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[[Image:StebbinsElizabethMPortrait.jpg|200px|thumb|right|<center>Elizabeth “Betty” M. Stebbins Gibbs</center>]]
 +
==Birth==
 +
Elizabeth Mary Stebbins was born on July 9, 1926, in Saigon, Vietnam, then French Indo China, to missionary parents, Rev. Irving Stebbins and Mrs. Mary Stebbins. Her siblings were:
 +
*Tom Stebbins
 +
*Anne Stebbins
 +
*Harriet Stebbins
 +
*Ruth Stebbins
 +
*Bob Stebbins
 +
*George Stebbins
  
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+
==Education==
 +
After arriving in the United States, Elizabeth Stebbins went to high school in Nyack, N.Y. until the family moved to El Cerrito, Calif.
  
[[Image:defaultimage.jpg|200px|thumb|right|<center>caption</center>]]  
+
==Occupation== <!--DELETE THIS LINE IF NOT NEEDED-->
 +
<!--Insert information about the persons occupations here -->
 +
 
 +
==Marriage & Children==
 +
Elizabeth M. Stebbins married on June 1, 1948 '''[[Floyd Gibbs]]''' son of '''[[Albert I. Gibbs]]''' and Elizabeth Hiltsley, of [[k:Knox|Knox]].
 +
Their children were:
 +
*Esther Gibbs Brisson of Canton, Ga
 +
*Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake
 +
*Irving Gibbs of Mills River, N.C.
 +
 
 +
==Death==
 +
Elizabeth “Betty” M. Stebbins Gibbs died on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, at the Oaks of Sweeten Creek Nursing Home in Arden, N.C. She was 86.
 +
 
 +
==Obituary==
 +
KNOX — Elizabeth “Betty” M. Stebbins Gibbs devoted her life to teaching her faith as a missionary, near and far, even when it put her in harm’s way.
 +
 
 +
“She was a very giving person, always trying to help out,” said Philip Gibbs, one of her three children, whom she raised in the Philippines. “She tried to be on top of stuff all the time, and she tried to be a positive influence on people.”
 +
 
 +
She died on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, at the Oaks of Sweeten Creek Nursing Home in Arden, N.C. She was 86.
 +
 
 +
Mrs. Gibbs was born on July 9, 1926, in Saigon, Vietnam, then French Indo China, to missionary parents, Rev. Irving Stebbins and Mrs. Mary Stebbins. In 1932, at age 6, she entered a children’s boarding school in Dalat, Vietnam, where she spent nine months a year separated from her family.
 +
 
 +
“I, myself, went to a boarding school,” her son said. “You learn to be on your own. You kind of grow up on your own. She was very independent growing up. She had a lot of fun in school growing up, too, but she had an independent spirit.”
 +
 
 +
In 1942, when World War II was imminent, the Stebbins were the first missionary family to be returned to the United States because of concern for the safety of their seven children. “Her family was in some tough situations that were very dangerous, and came very close to the point of death,” said her son. “During the Tet Offensive, her sister and her family, in Vietnam, were shot to death by the Viet Cong. Five or six of them were trapped in a pit; the Viet Cong just came and shot them in the pit as they were hiding there. But she committed herself to this type of a lifestyle. She fully believed that God would take care of them in whatever they did.”
 +
 
 +
After arriving in the United States, Mrs. Gibbs went to high school in Nyack, N.Y. until the family moved to El Cerrito, Calif. Her father worked as a translator at the Office of War Information in San Francisco.
 +
 
 +
After graduating from El Cerrito High School in 1945, Mrs. Gibbs worked at an office in the California shipyards before returning to New York State and joining the Nyack Missionary Training Institute, where she met her late husband, Floyd Gibbs, of Knox.
 +
 
 +
“She comes from a long line of missionaries,” their son said. “Growing up overseas, I think it’s one of the first things you think about — doing the same thing your parents did. There came a point in her life where she felt this was what she was supposed to do, so she went to Nyack, and that’s where she met my father.” The couple dated for several years before marrying on June 1, 1948.
 +
 
