Elizabeth Gilbert and Chauncey D. Robb

Elizabeth Gilbert the daughter of Ezekiel and Jane (McGuire) Gilbert was born 1 January 1861 in Brown County Kansas. She was married 19 August 1883 at Comet, Brown Co., KS to Chauncey Dill Robb born 16 Aug 1837 in Westmoreland Co. PA the son of George W. Robb and Christiana Palmer. Elizabeth died 18 Dec 1914 and Chauncey died 31 October 1922 both at Centralia Kansas and are buried in the Comet cemetery south of Fairview Kansas. They were the parents of 8 children: a son born Feb 1894 died very young; a dau who also died very young; Kitty Murphy; Christian Wilson born 1886; Ella Jasper born 1887; Grace Edna 1892-1915 married Louis Weyer; Blanche Ritenbacher born 1895; and Letha Nancy 1898-1986 married Ed Anderson. Chauncey had been married prior to Elizabeth to Sarah Elizabeth Pry, they had adopted a son Claude Robb. Sarah had died in 1880 in Brown county and was buried at Severance, Kansas

The photo is of Chauncey D. and Elizabeth Robb

William A. Gilbert and Mary Anderson Gilbert

William Anderson Gilbert the son of Ezekiel and Jane (McGuire) Gilbert was born 25 December 1850 in Owsley County Kentucky and came to Brown County Kansas with his parent around 1859. He was married on 27 March 1884 in Brown County Kansas to Mary Jane Anderson born 15 July 1864 near Robinson Kansas the daughter of Norwegian immigrants Ole Anderson and Kjersti Bronson Anderson. William died 16 May 1929 and Mary died 17 Feb 1948 at their farm home south of Fairview, Kansas. Both are buried in the Powhattan cemetery, Powhattan, KS. They were the parents of 7 children: Julia Ann 1885-1950 married Merlin Jacobia; Oliver 1887-1954 married Lula Jacobia; Ralph 1889-1962 married Atha Smith; John 1891-1955 married Dora Estley Halstede; Raymond 1897-1977 married May Ball; William 1899-1966 married Rowena Meade; and Alice 1902-1991 married William Owen.

Photo is of William and Mary Gilbert

Photos, Etc.

I am in the process of updating the book The Gilbert Family in Kansas, published in 1982. If you have photos, stories, births, deaths, marriages, divorces, etc. for the new book please get them to me at the below address. I am hoping to have the book finished in time for the 2009 Family Reunion. So the holiday season is coming up, a good time when all the family is together to take a few photos.
I am also searching for a photo of Hiram Gilbert 1862-1928. Also, if you have old family photos I'd be interested in knowing what you have as I may want to add them to my collection of family photos.
I am also collecting email addresses to send out verifications on information I have for the book, so if you have family members that have an email address I may not have please let me know, I'd rather have duplicate information than no information at all.
For more information or to contact me: Larry Gilbert my email is ks_nature_boy@hotmail.com and my mailing address is 4367 Troup Ave., Kansas City, KS 66102 (as of August 2010)
Your help is always appreciated.

History of the Gilbert Family in Kansas

Ezekiel and Elizabeth Jane (McGuire) Gilbert packed up their young family to leave their native Kentucky for the wilds of the Kansas Territory. The time period is from 1857-1859, no proof exists as to when they left nor how long it took them to travel to Kansas. What is known is that they purchased land in what became Brown County on 8 April 1859.

Ezekiel was born approx. 1819 in Madison County Kentucky the son of Aquilla and Jane (Stewart) Gilbert. He was married 11 September 1848 in Owsley County Kentucky to Elizabeth Jane McGuire who was born 1 January 1827 in Madison County Kentucky the daughter of James Adger and Nancy (Anglin) McGuire.

They were the parents of 8 children, two of which no record can be found so are assumed to have died very young. Those children who lived to adulthood were James Gilbert 28 December 1849-15 March 1915 married Martha Agnes Kugler; William Anderson Gilbert 25 December 1850-16 May 1929 married Mary Jane Anderson; Nancy Ann Gilbert April 1855-circa 1904 married William Brownlee; Margaret Gilbert ?-17 Feb 1911 1st married Henry Fortney, 2nd married Ezra Cleveland; Elizabeth Gilbert 1 January 1861-18 December 1914 married Chauncey D. Robb; Hiram Gilbert 9 October 1862-7 July 1928.

It is unknown when Ezekiel died but is was sometime between 1862-1865 and according to family tradition he was buried at the corner of the log cabin so his widow, Jane, could keep an eye on him. Jane died 30 Mar 1907 and was buried in the Comet cemetery.

The photo is that of Elizabeth Jane Gilbert, date of the photo is unknown

Margaret Gilbert Fortney Cleveland

This photo is of Margaret Gilbert and Ezra Cleveland, she the daughter of Ezekiel and Jane Gilbert and sister to William Gilbert. She was 1st married to Henry Fortney he died in 1879, they had one child Charley who died in 1878. Henry and Charley are buried in Capioma Kansas. Margaret then remarried to Ezra Cleveland and they had ten children. Margaret died in 1911 and is buried in an unmarked grave in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Kansas.

Another photo of Mary Gilbert

First photo is of Mary Gilbert and her children in attendance at the 1940 reunion. The 1st reunion was held in honor of Mary's birthday.

Second photo is of Mary's grandchildren in attendance at the reunion.

Mary Gilbert 1940

This photo is of Mary Gilbert and her great grandchildren as of 1940 at the reunion.

1st Official Gilbert Reunion

1st Official Gilbert Reunion held in 1940 at Sun Springs. The photo attached is a group shot of all in attendance.

An e-mail from Larry Gilbert dated October 1st, 2007

As far as I have been able to determine and have proof of such, the Gilbert family came to Brown county KS in 1859 or at least they are recorded as buying land then. They could have been here longer, but no proof. So I proposed that the 2009 reunion which would mark the 150th year, be a special family reunion. Our yearly reunion is basically the William and Mary Gilbert descendants, so I am going to attempt to get the descendants of William's brothers and sisters to attend this one, don't know how much luck I will have as they are very hard to get to answer emails and letters.Greg Brammer is working on designs so we can create t-shirts for the occassion, the sale of which to offset the cost of the reunion after they have paid for themselves.From talking to others, the reunion will be held on June 21, 2009 in the new Fairview Community Building.

New website coming soon!

The new Gilbert Family website will be coming real soon. It will feature the Gilbert lineage in Kansas for the last 150 years. Details coming soon.