The Gibson Family Newsletter

These last few months have been very exciting for me and I would like to tell you all why. First, we got a computer and I have gone online. By connecting with the World Wide Web, I have found another cousin. Actually, she found me! I posted a message on the Randolph Co., AR, home page about Gibson and Pratt and she answered to the message!

Her name is Betty Jo Gibson Scott of Enid, OK. Her father, Joseph Philander Gibson was the son of WO and Mary! Joseph went to OK to join in the Great Land Run. How exciting, can you just imagine the son of our WO, racing out with the hundreds of other pioneers to stake a claim of that OK soil?!

Betty Jo has sent a collection of old letters written by her grandmother, Mary Glore, newspaper clipping and lots of pictures. I had originally intended to begin highlighting the children of Robert Gibson and Martha Belton in this newsletter but now, cannot resist the urge to fill these pages with the new treasures.

A Mystery Unveiled

As many of you know, I have been trying to track down James M. Gibson, the one elusive child of WO whose existence I could not document. Yes, you guessed it, Betty Jo had the answer. James "Jim" Gibson was born about 1854 to WO and Taletha Pratt Gibson. He married Samantha Russell on June 14, 1877 and they had two children, William Bird and Della Jane. Jim and WO and Mary Glore Gibson's oldest son, William (24 yrs old), were taken by typhoid fever about 1884. Samantha then married Jim's younger brother, Lisbon Bruce Gibson. Samantha and Bruce had six children together.

Corrections

We now have a date of death for WO and Mary. Williamson died in Ripley Co., MO on September 22, 1895 and Mary followed about 1896. In the previous newletter One of WO and Mary's sons was listed as John D. but thanks to the eagle eyes of Hazel Dickens and Jeanette Johnson we find out that this son was actually John Baptist Gibson. Lastly, I had been refering to the history compiled by "The Gibson's of Oklahoma" when in fact this history was compiled by Imogene Baker of Randolph Co., AR.

Betty's Memories of the Ozark Gibsons

With the service of the Internet, Betty and I have been corresponded almost daily and her letters always contain vivid descriptions of her memories of the "Ozark Gibsons". With each memory, we are enlightened to the lives our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and aunts and uncles. Here are just a few:

Joseph Gibson described his father as a "red-headed, Scots-Irish, circuit riding, hell, fire and brimestone, Primitive Baptist preacher in the Missouri Ozarks!"

"The times I was around the Ozark Gibsons, I found happy, laughing people with a love of music. One family member told me she didn't think she ever saw a Gibson man without a guitar, banjo, fiddle or french harp. Dad sang solo in church two weeks before he died."

"I remember on one trip back there about 1935 that Dad was so excited about seeing his sister Fennie (Josephine). Many family members were going to be at her house. When we drove there (I have no idea where) we had to park and walk quite a way because there was no road going to her home. Her home was one of those two cabins with a breeze way between the rooms. (Forgot what that was called.) That is where we ate. I remember playing with a lot of kids and running from one room into the breeze way and around the table and then into the next room. I kept feeling like the house and all of us were likely to slide down the mountain. Remember, I was a kid from the plains of Oklahoma and had never seen a good size hill."

"...when I remarked on the ladies doing dishes, Dad told me about when he was a child and walked into the kitchen where the women folk were doing dishes and they all giggled and got after him and made him leave because they had their long sleeves rolled up and men, even boys, were not supposed to see ladies' naked arms." After this story, Betty Jo commented that she wasn't sure if she could believe this tale because her Scots-Irish dad often embellished his stories. She said her mother spent a lot of time keeping him in line! If you believe this about ladies naked arms, write in and tell us.

I wrote to Betty Jo that I found it interesting for Mary to have written about "The Barren" in her letters because I had seen that name used before to describe an area around Doniphan, it interesting for me to learn that our family had lived there. This comment brought another wonderful response from Betty:

"About the Big Barren and Little Barren: I heard Dad talk about Big Barn and Little Barn and I had a child's minds eye concept of two barns--a little barn on one side of a mountain and a big barn on the other side. Today I think they were rivers or streams and indicated an area but I am not really sure. For example: "they lived up on little barn"! I have not found the Barrens on a map...

