Obituary of Serilda Jane GIBSON GATES, Macoupin Co Illinois 05 Oct 1998 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives ©1998 Marilyn Galvan Name of Deceased: GATES, Serilda Jane Gibson Name of Newspaper: Girard Gazette Date of Obituary: February 1940 Obituary: Funeral services for Serilda Jane GATES, who died Tuesday, February 13, 1940, at Girard, were held at 2 PM Thursday from the Brethren Church, that city, with Rev. Caslow, Virden, assisted by Rev. Dearhoff of the Home, officiating. The deceased was the great-great-aunt of Lynn Elbert Berry, who assisted his father, C. E. Berry, in conducting the last rites. Interment was made in the Girard City cemetery, with six neighbors acting as pallbearers. Mrs. GATES was the oldest of 12 children born to the late Rev. Cullen C. GIBSON and his wife, Nancy Jane DAUGHERTY, pioneer settlers in this part of the state, the father coming from Tennessee in 1829 and the mother from Louisville, KY, the following year. Serilda GIBSON was born February 24, 1845, in Youngblood Prairie, near Franklin, Morgan County, Illinois, but as a small child came with her parents into Macoupin County to make their permanent home. In 1861 she was married to Frank W. GATES, whose parents also brought their family into Illinois from Kentucky. She lived her entire 60 years of married life in and near Girard. Her husband served his country through the duration of the Civil War and she was the oldest Civil War widow in Macoupin County at the time of her death. If she had lived until the 24th of February she would have been 95 years of age. In 1901 she and her husband retired from farming and came to Girard, and after his death in 1923 she made her home with her several children. She made several trips to California to visit her daughter, Mrs. Nora HARSHBARGER; spent a year in Denver with her son Charles M. GATES, an architech; and made shorter visits with her oldest daughter, Mrs. Sara FORTNER in Sulphur Springs, Ark. She spent many summers here in Carlinville with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Lois TROVER and family, endearing herself to the friends she made while here. Mrs. GATES lived a long, happy and useful Christian life and from early girlhood was a devoted member of the Brethren Church, or Dunkards, as they were called in the early days. In 1905 her father, Rev. Cullen C. GIBSON founded the Brethren Home in Girard, where Mrs. GATES was devotedly cared for the last 18 months of her life. One son, Charles M. GATES of Denver, Colo., and one daughter, Mrs. Ella McCann, Bird Township, preceded their mother in death. Surviving are the four daughters, Mrs. Sara FORTNER, Sulphur Spring, Ark; Mrs. Emma GARDNER, Girard, Illinois; Mrs. Nora HARSHBARGER, LaVerne, Calif; and Mrs. Lois TROVER, Carlinville; two sons, Oscar C. GATES, Roswell, NM and Edgar F. GATES, of Springfield, Illinois.. She leaves 24 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren. Of the GIBSON family of 12 there are 6 surviving Mrs. GATES: three sisters, Mrs. Hanna WIRT, Virden; Mrs. Sarah GARST, Girard, and Mrs. Lizzie STOWE, Springfield, and three brothers, George and Henry GIBSON, Girard, and Cullen Q. GIBSON of Springfield. Somewhere tonight among the hills of heaven, She'll walk with all God's stars around her. And we who lost her here on earth, grow happy knowing God has found her. USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, *and* permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Marilyn Galvan. (© 1998 Marilyn Galvan)