Biography of Marion H. Kibler, Randolph Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bridgette Cohen Date: 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas Copyrighted and Published 1889 by Goodspeed Publishing Company Marion H. Kibler, M. D., is one of the leading physicians of Randolph County, Ark., and has been a practicing physician here since 1853. He was born in Catawba County, N. C., January 19, 1831, and until eighteen years of age passed his days in his native State; but at this time a strong desire to learn medicine caused him to commence its study with Dr. John Scurry, at Cross Plains, Ala., and he made such sufficient progress under his instruction as to justify him on entering the active practice of the profession soon after, in partnership with his instructor. While in Alabama he was the first physician to use chloroform in Benton (now Calhoun) County, as an anęsthetic, and his experiment proving highly satisfactory, it was largely adopted by other physicians. The early training which he received in this science was by no means sufficient to satisfy a person of his inquiring mind, consequently he attended a course of lectures at Augusta, Ga. Since 1853 he has been a resident of Randolph County, Ark., and his career here as a physician has long been well and favorably known to the many who have tested his healing ability, and his success is shown by the extended territory over which he goes to alleviate the sufferings of the sick. In 1863 and 1864 he was examining surgeon in the Confederate service. He was married, in 1856, to Miss Amanda J. Cain, a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Cain. Mrs. Kibler was born in Alabama December 27, 1839, and died in Randolph County, Ark., May 30, 1876, leaving one daughter, Ella S., the wife of Dr. G. A. Seals. The Doctor married his present wife July 27, 1887, her maiden name being Nannie M. Hulett, a daughter of A. J. and Anna M. Hulett. By her the Doctor became the father of one child, Marion Hulett. He has always been a Democrat in his political views, and is a member of the Masonic fraternity. His parents, Michael and Catherine (Lowrance) Kibler, were prominent residents of North Carolina, in which State the mother was born. The father was born on the Atlantic Ocean, while his parents were on route from Germany to the United States. They located in Pennsylvania, and afterward in North Carolina, where Michael grew to manhood and married. He spent his life in that State, and died in 1848, at the age of fifty-six years. He was a blacksmith [p.405] and a farmer, a Whig in politics, and in his religious views was a Lutheran. Four of his six children are now living: A. H., ex-treasurer of Randolph County, Ark.: Minerva, wife of Jacob F. Dailey, a prominent merchant of Piedmont, Ala.; Sophronia, at Piedmont, Ala., and Dr, Marion H. The two deceased are Miles Michael, who was a lieutenant in the Confederate army, and was killed at Richmond, Va., and W. R., who was a surgeon in an Arkansas regiment, was wounded at Franklin, Tenn., and died from the effects of the wound several years after the close of the war.