HARRY STEPHEN GIBSON
Hiram Gibson is Harry S. Gibson.
From the beginning, in my searches, I've tried to find out as much as I could about every family member. Over the last few years, I've searched in vain to find Hiram Gibson, a s/o Thomas Gibson and Margaret E. Ow. According to the information that I had, Thomas Gibson's Will and other sources, I knew Thomas Gibson had a son born about 1884, who was called Hiram.
According to the story line, when Hiram was 16, he had done something wrong that deserved a whippin'. Hiram told his father, "If you whip me, I will leave." Hiram got his whippin' and he left home. This would be about 1900.
When Hiram was about 21, he was working somewhere in the mid-west. He met a young girl and they ran off and got married. She was 16 years old, and her father was out-raged and had the marriage annuled. The girl stayed at home, and Hiram went to California.
When the girl turned 21, Hiram went back and claimed his wife and child and returned to California. According to a newspaper obit for Thomas Gibson in 1918, Hiram was living in Los Angeles.
So, over the last few years I've occasionally clecked the census, trying different parameters to find Hiram and his family. Every attemp came up empty. This past week, I thought, maybe Hiram had changed his name. For the 1930 census, I used: Gibson, age 46, born in PA, living in CA. I hoped this could narrow things down. There was one result: a Harry S. Gibson was living with his daughter, Lucille, age 15, in CA. Harry was born in PA, his father was born in PA, his mother was born in PA. Lucille was born in CA, her father was born in PA, and her mother was born in Illinois.
I thought, hmmm, Illinois is in the mid-west. I took a look at the 1920 census:
Gibson, Harry S......38.....PA.....PA.....PA
.............Nellie.........28.....ILL....OH.....IND
.............Eva............10.....ILL....PA.....ILL
.............Lucille.........5.....CA.....PA....ILL
It look like what I would expect to find for my Hiram Gibson. The dates don't exactly line up with the story, but I might be on to something.
Nellie and the oldest daughter were born in the mid-west. Nellis is much younger than her husband, much more than the five years in the story.
I needed more information, so I went to the California Death Indes, 1940-2001. There were many parameters, including the mother's maiden name. Well, in this case, there shouldn't be any question. Hiram's mother's maiden name was "Ow". I typed in: Gibson, born in PA, living in CA, mother's maiden name is Ow, father's surname is Gibson.-------------Bingo!!
Harry Stephen Gibson was born October 14, 1883, died January 22, 1940. So, I think that wraps up my hunt for Hiram Gibson!
So, here is the new story line for Hiram Gibson, given all this new information:
Hiram Gibson's name was really Harry Stephen Gibson. He may have changed it from Hiram to Harry. He is called Hiram in his father's will.
When Hiram was 16, he did something wrong that deserved a whippin