1:00 p.m. September 16, 2008 at Mobley-Dodson Chapel with burial at Woodlawn Cemetery in Claremore at 3:15 p.m. Officiating will be Reverend Craig Gibson.

Online memorial may be left for the family at www.mobley-dodsonfuneralservice.com

Arrangements are Entrusted to the care of Mobley-Dodson Funeral Service of Sand Springs

Gibbs Family Plot

2007-11-29T16:11:00.001-08:00

What do you do on a snow day? You work on a project and my project is organizing
photos. Today I came across photos from Aunt Agnes's collection and found these photos of the family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, the Woodland Cemetery link will take you to a map of Claremore with the cemetery marked, in the upper right hand corner on the map click on satellite to get a birds eye view of Claremore Oklahoma. The above picture is of Frank and Lizzie Gibbs headstone, don't know when this was taken, it could be around the time of James Gibbs Funeral judging by the flowers and the older cars. This is a photo of Joseph Lewis Gibbs Crypt, Joseph was the father of James. You can find a more recent picture of the crypt here

Jewel Austin Underwood

2007-11-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

Uncle Doc

July 10, 1917 - Nov. 25, 2007
Born July 10, 1917 in Carolton, Missouri to George and Nellie Underwood.
Photo taken Dec. 20, 2002
Married Martha Lahoma Gibbs June 30, 1945. Celebrated their 62 Anniversary this year.
Photo taken Dec. 25 2005

Martha Jane Scott Gibbs Rose: Claremore, Oklahoma Obit.

2007-11-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

Received this photocopy by email from a Louise in response to a query I left on a message board looking for an obituary for Martha Jane Scott Gibbs Rose. The Obituary for Martha is the very last one. I've transcribed the piece about Martha below the image, including spelling errors.

Sent: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 8:22 pm
Subject: Obit for Martha Gibbs Rose

Connie,

I am a genealogy volunteer at the Will Rogers Library in Claremore, Rogers Co., OK. I received your request on October 26, 2007, and did some microfilm work this evening and found a 'blurb' in the Claremore Messenger, dated Friday, March 5, 1920. The Claremore Messenger was a weekly paper at this time and has not been in existence for some time.

I am scanning the portion of the page that had the 'item' regarding Mrs. Rose's death. I looked through the rest of March to see if there was any other mention of Mrs. Rose, i.e. a Card of Thanks, etc., but did not find anything else. I hope that it will be of some help to you.

Mrs. Rose, mother of Joe Gibbs, of this city, who died at her western home las week, wa buried in this city Sunday and the funeral was largely attended by friends of the family: Chas A. Gibbs, of Sapulpa, Frank Gibbs and family of Sand Springs, Mrs. Etta Snyder of St. Louis, Mrs. Tony Matney, of Kansas City, Mr. Russell of Muskogee, Mrs. Etta Snyder of St. Louis, Miss Victorine Fry of Edmund and Miss Mary Fry of Pittsburg, Kansas.

Frank Gibbs

2007-10-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Tulsa World: Paid Obituaries: "James Frank Gibbs Jr. GIBBS - James Frank, Jr., 96, passed away Thursday, October 4, 2007 in Tulsa, OK . Retired tank car brake repairman for DX Sunray Refinery. He grew up in Sand Springs, OK. Longtime resident of Cherokee Lake Estates at Grand Lake, OK. Member of Tijuana Volunteer Fire Department. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and had a great interest in steam locomotive history. Preceded in death by: his parents; wife, Audrey; brothers, Ed Gibbs and John Gibbs; sister, Agnes Stewart and infant sister, Mary; daughter-in-law, Carol Ann Gibbs. Survived by: his son, Stuart Gibbs and wife, Pamela of Tulsa, OK; grandchildren, Randy Gibbs and wife, Gina and Leslie Swafford and husband, Shannon, both of Broken Arrow, OK; great- grandchildren, Caleb James and Seth Morgan Gibbs, Chase Eric, and Grayson Wayne Swafford; sisters, Lahoma Underwood of Long Beach, CA and Daisy Massengale of Sand Springs, OK. Service will be 2:30 p.m., Monday, October 8, 2007 at Mason Chapel-Asbury United Methodist Church with interment at Memorial Park Cemetery. Moore's Southlawn Chapel, share memories at www.moorefuneral.com, (918)663-2233. James Frank Gibbs, Jr. VIEW AND SIGN THE ONLINE GUEST BOOK: www.legacy.com/tulsaworld Published in the Tulsa World on 10/7/2007. Guest Book • Flowers • Gift Shop • Charities"

1850 Census for Malitda Gibbs

2007-08-16T20:55:00.001-07:00

The letter that Charlotte wrote with family history has been like finding a buried treasure for me, I have started to "dissect" it hoping to learn more about this family.

