The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1919-04-17
DEATH OF MRS. GIBBEs
Gov. Gilchrists Mother Died
Last Week

OON. AlpClL W. ohSA 1SV -
loss of his mother, which occurred
at her home in Columbia, S. g.,
on Monday of last week. Most OF
them know how tenderly, how
deeply he was devoted to her, and
they can, therefore, understand
what a sad blow her death is to
him. His devotion to her com
handed the admiration and deep
ly touched the hearts of thous-
ands of friends of both.
The following notice OF her
death, which was published in the
Daily State of Columbia on the
Sth inst. will prove of interest to
those acquainted with his noble
mother:
With the death of Mrs. "Bes-
sic" (Rhoda Elizabeth) Gibbes,
widow of the late Col. James g..
Gibbes, at her residence, 1918
Bull street, yesterday morning,
there passed away kindly, gra-
cious and well beloved lady of the
old school. In her engaging man
ners, fine hospitality, ready wit
and sprightly bearing, this splen-
did type of South Carolina wo-
manhood linked the courtly past
with the protean present-in the
end drawing around her THAT
which should accompany old age,
as honor, love, obedience, troops
of friends. +"
Carving well her more than
four score years, with an energy
and a youthful vigor that were
the remark of all who knew her,
it was not until the last few
weeks that she retired from her
well known activities, Obliged by
several falls which weakened and
disabled a hardy and remarkable
constitution. Surrounded by sons,
daughters and grandchildren, at
IL o clock in the morning the sill
yer cord was gently loosed, and
her passing on was as that OF the
flower whose petals are kissed to
sleep by the kindly zephyrs of
spring.
Mrs. Gibbes was born in Green
wood, the only daughter of AL
bert Waller, wealthy planter
and large Shareholder. Her moth
err was Jane Elizabeth Creswell,
of the same county, who, like her,
died at the green old age of sc
years. Mrs. Gibbes had eight
brothers, nearly all of whom were
Confederate soldiers, four OF them
giving up their lives in battle, OF
these there SURVIVES the veneer
able Capt. C. A. c. Waller of
Greenwood, ex-state senator.
In 1858 she married William 5.
Gilchrist of Quincy, Fla, then
State senator and afterwards ma
Jor general of militia, who died in
1860. OF that union there is liv-
ing one son, Gen. Albert ". Gil
christ of Punta Gorda, Fla, a
West Pointer, a distinguished
Floridian and ex-governor.
In 1870 Mrs. Gilchrist married
the late Col. James q. Gibbes OF
Columbia, whose name is linked
with the history OF this city and
of the Confederacy, to his indy
ing memory, To them were born
these surviving children: Mrs.
Walter :. Montgomery of Spar
tanburg, Dr. Robert Waller
GibbeS and Hunter A. Gibbes eli
Columbia, and Mrs. Arch Cheath-
am of Durham, n. c. In loving
attendance also at her bedside
was her stepdaughter, Mrs, d. A,
ChildS, Sr., born Minna GibbeS OF
Columbia.
Probably no one in all this
country was better known and
more dearly liked as an entertain
er and a patron of the young. A
graduate of two colleges, she
possessed q finished education
that expressed itself in an easy
and natural radiation of unusual
artistic and literary accomplish
mentS. Her pen could write, hel
wit devise, her brush could leave
its dainty traeery upon china OF
canvas, and her fingers brought
melody from the piano even un,
til near the end. In South Caro-
lima and in Florida her home was
a Mecca which attracted old and
young to pSrtske OF those fine old
c0urteSieS and entertainments
that mark the refined and educat.
ed woman of the South.