Making the Case for Anna Gibbs Ancestry
This page is more about the discovery process to find Anna Gibbs's ancestry and her connection to Sadie Brooks Harr (see Sadie Brooks Ancestry for why).
We now believe "Aunt Vie"s birth or maiden name is Anna Gibbs. Follow the discovery of her information.
The beginning
All we had on Aunt Vie to start was a memorial card from her funeral in 1968. It simply read "Anna V Davis, Died 15 Feb 1968", had a prayer, and listed the funeral home. Sadie's grand-kids mentioned how she visited from Pittsburgh every year. Agnes would go visit her in Pittsburgh as well. She was simply known as Sadie's best / good friend and so as Aunt Vie to the grand-kids. It was not even until later that photos were found of some of her visits in the 1950's. She would always stay with some other relation in the Cleveland area but visit a whole day. As we were getting nowhere on researching Sadie and her background, this connection was determined crucialThe Funeral Home
There was essentially nothing being found on an Anna Davis who died 15 Feb 1968 in Pittsburgh. But it was so common a name as well; even using an assumption that she was born and died in the Pittsburgh area there are too many leads to check. The first break came by looking up the funeral home on the Internet and discovering it still existed. A phone call was made to Kevin at Readshaw Funeral Home.He offered to go in the basement archives to find the file. A few days later he emailed me. Anna Davis, born Dec. 23, 1889 in Pittsburgh, PA, parents Joseph Gibbs and Ann Perrott, husband David Davis, children: Ethel Maier, John and David Davis, burial South Side Cemetery. David Davis made arrangements, He lived at 2844 Louisiana Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15216. Funeral Service was at St. Mark's Episcopal Church which is no longer. A treasure trove of information giving her maiden name, parents, birth date and children to try and discover.
This led to finding the Social Security Death Index record which would confirm a birth date as well as indicate it was issued in Pennsylvania. A lot to go on.
The first census
Pennsylvania is not very open with records; at least definitely not online. So no birth, marriage or death records to find Anna and/or David Davis nor her parents Joseph Gibbs and Ann Perrott. Would figure she was married by 1930 but no census record showing the couple either. But finally a breakthrough when a 1900 census record in Pittsburgh is found for a 10 year old Annie and her parents and siblings. But nothing more and that census did not really indicate much except that her parents were born in England. And she had slightly older twin sisters and a much older brother Frederick.The Real Connection
Almost a year had passed. Starting some searches again caused a 1881 census in Wales to pop up with Ann Gibbs (mother) and 4 children. The oldest is Frederick (the same in the 1900 census in Pittsburgh). But the other three are new and not showing in the Pittsburgh census. But seemed to be a good match with all the other information (father not there but 1900 census showed he came in 1881; 8 kids alive to mother and so on). And the Welsh birth records are online and list all five siblings born there.So I really studied that 1900 census record in Pittsburgh in more detail. And saw son William with his new wife living next door. So now only the daughters to find, who would be of marrying age. It was then that this triggered a memory of one of the possible Sadie Brooks/Cox candidates. Sure enough, looking back at the Sadie Brooks in the 1900 Pittsburgh census there is the other servant in the house. A Beatrice Gibbs also born in Wales with parents from England. Just a few years younger. And matching the Beatrice Gibbs in the 1881 census as well. How did I miss that before.
So Beatrice and Sadie are working in a house together. Annie is the much younger sister living nearby with the parents. This is clearly the connection although not sure why the younger sister Annie is so attached to Sadie. Seems it would be Beatrice. And is this really the same Ann V Davis. So far we having nothing indicating the V is for Violet.
Full Closure
Then in doing some more searches for Anna Gibbs, an interesting death certificate pops up in Cleveland during 1923. It is for an Ann Gibbs, born in Wales (but 6 years later), who died on East 69th Street from Pneumonia. The informant ... a Mrs Violet Davis. This now ties it all very strongly together. Ann V Davis is Violet Davis and thus Aunt Vie. She is living in Cleveland in the 1920's when Sadie is there with the older kids. Possibly Anna with younger kids as well. Amazingly, the connection is showing through so clearly with just these few document finds. The two "widows" with children relying on each other further.So now we can be somewhat convinced that the Sadie Brooks as a servant in the 1900 census in Pittsburgh is our Sadie. A little further back is uncovered. And maybe Sadie's maiden name of Brooks is cemented in.