John Gibson Family

John and Mary Sherrill Dent Gibson came to Texas from Salem Missouri in 1858, bringing their three children John Dent, Mary Elizabeth, and Jim (James David Gibson). Mary had been widowed by the death of Walter Dent in the California Gold fields or enroute there in th early 1850's.

When arriving in Texas they looked at land in what is now Hood County, (which had not been formed) and having no county seat would have to go to Cleburne to transact the closing of the sale. They came up into the South edge of Parker County on Long Creek and settled on 160 acres which could be handled in Weatherford. The acerage also had a log cabin on it. Both log cabin and acreage was bought from a widow for a wagon and a team of mules.

In the fall of the first year John broke his farming land with oxen pulling a wooden beam plow with metal coulter. During the winter he cut split rails and fenced the ground he had broken and come spring planted corn by punching a hole in the ground with a stick. He harvested a good crop with no further work. To the family six more children were born: Fayette, Nora, Jane, Laura, Ellen, and Matt.

The nine children were married as follows: John Dent married Tersai Tankersley and remained in the Baker Community. Mary Elizabeth married Tom Ribble (See Webb-Ribble Story). David James married Ona Wallen and lived in Merkel, Texas. Samuel Lafayette married Betty Parkinson and lived over in the edge of Hood County near the Parker County LIne. Nora married Fayette Mathews. Jane married Mr. M.L. Sikes and they lived at Graford. Laura married John Guiles (See Guiles Story). Ellen married Jim Hardin and they lived in Poolville.

The youngest child, William Madison (Matt) married Agnes Morrison of the Baker Community and theirs is another story. (See Matt and Aggie Gibson Story).

John and Mary Gibson are both buried in the Long Creek Cemetery. By:Doris Gibson Gray