Dad did not have much of an Ozark accent but in this case he did. A lot of time he would change that "a" sound on the end of a woman's name to an "e" sound. Sometimes he would call Mom Dorey and she was not very fond of that name. Samantha became Samanthy, Docia became Doshey, ect.

I know he thought very fondly of his siblings and their families and liked to talk about Missouri. One day when I was reading something about the Barrens, it finally clicked. It was not "barn" at all. He also had a fondness for the Current River and when we crossed it for the first time we stopped so he could wade in that wonderful, cold, clear water. He told me to wear shoes when I waded because every rock had three corners and all three were sticking up.

He also said he had one leg shorter than the other from walking around a mountain in the same direction. So he told me to always go one way and come back another, that way my legs would stay the same length.

Of course, at seven years old, I believed everything he told me. I spent a lot of time looking at rocks and being sure to keep my legs the same length. When I would show him a nice smooth stone, he would tell me that those kinds were not real Missouri rocks. People had gotten tired of the sharp rocks hurting their bare feet so they got some nice smooth stones from Hawaii and planted them. When he could see I kinda doubted that, he told me that those were the only kind you could plant and Missouri was the only place they would grow. He said if I didn't believe it to just dig around and I could probably dig some up that hadn't sprouted yet. So, of course, I started digging.

In 1955 Dean (Dean Scott, Betty's husband) and I took a Missouri vacation to just mosey around. I knew I had been to Bennett but had no remembrance of Pine except going to a cemetery. I am sure that was to see Dad's folks graves. When Dean and I got to Bennett there was not much there. What had been the General Store was a storage place for hay, I believe. There was a man there and when we told him who we were and were looking for Gibsons, he remembered meeting me when I was there with the folks in 1935 and '40 and pointed out the house where my Uncle had lived...I am not sure which uncle that had been but I want to say that it was Uncle John Gibson. I think another uncle lived nearby. I wish I could remember the names and locations as well as I can remember those rocks!"

Do You Know The Answer?

Betty has not only memories and facts to share with us but like the rest of us she has questions too. 1. "The one of WO's children that I haven't found is Docia. She married Bud Bryant and two of my sisters told me they went to Texas. She was the baby of the family and born about 1877."

2.WO's oldest daughter, Francis E. Gibson, married Joseph Steele Franklin Co., MO, on October 13, 1872. This question is about Francis Gibson Steele. My sister told me...at one time they lived "in the panhandle" but Ethel didn't know whether it was the Texas or Oklahoma panhandle. Ethel remembered going out there to see them but she was very small. And when dad's first wife died Aunt Fannie (Francis Steele) came and helped dad for awhile. (When Joseph's first wife died he was left alone to raise two very young babies.)

3. In reference to a letter Betty has that was from Norman G. Gibson in Granite City, IL addressed to Betty's brother Paul and mother. April 12, 1966, "...we haven't got to go down to the Big Barren Church when they have the reunion for the last few years and I don't know what plans are made for the reunion this summer or whether or not we can make it this year or not." Betty has a few photos taken at the Gibson reunion in 1961 and there is one of a church. Her brother and sisters Ethel and Blanch took her mother back for that reunion. Betty's questions: Was this the site of the reunion that Norman Gibson had written about? If so, is the church the Big Barren Church? She also heard something about Johnston's Chapel but doesn't know what, do you? Is there still a reunion held at this location or a Gibson reunion held anywhere? She wonders how her family found out about the reunion, does somebody send out letters to announce it?

I, myself, have heard rumors of a Gibson reunion held yearly at Johnston's Chapel. Is this true and how do we learn more about attending?

Lastly, is the large collection of photographs Betty Jo has and needs your help identifying some of the people in them. Betty has sent only a portion of her collection and once she finished organizing says she will send more. Most of the photo's are labeled but photos 1,2 and 3 are the ones she has questions about.

