James M. Kibben 1808-1874

INGALLS, KIBBEN, MURPHY, SHAW, WHITE

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 5/23/2006 at 10:40:30

The Free Press, Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Thursday, September 10, 1874, Page 3

~Mr. James M. Kibben died very suddenly on Wednesday morning, Sept. 9th, 1874. Telegraphic dispatches have been forwarded to his son in Western Nebraska, as well as to his sons-in-law Rev. P. P. Ingalls at Des Moines and Rev. S. Murphy at Keokuk. It is intended to try to preserve the body in ice until Friday and have his family all here at the funeral.

Death of James M. Kibben.

James M. Kibben died suddenly but not unexpectedly at his residence in Mt. Pleasant, the morning of Sept. 9th, 1874.

As most of the citizens of Mt. Pleasant know, Mr. Kibben has been in a precarious state of health for several years, and during the past year has had a number of attacks when his life was despaired of, and his recovery hardly looked for in consequence of organic disease of the heart with which he has been afflicted for a number of years. He went to bed and rested quite as well as usual during the night previous to his death, and at 5 o’clock in the morning when the college bell rang he remarked it, saying it sounded so natural to hear the old bell.---He seemed to go to sleep again and Mrs. Kibben arose leaving him in bed and when the breakfast bell rang between 6 and 7 o’clock, Mrs. K. called him, but getting no response to her call, went to his bed and found him apparently sound asleep but really dead. He showed no signs of life afterward, his heart had stopped beating some time before---but it stopped and he lay as though not a muscle was moved afterward, and his death was as quiet and peaceful as an infant in sleep. We say his death was not unexpected. He had talked about it freely to most of his friends for months past as an event likely to occur at any moment and of which he had no fear or dread, and for which he was entirely prepared in every respect. His financial affairs had been carefully arranged in anticipation of the event so that the settlement of quite valuable estate will require the smallest possible attention.

Mr. Kibben was left an orphan at an early age, losing father and mother by death at about the age of nine or ten years, and ever after was thrown almost entirely upon his own resources for success in future life. He was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, the 24th of May, 1808, being over 66 years old at his death. At the death of parents he fell to the care of strangers, being bound as an apprentice to learn the trade of a wagon-maker. After which he followed the tide of emigration to the west which was then Ohio, and about the year 1831 to Lafayette, Ind., where he was twice married and with the present Mrs. Kibben moved to Illinois in 1840 and to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1856, where he has since lived and raised his family.

Mr. Kibben’s pecuniary success in life is but another illustration of the possibilities of this free and wide extended country to every industrious and enterprising young man in the land, success being simply a question of time occupied in honest and continuous effort and labor.

The writer never knew a man in whom a thorough acquaintance developed more of commendable virtues that were not recognized by casual acquaintance than in Mr. Kibben. He emphatically loved his friends and to his friends he was kind, genial and communicative. He was naturally a noble and generous man, doing good without ostentation, often dealing out charities in a truly scripture like manner. He will leave many friends who will deeply mourn his loss.

Mr. Kibben had strong convictions of duty in nearly every relation of life, and adhered to his convictions with great tenacity, but he was generous in his convictions, fully and honestly conceding to others the same freedom of opinion he asked for himself. Peace to his ashes.---Thus the old settlers are passing away.---Our community felt the recent loss of Mr. Shaw, James H. White and now James M. Kibben is added to the list which will soon be lengthened by others in our midst.