Say Hello to Uncle Fagan

James Fagan Gibson was a prominent man in the Corydon community -- he ran the county sanitarium for nine years, and his father had ran it for nine years before him. (I don't believe they ran it consecutively, because his father, John Gregory Gibson died in 1890, then Fagan died in 1911. I think someone ran the county home between Fagan and his Dad.)

James Fagan Gibson was the son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby - my 4x Grandparents. That would make Fagan my 3x Great-Granduncle. He was the fourth child out of thirteen. My 3x Grandmother, Vandalia, was number nine out of thirteen. (Rough estimate is thirteen. There might be miscarriages and stillbirths we don't know about.) 

Fagan married Nancy Jane "Nannie" Gibson, his cousin, on April 20th, 1872, in Gallatin County, Illinois. They reared no children. However, they did raise their niece, Minnie Lee Gibson, like she was their own. Minnie's mother, Lucilla, died about eleven months after Minnie's birth. 

It took quite a bit of sleuth work to figure out that Minnie was not their daughter -- a lot of genealogists prior to myself had made the assumption that she was. However, with some heavy handed genealogy and possibly some DNA (to which I don't have access to), it led to the conclusion that Minnie was Lucilla's daughter. We haven't a clue who Minnie's biological father was. 

Fagan was also a member of the Woodmen of the World organization - hence why his tombstone looks the way it does. The best way to describe the Woodmen of the World organization would be like life insurance in today's times. 

From what I understand, the Corydon Sanitarium or "County Poor Farm," was on Diamond Island Rd, just outside the Corydon City limits. After you pass A.B. Chandler Elementary going into Corydon on Highway 60, it would be the next road on your left. The best I understand - the building itself is now gone and there's no traces of the cemetery, either. The only records we have of the burials in the county poor farm cemetery are from death certificates, old records, and family stories. I'm unsure if the land is woods/grown up or if it's a farmers field these days.

Next time you're out at Gibson Cemetery - say hello to Uncle Fagan. A devoted son, brother, husband, and an Uncle who became a Father figure - not to forget, an influential member of the county. 

**His tombstone is one that I definitely plan to get cleaned up in the spring. Behind his tombstone to the right you can see the tombstone of Sid and Mamie (Phillips) Nally. Direct behind theirs is Vannie Louise Thompson.**