 +
The Gibbses pastored a church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for two years before heading overseas to begin their missionary work in the Philippines. Their work took them to Jolo, Zamboanga City, and Manila.
 +
 
 +
During their years in Jolo, Mrs. Gibbs translated the Bible’s Book of John into the Tausug language. When they moved to Zamboanga, she ran the Guest Home for Missionaries in Zamboanga City, and later in Manila — “a home where missionaries and guests could stay and be refreshed and encouraged,” her family wrote.
  
==Birth== <!--These are your category headers that will appear. You can change them just make sure to keep the "=".-->
+
“I grew up over there,” her son said. “It was a very tough ministry. They worked among the Muslims in the Philippines, and they had very few convents. The Muslims were very close-minded to any other faith, and it was very unsafe growing up, a lot of battles between the government and the Muslims. We had a lot of hairy experiences. I never saw the bullets, but I heard the bullets from our truck.” He remembers his mother’s talent as a singer, piano player, and cook.
<!--Insert birth and parent information text here -->
 
  
==Education== <!--DELETE THIS LINE IF NOT NEEDED-->
+
“Her specialty was Filipino food,” he said. “One of the things we all liked was lumpia. It’s kind of like an egg roll.” She also made pancit, a noodle dish; Filipino fried rice; and suman, sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaves.
<!--Insert schooling information here.-->
 
  
==Occupation== <!--DELETE THIS LINE IF NOT NEEDED-->
+
After their years in the Philippines, Mrs. Gibbs and her family returned to Knox to care for her in-laws.
<!--Insert information about the persons occupations here -->
+
 
 +
While living in upstate New York, Mrs. Gibbs ministered with her husband in several area churches, including Pineview Community Church; Westerlo Baptist Church; Altamont Christian Missionary Alliance; and the South Westerlo Congregational Church. The Gibbses retired to Bradenton Missionary Village in 1995, where they lived for 10 years before moving to the Oaks at Sweeten Creek in Arden, N.C., to be closer to their youngest son, Irving, and his family.
  
==Marriage & Children== <!--DELETE THIS LINE IF NOT NEEDED-->
+
“No matter what, she was a very upbeat person,” said Philip Gibbs. “Her faith was very strong.”
<!--Insert information on the persons marriage and children here -->
 
  
==Death==
 
<!--Insert the death and burial information here -->
 
  
==Obituary== <!--DELETE THIS LINE IF NOT NEEDED-->
+
Mrs. Gibbs is survived by their three children: Esther Gibbs Brisson of Canton, Ga; Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake; Irving Gibbs of Mills River, N.C.; and their spouses. Also surviving are her brother, Tom; her sister, Anne; nine grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.
<!--Insert transcribed obituary if you'd like here-->
 
  
 +
Her grandson, Joshua, died in 1989, when he was 3-and-a-half. Four of her siblings died before her: Harriet, Ruth, Bob, and George. A wake will be held at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 10 a.m., with the funeral service to follow, and internment at [[k:Knox Cemetery|Knox Cemetery]].
  
KNOX — Elizabeth “Betty” M. Stebbins Gibbs devoted her life to
 
teaching her faith as a missionary, near and far, even when it put
 
her in harm’s way.
 
“She was a very giving person, always trying to help out,” said
 
Philip Gibbs, one of her three children, whom she raised in the
 
Philippines. “She tried to be on
 
top of stuff all the time, and she
 
tried to be a positive influence
 
on people.”
 
She died on Saturday, Aug. 25,
 
2012, at the Oaks of Sweeten
 
Creek Nursing Home in Arden,
 
N.C. She was 86.
 
Mrs. Gibbs was born on July
 
9, 1926, in Saigon, Vietnam, then
 
French Indo China, to missionary
 
parents, Rev. Irving Stebbins
 
and Mrs. Mary Stebbins.
 
