Elizabeth Gibbs (1899-1961) Grandmother

Elizabeth with either Michael or Kathleen Kenny

Birth

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Gibb was born on August 4, 1899 to John Adam Gibb and Anna Nelson Gibb.  According to her birth certificate, she was born in Sommerfield, which may have been a street in Kings County, since it is also listed as their residence but I don't have enough information to confirm.  According to the birth certificate,  the parents were both 24 years old and John was working as an Ironworker.   The document states John was born in America but other documents

comfirm his birth in Germany and his immigration to the United States in 1880 with his parents and siblings.

John and Anna Gibb with Elizabeth

Siblings

Elizabeth had an older brother John Daniel Gibb, who was born October 26, 1894, soon after his parents were married.   John lived with the family until age 22.  He then joined the army in May, 1917.    He married Zana Harrington Murphy in Oklahoma in July, 1918 and they moved to Los Angeles, California.  At some point they must have divorced because Zana remarries in 1930.  John lives in California until at least age 42 and then at some point moves to Honolulu, HI and dies there at age 89.   I have no record of children for John and according to my father's notes, after he enlisted in the army, he lost touch with the family. 

Elizabeth also had a younger brother Anthony Joseph Gibb, born in 1908.  He was born Gibb but later was known as Anthony Gibbs.  Anthony married Pauline Lee.

Oddly, I have not been able to find any marriage or birth record for Pauline or Anthony.  I know that it is noted in Anthony's WWII Draft Registration, he was living with his father at age 32. So the marriage must have occurred after that.  In 1942, Anthony was a Army Warrant Officer, stationed at Ft. Jay, Governor's Island, NY and his occupation at the time was listed as semi-professional driver.  He died in May, 1974, at age 65 in Peekskill Hospital and is buried at Assumption Cemetery in Cortlandt, NY.  Pauline died 1988 at age 76 and is also buried at Assumption Cemetery.  Pauline and Anthony had one son, John Gibbs in 1938.  There was speculation that John moved to Arizona and there is no more information on John beyond that.

Census Reports

US Census 1900 - 162 Hamburg Avenue, Brooklyn Ward 27.  Elizabeth is 9 months old and is living with her parents and brother John, age 5.

US Census 1910 - 456 North Street, Queens, Ward 2.  Elizabeth was ten years old and living with her parents, her brother John (age 15), and brother Anthony (age 1).  

NY State Census 1915 - 2031 Greene Avenue, Queens.  Elizabeth is 16 years old, and living with her father, her brother Anthony (age 8) and Margaret Geyer (listed as servant)

US Census 1920 - 2031 Greene Avenue., Queens Assembly, District 2.  Elizabeth is 20 years old and working as a clerk in a department store.  She is living with her father (age 44), her brother Anthony (age 11), and Margaret Geiger (Geyer) (age 34).  Margaret is recorded as a boarder.  She and John at some point become a couple.  As far as I know, he was still legally married to Annie but she had left the family.  

Margaret Geyer

NY State Census 1925 - 2031 Greene Avenue, Elizabeth is 25 years old and is listed as a boarder with Peter and Agnes Hertling and their son Frank. Elizabeth is working as a bookkeeper at the time.  I do not have record of where her father John and Margaret Geyer were living at this time, but they do show up together on the 1930 Census in Cortlandt, NY.  It is not clear where her younger brother Anthony was living at this time either.  He would have been about 17 years old.

US Census 1930 - 7132 68th St., Queens.  Elizabeth is 31 years old and married for five years.  Elizabeth and her husband Thomas were living with Thomas' parents and renting space from them.  Elizabeth's brother Anthony is also living with them at age 21 and daughter Margaret (Peggy) age 3.

1940 - 78-12 79th Street, Queens.  Elizabeth is 40 years old and living with her husband and two children,  Margaret (age 13) and Thomas (age 9)

So by age 16, Elizabeth's world has changed dramatically.  Her mother has left the family, her older brother John is gone to join the army and her brother Anthony is only 8 years old.  I imagine a lot of the responsibility of raising Anthony fell on her shoulders.  Her brother Anthony lived with her for a time after she married Thomas Kenny probably until he was old enough to support himself.

Marriage and Children

New York City records have a marriage license issued to Elizabeth on June 25, 1925 and according to my father's records, Elizabeth married Thomas Joseph Kenny at St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church in Ridgewood Queens, NY on August 5, 1925.  I have received a copy of the Marriage License and Certificate and it was actually July 5, 1925 when the couple was married by a priest.

Their first child, Margaret A. Kenny, was born on May 13, 1926.   in Queens, NY.

Their son Thomas Joseph Kenny Jr., was born on January 1, 1931 in Glendale, Queens, NY.

Death

Elizabeth died on April 1, 1961 at possibly St. Anthony's Hospital in Queens, NY according to my father's records.  She suffered from Diabetes and her death may have resulted from complications of that disease. She is buried at St. John's Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.

Memories

I personally don't remember Elizabeth as I was too young when she died but I have heard that she was a doting mother and grandmother and apparently, a good sister to take of her younger brother Anthony like she did!  If anyone has any memories that they would like to share, you can leave a comment below.

Update:  Elizabeth had a sibling Magdalena, who died 1 day after birth on May 9, 1898. The parents at the time lived in tenement housing at 155 Gwinnett St. in Brooklyn.  The cause of death was congenital heart disease and odema of the brain.  Death Certificate # 7333.

There is also record of a brother Daniel Gibb, who was born and died in 1906.  More documentation needed.