The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-09-29
Passing of ,Sibley
County Pioneer Lady
MRS. Mary L. Gibbs Died Recently
At Home OF Her Daughter;
Aged Eighty Five.

Sibley county lost one OF her
pioneers when Mrs. Mary L. Gibbs.
passed away at the home of her
daughter and SON. law Mrs. E.
d. Allen in New Auburn, Sibley
county, Friday evening, September
%, at $3.50 o'clock at the age of
eighty five years, three months and
twenty eight days. She is one of
the last territorial pioneers in this
section Of the state. About month
ago she fell and broke her hip and
gradually failed since.
The funeral was held Sunday af-
ternoon. Short services were held
at the home, preceding the service
at the First Day Baptist church,
which was attended by "a large
number of old friends and neighbors.
Interment was made in the High Is
land cemetery in the family lot be-!
side the body of her husband, who
ago. Rev. Richford d. orion Of
Hutchinson officiated. The palfbear-
ers were Charles Wilkins, Peter
Toolburg, Arch Hubbard, Edward
Ramsdall, Will Vaughan and Wv
man Lawton.
The choir from the Congregation.
al church Of Brownton sang several
beautiful songs.
Mary Lavonia Hathaway was
born May %, 1887, in Fair Haven.
Vermont. She came west with rela-
tives and friends when young
woman and was married at Mime
apolis to Francis s. Gibbs, child
hood sweetheart. The wedding
took place January is, 1857, at the
home of married sister.
The groom had "squatted" on 160
acres Of land, a portion Of which
of Minneapolis. But the land was
sandy and swampy and apparently
unsuited for primitive farming. so
he left and located on the edge of
New Auburn Lake, Sibley county,
to which place he took his bride.
travelling through the deep woods
and over wild prairies, requiring a
week for the trip. This was in
1857, the year before Minnesota
became q state. The land upon
" hich they located was the Gibbs
home for over fifty years and upon
this farm where they commenced
housekeeping the deceased and her
husband celebrated their golden,
wedding Anniversary in 1907. The
past twelve years was spent ia the
village and since the death of her
husband Mrs. Gibbs has made her
home with the Aliens.
Her daily life was SYNONYMOUS
with hospitality, generosity and
earnest christian service for others.
She was always kind, patient and
hopeful, a motherly woman that
everyone loved Who knew her.
Her early life, associated as 1t
was with the days of OK team travel.
fear of the Indians who Poafned the
prairie, was one of hardship such
as the early pioneers of the state
met up with, but this only seemed
to accentuate her spirit Of service
and hospitality.
For years she was w c. T..
u. worker, also Sunday school
teacher and she was an adherent
to the faith of Jesus Christ. The
deceased was we'll read woman
and IN spite of her advanced age
she had passion for knowledge OF
the worlds events and the latest
Information on all subjects.
When il came to preparing bit
of history about the New Auburn
community, Mary Gibbs was the
person looked to, for she had the
data, memory and ability for the
work. Commencing about ten years
ago she began q pioneer history OF
this territory, which the Minnesota
Historical society desired to secure
when they learned Of it. Before 1t
was put in final form and assembled
her eyesight failed SO rapidly. that
the work today remains unfinished.
She was the mother of seven
children, four of whom survive her.
They are Norman of Pine City.
Leonard of WATERFOWL, 8. D.; Cora
d. Allen of New Auburn and Elmo
of Mankato. She is also survived
by a sister, Mrs. Della Sherherd
of East Arlington, Vermont. who is
ninety years old. She also had sew
enteer grandchildren and twenty
one great grandchildren.