Today I used the letter Charlotte wrote to try and find a young Joseph Lewis Gibbs in the census.I started with the 1850 census as it is the first census to list everybody in a household. In 1850 Joseph would be about 15 years old. Charlotte says that his mother, Nancy Donahue passed away in Feb of 1840, the 1840 census only lists the names of the head of a house hold with marks under age groups for both male and female, this is why I wanted to start with the 1850 census which lists each person in a household by name. I did locate Joseph in the 1860 census.

I haven't had any luck with Joseph so I decided to try Matilda Gibbs I was happily surprised when a Matilda Gibbs showed up in the results and even more so when I saw who she was living with. I found them in Deerfield Ohio Ross County. After I found them I went through each of the 32 pages of census records for Deerfield, I found a few more Donahue's that could or could not be related, Hannah's husbands name was Amos, he passed away in 1849, I found an Amos Donahue age 25 living close by.

The page I found Matilda on is located at Ancestery.com under U.S. census > 1850 United States Federal Census > Ohio > Ross > Deerfield image 22 line 14.

To Be Found on the Internet

2007-08-15T17:13:00.001-07:00

Several years ago I submitted a Family Group Sheet for James and Lizzie to the RootsWeb Rogers County Genealogy page. Since I submitted the information we lost Davis Gibbs, so I need to see about submitting an update.

If you surf around on the site, in the history of Claremore you might notice that here it says that the first hotel in the town was owned and managed by Mrs. Creighton. But there is also a source, "Rogers County History" that says Joseph and Martha were the first owners of the first hotel. I imagine the only way to know for sure would be to be able to find some records.

James Franklin and Lizzie Davis Gibbs

2007-08-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

Year unknown. I believe this picture was shared with me by Catherine Anna Gibbs Money, a granddaughter of James and Lizzie.

Crypt of Joseph Lewis Gibbs

2007-08-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

This is the crypt where Joseph L Gibbs and Martha Jane Scott Gibbs Rose are resting.
This is the Marker on top of the crypt. I was told that there used to be a door on it that has been cemented over. At the base is the headstone for Martha
These pictures were shared with me by Paige Money, a great great granddaughter to Joseph and Martha.

Mary D. Gibbs

2007-08-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today Paige Money shared some of the pictures they have from their visit to Woodlawn cemetery in 2003, I am very grateful for them. Working on the pictures I came across a picture of little Mary Gibbs, and Paige shared her picture of Mary's headstone, the picture must have been taken not long before she died. Mary was the oldest child of Lizzie and James Gibbs.

Paige is a Great Granddaughter of Lizzie and James Gibbs.

Charlotte Gibbs Fry

2007-08-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

This is a scan of the front and back of a picture found in the collection of photos that belong to Daisy Gibbs Massengale. Daisy has many fond memories of her Aunt Lottie.

Lottie is also the author of this letter.

1860 census for Joseph and Martha Gibbs

2007-08-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

This is an image for the 1860 census for Joseph and Martha Gibbs, they are listed in what could possibly be a boarding house, they are found on lines 32 and 33.

Family Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery

2007-08-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

After visiting the cemetery several years ago I wrote to see what information they held and this is the letter I received

Martha Jane Scott Gibbs Rose, Fruita, Colorado Obit.

2007-08-07T10:24:00.001-07:00

I have several queries on the internet seeking info. or contact with different family lines. Over the past 2 years I have been very fortunate to have family of my great great grandmother Martha Jane Scott Gibbs Rose contact me. It is very exciting when this happens. Besides finding family members this way, I have been extremely fortunate to come across genealogy angels, these are wonderful people who have taken their time to look for information for me in locations that I am unable to travel to. In the last month one of these wonderful angels, Mrs. Denton of Colorado, found the Newspaper Obituary for Martha. There wasn't much information in it, but it helps to place her. This is an image of the Obit I received.

A Letter From the Past to the Future

2007-06-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

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)

-------------------------------

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"

Headstone of Martha Jane Scott Gibbs

2006-05-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

Taken July 2001 at Woodlawn Cemetery, Claremore, Oklahoma by Connie Lee Gibbs Giltz (great, great granddaughter)

Wedding Day May 9,1901

2006-05-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

Lizzie Davis and James Gibbs on their wedding day, May 9, 1901. Lizzie is sitting on the horse and James is holding the horse. The rest of the people in the picture are unknown. Picture provided by: Katherine Anna Gibbs Money (a granddaughter)

James Gibbs is the son of Joseph and Martha Gibbs.

Gibbs Hotel, Rogers County, Claremore Oklahoma

2006-02-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Date of photo is unknown,but this is suppose to be the first hotel in Claremore Oklahoma, owned by Joseph Lewis Gibbs and wife Martha Jane Scott Gibbs. Seated in the buggy is believed to be William Fry and Charlotte Gibbs Fry, daughter of Joseph and Martha Gibbs. Photo From: Mildred Daisy Gibbs Massengale (daughter of Lizzie and James Gibbs)

This is from the book "Rogers County History"
Connie Lee Gibbs Giltz owns a copy of this book
(great granddaughter of Lizzie and James Gibbs)