Thursday, November 1, 2007

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

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