1. Could this be Williamson and Mary and one of their daughters? When and where was it taken? 3. Is this WO and Mary and their children or is it a church picture? When and where was this picture taken. (Note the men with their instruments and the women preparing to sing!) 4. This last picture is of Betty's dad and some of his siblings. Joe is the large man on the end. Betty sent a note with this one saying that Joe was sure to stand on a small hill so he would look even taller! Can you identify any of the other people? Emma Gibson Hodo is on the far left and it could be Fenie Gibson Bridges in center. Could these two other men be John Baptist, Steve or Bruce?

Betty creates books with her computer and has several to offer to us. The first is titled 'Descendants of W.O. Gibson' and it is the most thorough documentation of the Gibson children that I have ever seen. Cost $10. The second is a Glore family history which includes eight generations beginning in Germany. Cost $20. The fee for Betty's books covers only the cost of production and shipping. All books are printed on quality paper and spiral bound, some include photographs. When you order from her also send her a list of your relatives so that she can make updates if nessasary.

Yet Another Cousin Is Found

Today, I received a letter, dated November 27, from Rev. Wayne and Mrs. Ruth Gibson, who were mentioned in the last newsletter. It was believed at that time that we Gibsons were related only to his wife whose maiden name is Gibson and a descendant of Robert Gibson, Jr.

Quote from Wayne's letter... "When I received your letter some months ago I immediately realized that we were indeed from the same ancestor. In fact, I am closer kin to you than Ruth. My great grandfather was WO Gibson and my great grandmother was Mary Glore Gibson. My grandfather was Strather (Straud) R. Gibson and my father was Noel J. Gibson...When we were married in 1962 people used to tease us and say that we were kin but we could never find the connection. Now that the fact has been established, I can say that she is my wife and my kissing cousin."

Wayne has sent five photographs to us, 8 & 9 are of Straud and his wife Lucy Driver. In #8 the original caption said that it was taken in front of a little house in OK. Another was of Straud and his family pulling turnips which we will print later. Wayne also sent the pose of WO holding his Bible and that printed in the last newsletter (We believe that WO probably gave a copy of this photo to all of his children). Number 7 is a photo of Straud and his brother John Baptist in their workshop. We would like to welcome Wayne's mother and aunt to our newsletter and invite them to join us in answering questions and sharing information.

The last photo, Number 10, was sent to us by Judy Gibson Guilliams and is a mystery. She received the picture a few weeks ago from a Steele descendant of Texas. Could this be WO and Taletha Pratt Gibson? The man may not resemble WO when compared to other shots but the woman because of her earrings may be that of an Indian and Taletha's mother, Frankie Fox Pratt, was reputed to have been an Indian. It has been told to us that women rarely wore earrings back then and certainly not long dangly ones such as this, unless possibly they had Indian heritage. Let us know what you think about this photo.

New addresses: Betty Jo Gibson Scott, 1301 West Oklahoma, Enid, OK 73703 or email at bjsbytes@fullnet.net

Wayne and Ruth Gibson, PO Box 18, Belgrade, MO 63622

Please write to me at: Gena Davis, 5904 Horseshoe Bend, Ft. Wayne, IN 46825, PH# 219-482-2131 or email at coft@aol.com

Before we close this last newsletter of 1996, lets pray for the continued health and friendship of all our Gibson cousins. Happy New Year!!

Joy to the World!

1. Jesse Richardson Russell and wife and daughter












2. Joseph P. Gibson, 1989

















3. Bruce Gibson Family - location unknown















4. The children of Williamson O. Gibson















5.Jesse & Rudy Louisa (Russell) Gibson & son, Jesse Russell

















6.J. R. Gibson, Warm Springs, AR














7. Brothers: Straud & John Gibson In Blacksmith Shop
















8. Straud & Lucy (Driver) Gibson















9. Straud & Lucy (Driver) Gibson





















10. Who are these people?