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Frederick LeRoy Gibb and
Rebecca Elizabeth Brown Gibb

Taken from "Heritage of the High Country-
A History of Del Bonita and surrounding Districts
Pages 341-344

Frederick LeRoy Gibb was born in Dingledell, Bear
Lake, Idaho, on September 9, 1890. His father, John
Lye Gibb, born in England, immigrated to Utah in
1875. John Lye met and married Hannah Simons,
who was also born in England. They settled in Utah
for a few years.

They came to Raymond, Aberta, September 3, 1901,
put up their tent, and began building their home. Theirs
was the first home to be built in Raymond. Fred
was the eighth child of ten children.

Fred attended the public school and the Knight
Academy. At the age of nine, he went to work at
the Page Ranch on the Milk River and also
worked on the Knight Ranch. In the spring of
1910, Fred and two of his brothers built a store
at Hillspring, Alberta. He was there for five years.

On December 6th he married Rebecca Elizabeth
Brown, the daughter of Van Tile Mac Brown
and Caroline Christiansen of Denmark. Rebecca
was a talented woman. She was an accomplished
pianist and dancer. She used to play the piano
for the silent movies in Cardston. At one time Fred
was the champion mile runner for Alberta. He
also played baseball and basketball.

Fred bought a hundred and sixty acre farm at
Hillspring. While living here, there were six
children born to this union. In 1926, he bought
an eleven hundred acre sheep ranch at Shanks
Lake, about twelve miles north of the Del Bonita
store. He moved his family and all of their belongings
out to the ranch. Their home was surrounded by
big beautiful hills, and the Milk River ran one
hundred yards from the house. Fred also leased
thirty-three hundred acres. They had forty-five
hundred sheep at one time. Their most memorable
sheep herder was Bill Dougherty.

There was no school when they moved to Shanks
Lake, but there was a school house on the land
they had bought. Fred and Becky got together
with the neighbors - Hillmers, Jim Foggin,
Guthries, Russ Baxter, Swansons, and others
and finally had a school going. Their first teacher
was Marion Bingham from Magrath. He boarded
with them. Then Arvid Larson was their teacher
for about seven years.

By now, the depression years were upon them, The
most trying times were getting the children to
school and home safely during the terribly cold
winters. Around Christmas time, Rebecca would
walk to the school and back, two or three times
a week to play the piano and help the teacher with
the Christmas program. No matter what the weather
was like, she would go. She did this for years.

They lived there for eighteen years, and then Fred
turned the ranch over to his son. In 1943, he
bought a hundred and fifteen acre farm just west
of Cardston, on the Waterton highway. Here they
had one hundred and twenty-five head of
Rambouillet sheep. They lived here for five years,
and then decided to move south and leave the
cold winters behind. They sold out and bought
a lovely home in Ellensberg, Washington, and
one hundred and sixty acres of irrigated land
and some cattle. Fred had two hay barns, one
held six hundred tons of hay and the other four
hundred tons. While living there, Fred and
Becky joined four square dance clubs. They
travelled to various cities to put on exhibition
dances. They also served a four year mission
for the L. D. S. Church.

While at Ellensburg, Fred had a bad heart attack,
and the work became too much for him, so they
sold out in 1960, and bought their retirement home
in Renton, Washington. By this time there were
thirteen children in all; ten living. They are all
married and have left the nest.

Fred and Becky celebrated their fiftieth wedding
anniversary in September, a few months ahead
of the original day so that all of the family could
be there, and on the 28th of September, Fred
passed away in his sleep. His funeral was held in
Ellensberg, Washington September 30, 1963.

After the funeral Becky went home with her daughter
who lived in Fort Macleod, Alberta. She lived with
them for a year.

Becky sold her home in Renton, Washington. She now
resides in a mobile home park near Oregon City. She
has perfect health, and is eighty-four this year. She
had made twelve quilts and ten beautiful afghans this
year. She still plays her piano and organ, attends her
church activities and is enjoying life to the fullest.

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Mary Tollestrup