Oklahoma Family Tree Stories
This beautiful sculpture of three redbud trees is located just outside the Eleanor and John Kirkpatrick Research Center in the Oklahoma History Center. Each leaf of the Oklahoma Family Tree memorializes an Oklahoma family with the family surname, first name(s), and the town or county where they lived. In addition, a short family history is preserved in the digital family history book at the base of the tree. Sponsoring a leaf is a special way to recognize your family history and benefit future generations at the same time. To find out how to honor your own family with a leaf visit the Oklahoma Family Tree Project page.
Gibson Family
Family Tree Leaf
Gibson, Harold L. and Vera Opal Gilbert, 1902
Texas County
(Family information provided by donor)
Vera Opal Gilbert Gibson(1902–1983)
Harold Leroy Gibson (1899–1977)
Harold, a native of the Flint Hills, and Opal, a native of No Man’s Land, were indeed pioneers. Together they managed to remain in their beloved Panhandle, even during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, when many neighbors left for California.
Harold and Opal were activists in their time: Opal worked with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and Parent-Teacher Association; Harold initiated one of Texas County’s first pump irrigations systems, contributed to the local Board of Education, participated in fundraising for war bonds, and portrayed Santa Claus. Together, they facilitated quality education for their children and others and provided an opportunity for Christian activities for young people.
Opal was the middle daughter of the first justice of the peace of old Beaver County, George Stott Gilbert, and his wife Barbara Jane Montgomery. Opal spent her early years working cattle on the family homestead that adjoined the Beaver River.
Harold, son of William Emmanuel, a railroad worker, and Ellen Elizabeth Jackson, fended for himself and his brother Andrew from the time of their mother’s death in 1912. When he met Opal, he was working as a cowhand on a nearby ranch.
They were married in 1921. The couple then settled on the Plymell place near the convergence of Chiquita Creek and the Beaver River. Their five children grew up on the ranch and attended Hardesty schools. The late Herbert Leon Gibson (farmer-rancher) married Burnetha Faye Martin. The late Arlo Wendell Gibson (farmer-rancher) married Martha Mae Bum. The late Vernon O. Gibson (farmer-rancher) married Ruby Ann Wahl. Bonnie Jeanne Gibson (physician) married Noel E. Miller, MD. Darlene Gibson (educator) married James H. Breen (Colonel, USA). Twenty grandchildren, thirty-eight great-grandchildren, and growing numbers of great-great-grandchildren now share the Gibson–Gilbert heritage of the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Gibson roots and influence remain strong in the Hardesty community. The Gibson Baptist Assembly stands as a testament of the couple’s dedication to the betterment of young people.
