June Scavenger Hunt: Find someone who died in June.

 I posted about my 1st cousin 4x removed, Erastus Kohl Gibson, for the first time last August but, I felt today, he needed to be talked about again.

Erastus was born on September 19th, 1886. He was the son of George Harrell Gibson and Cora Francis Young.

On November 27th, 1912, in White County, IL, he married Mary Evelyn Hughes. They had one son, James, on December 15th, 1913.

On June 5th, 1917, Erastus filed his draft card at the age of 30. On June 19th, 1918, he was ordered for military service at Camp Zachary Taylor. Later that year, he headed to France to fight in WW1.

He arrived home from France April 2nd, 1919 after nine months. He was involved in four major battles -- and against what the article reads, he was actually injured slightly one time.

Before leaving for war -- Erastus and his wife, Mary, had gotten a divorce. The judge had ordered their son, James, to be with one parent for six months, and the other for six months.

Erastus hadn't had his son but for almost three months when she came to get the boy and take him. I'm guessing it was more an arrangement of, "you get our son January-June, and I get him July-December." That type of six months.

Unfortunately, in a stage of despondency over losing his son after only having him for just shy of three months - he drank carbolic acid and took his own life. He unfortunately was gone before physicians could reach him and potentially save his life.

Erastus died 103 years ago -- June 30th, 1919.

After his fathers suicide - James went on to live with his maternal Grandparents here in Henderson for several years, and then moved to California with his remarried mother. He married in 1938, had children, and finished out his life in California, passing away in 1975.

From what I can gather on Ancestry - James' descendants, children and grandchildren, had no idea of the reason for Erastus's suicide. Only after finding the same article I'm sharing with you all, did they finally know the *why*.

Erastus is laid to rest with most of his Gibson kinfolk in the Gibson Cemetery in Corydon. He is surrounded still by those who loved him.

103 years later - you aren't forgotten, cousin. 🙏🙏