Gibbons, Thomas J. Sr. 1826 – 1891

GIBBONS, HALL

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 12/29/2014 at 11:40:43

Iowa Plain Dealer October 22, 1891, P3 C3

DIED.

GIBBONS.—At his home in Saratoga township, on Thursday, Oct. 15th, 1891, Thos. J. Gibbons, Sr., aged 65 years, 7 months and 18 days.

The family return their thanks to the kind friends and neighbors who so kindly assisted them during the sickness and death of husband and father.

MRS. BELLE H. GIBBONS.
THOS. J. GIBBONS, JR.
JENNIE GIBBONS.
IDA GIBBONS.

Another Old Settler Crossed Over.

As will be seen by notice elsewhere, Thos. J. Gibbons, sen., one of the early settlers of Howard County, passed away at his home in Saratoga last Thursday.

Mr. Gibbons was born in the city of New York, was a sail maker by trade, and was a soldier in the navy in the Mexican War, participating in the storming and capture of Vera Cruz.

He was, with Mrs. Gibbons, among the earliest settlers in Howard County, first making a claim in New Oregon which he sold out, and entered upon the land where he had lived for more than a third of a century, and where he died. The pioneer settlers in the Saratoga neighborhood were Jared Sigler, John R. Buckbee, Col. T W. Saunders, Judge Seeley, S. W. Seeley, I. C. Chamberlain, I. H. St. John, C. A. Salmon, C. W. Fields and Thos. J Gibbons. Of these honored names, all of the men except C. W. Fields of this place are numbered with the dead, while of the women the only survivors are Mrs. Sigler, Mrs. Field and Mrs. Gibbons.

In 1858 the town of Saratoga, at first a part of Jamestown, was organized, and at the first election held in October, 1858, John R. Buckbee was chosen town clerk, and Thos. J. Gibbons was elected justice of the peace, and has held the office almost continuously ever since. He has also been a member of the board of county supervisors, always faithfully discharging every trust.

In the war he was one of the volunteers of the county, doing faithful service and receiving an honorable discharge at its termination. His health of late years had not been very good and he was deservedly upon the pension roll of his country.

He was an upright man, a good citizen, a Christian gentleman, and of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.

His immediate family surviving are Mrs. Gibbons, his son, Thos. J, Gibbons, his adopted daughter, Jennie Gibbons, and his sister Maggie, wife of James Hall.