William Kimbrough & Susan Wyatt

William Kimbrough, my wife's 4th great grandfather and father of James Kimbrough, was born in 1792 in Henrico County, VA which is one of the oldest counties in the US having been established in 1611.  Jamestown was located in present day Henrico County.

William joined the Virginia Militia and fought in the war of 1812, serving for a time under Captain John Dillard.

On Dec 18, 1814 William married Susan Wyatt from Henry County VA (different from Henrico), named after Patrick Henry, its first governor after independence.  She was born in 1793.  They received a land grant from the Martin Van Buren administration, 40 acres in Carthage, Ill where they settled.  They resided there at the time of Joseph Smith's murder while in the local prison.

Their children were Wyatt, Thomas, Ellen, James, Mary, Susan, Lucinda, William Ragland, Elizabeth, Dow, and John.

William Ragland Kimbrough, Thomas Jeeferson Koontz, Elizabeth Kimbrough, Sarah Koontz, George Koontz @ William R. Kimbrough's home.

William Ragland Kimbrough (son of william and susan)

William died in Jan of 1869 in Carthage, and Susan on Oct 19, 1873.  They are buried in the Franklin Cemetery in Carthage (the headstone is missing).

James M. Kimbrough & Mary Ann Russell

James M. Kimbrough, my wife's 3rd great grandfather, and father of Merideth A. Kimbrough was born in Tennessee in 1822.  On October 5, 1843 he married Mary Ann Russell born in Maryland on May 12, 1827.  The marriage was in Hancock County, Illinois where both families had moved years earlier.  Benjamin Gallop, (Minister of God) performed the ceremony.  They engaged in farming for the next 30 years raising 11 children, Thomas, Elizabeth, William, John, Meredith, James, Mary, Carrie, Rosa, Edward (who died as a young child), and one that I have not yet identified.   James died at the age of about 51 in April 1873 of consumption (Tuberculosis).  His headstone (along with that of his son Edward (Eddie) is pictured here).

After Jame's death Mary relocated to Chanute, Kansas, along with the extended family.  She stayed in Chanute, living near family but mainly in her own home until her death at the age of 81 on Feb 9, 1910.  Most of her children stayed in Chanute.  Meredith went on to Rich Hill, MO and eventually to Spokane WA.  Pictured is Mary's headstone located in the Elmwood Cemetery in Chanute, KS



Amanda Ervin

Amanda Ervin, my wife's great great grandmother and the mother of Jessie F. Kimbrough, was born in Illinois in May of 1858.  The town was Carthage in Hancock county, and was the site where Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon church) was murder by a mob while in the local jail (shown left) several years earlier in 1844.  Amanda may have been born too late for that unhappy event but was born just in time to witness (from the arms of her mother) a speech by Abraham Lincoln on the grounds of the same jail during his Illinois Senate Campaign in October of 1858 (although I don't know she or her parent were actually there, but knowing small towns the way I do, I suspect everyone in town was there).

Her father was a miller in Carthage and later worked as a farmer.  Her mother died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1867 when Amanda was 9 years old.  Her siblings were Willis, Sarah, Thomas, and William (who was only 13 months old at the time of his mother's death).  Amanda was married to Meredith Kimbrough who also lived in Carthage.  The year was 1878.  The Ervin and Kimbrough families had 6 marriages between them, and they all relocated together to Rich Hill, Missouri before 1900, having also lived in Kansas for a time around 1885.  Meredith ran a billiard hall in Rich Hill for a time.  Between 1915 and 1920 they moved to Spokane, WA where Meredith worked as a salesman and Amanda worked as a "lunch room helper".

Amanda lost her husband in 1934.  She continued to live on Garden Spring Rd in West Spokane until 1938.  I believe she passed away in 1938.