Like most women in genealogical research, my second great-grandmother, Eleanora B Gibbs, has been a tough one to trace. Knowing her name from her marriage to my second great-grandfather, John Wortman, and my great-grandmother, Anna Wortman Hickmott, was just the beginning of the mystery. Also, from census records, it was apparent that she lived in the Dryden area in Lapeer County Michigan. Those 2 facts still were not enough to definitively say who her parents were.

Eleanora was born in 1854, so theoretically, she should be in the 1860 and probably the 1870 census with her parents. This is where the confusion starts. In 1860, she can be found living in Dryden with Philo, Mary Jane and Lester Gibbs next door to a Jason and Abigail Gibbs.

Eleanora’s placement in the list suggests that she is Lester’s child, although the 1860 census does not indicate family relationships, and she could possibly be Philo’s daughter.

In 1870, Eleanora is married to her husband, John Wortman. The interesting tidbit here though is that John and Eleanora are listed between Mortimer Hillaker’s household and Abigail Gibbs house. Eleanora is living near relatives.

Lester disappears after the 1860 census. I have not been able to find any death record for him much less any other record for him after 1860. However, I did find a marriage record for Lester Gibbs in 1850. He marries Mary Conly on November 12, 1850 in Lapeer County. Given that Mary is not in the same household in 1860, it is certainly possible that she died or they divorced. While I have not found a divorce record, I have found additional marriages for Mary Conly – in 1861 to Charles Garner in New York and in 1868 to Mortimer Hillaker in Lapeer County, Michigan.

The obvious question here is how do I know that the marriage in 1861 in New York is her when both before and after that date, she’s living in Lapeer County, Michigan? Well, it’s thanks to her will. In the probate record from 1872 Lapeer County, Michigan, her will is included. She names her husband, Mortimer Hillaker and 2 children: Albert Garner and Harriet Garner. She charges her husband Mortimer to take care of Albert and Harriet until they turn 21 or are married. This would indicate that Albert and Harriet are minors. Records for both Albert and Harriet indicate this is true – Albert was born in 1864 in New York and Harriet in 1863 in New York. Harriet’s marriage record in Michigan names Charles Garner and Mary Conly as her parents. Charles dies in the Civil War.

So, Mary Conly was married 3 times – Lester Gibbs, Charles Garner and Mortimer Hillaker. Her probate record goes on to indicate that her legal heirs are Mortimer Hillaker, Harriet Garner, Albert Garner, Lillie Hillaker and Ella Workman (a variation of Wortman). Lillie is her daughter with Mortimer. Ella is Eleanora Gibbs who in some other independent records is also known as Ella.

This means that Eleanora Gibbs parents were Lester Gibbs and Mary Conly.