My Genealogy Hound

THOMAS J. GIBSON, is a native of Crawford County, Ind., where he was born September 20, 1852, being the oldest son in a family of nine, viz.: Sarah B. (deceased, who married James H. Eaton), Thomas J., Berthena, (now Mrs. Marshall Land), Charles S., John W., Rovilla, (now Mrs. John W. Rolnson), Edward (deceased), Martha E. and James V. M. B., born to William J. and Malinda F. (Shields) Gibson, natives of Kentucky and Indiana. They were married in Crawford County, where they reared their family and still reside. They both are members of the Christian Church, and farmers by occupation. His father, Johnson Gibson, was one of the pioneer settlers of Crawford County, and lived to be one hundred and ten years old. He was a native of Virginia, and served in the war of 1812. Our subject was reared by his parents and received a limited education. He, at the age of seventeen, commenced educating himself and at the age of twenty-four had acquired a good academic education. He has followed teaching school every winter since his majority, up to the spring of 1884, at which time he was elected township trustee on the Republican ticket, which office he still holds. He has cleared the township of debt, and now has a surplus for furnishing the schools of the township with improved fixtures. He is a Republican in politics and belongs to the order of Masons. He is the owner of 115 acres of land, mostly well-improved. He was united in marriage to Miss Melissa A., daughter of John S. and Eliza J. (Esarey) Frakes, of Branchville, March 28, 1875, and to this union two children have been born, viz.: Cora May, born December 2, 1880, and Oscar Blaine, born August 30, 1884. Mrs. Melissa A. Gibson was born December 22, 1860. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.