In 1932, at age 6, she entered
 
a children’s boarding school in
 
Dalat, Vietnam, where she spent
 
nine months a year separated
 
from her family.
 
“I, myself, went to a boarding
 
school,” her son said. “You learn
 
to be on your own. You kind of
 
grow up on your own. She was very independent growing up. She
 
had a lot of fun in school growing up, too, but she had an independent
 
spirit.”
 
In 1942, when World War II was imminent, the Stebbins were the
 
first missionary family to be returned to the United States because
 
of concern for the safety of their seven children.
 
“Her family was in some tough situations that were very dangerous,
 
and came very close to the point of death,” said her son. “During
 
the Tet Offensive, her sister and her family, in Vietnam, were shot
 
to death by the Viet Cong. Five or six of them were trapped in a
 
pit; the Viet Cong just came and shot them in the pit as they were
 
hiding there. But she committed herself to this type of a lifestyle.
 
She fully believed that God would take care of them in whatever
 
they did.”
 
After arriving in the United States, Mrs. Gibbs went to high
 
school in Nyack, N.Y. until the family moved to El Cerrito, Calif.
 
Her father worked as a translator at the Office of War Information
 
in San Francisco.
 
After graduating from El Cerrito High School in 1945, Mrs. Gibbs
 
worked at an office in the California shipyards before returning to
 
New York State and joining the Nyack Missionary Training Institute,
 
where she met her late husband, Floyd Gibbs, of Knox.
 
“She comes from a long line of missionaries,” their son said.
 
“Growing up overseas, I think it’s one of the first things you think
 
about — doing the same thing your parents did. There came a point
 
in her life where she felt this was what she was supposed to do, so
 
she went to Nyack, and that’s where she met my father.”
 
The couple dated for several years before marrying on June 1,
 
1948.
 
The Gibbses pastored a church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for
 
two years before heading overseas to begin their missionary work
 
in the Philippines. Their work took them to Jolo, Zamboanga City,
 
and Manila.
 
During their years in Jolo, Mrs. Gibbs translated the Bible’s Book
 
of John into the Tausug language. When they moved to Zamboanga,
 
she ran the Guest Home for Missionaries in Zamboanga City, and
 
later in Manila — “a home where missionaries and guests could stay
 
and be refreshed and encouraged,” her family wrote.
 
“I grew up over there,” her son said. “It was a very tough ministry.
 
They worked among the Muslims in the Philippines, and they had
 
very few convents. The Muslims were very close-minded to any other
 
faith, and it was very unsafe growing up, a lot of battles between the
 
government and the Muslims. We had a lot of hairy experiences. I
 
never saw the bullets, but I heard the bullets from our truck.”
 
He remembers his mother’s talent as a singer, piano player, and
 
cook.
 
“Her specialty was Filipino food,” he said. “One of the things we
 
all liked was lumpia. It’s kind of like an egg roll.” She also made
 
pancit, a noodle dish; Filipino fried rice; and suman, sticky rice
 
wrapped in a banana leaves.
 
After their years in the Philippines, Mrs. Gibbs and her family
 
returned to Knox to care for her in-laws.
 
While living in upstate New York, Mrs. Gibbs ministered with her
 
husband in several area churches, including Pineview Community
 
Church; Westerlo Baptist Church; Altamont Christian Missionary
 
Alliance; and the South Westerlo Congregational Church.
 
The Gibbses retired to Bradenton Missionary Village in 1995,
 
where they lived for 10 years before moving to the Oaks at Sweeten
 
Creek in Arden, N.C., to be closer to their youngest son, Irving, and
 
his family.
 
“No matter what, she was a very upbeat person,” said Philip Gibbs.
 
“Her faith was very strong.”
 
****
 
Mrs. Gibbs is survived by their three children: Esther Gibbs Brisson
 
of Canton, Ga; Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake; Irving Gibbs of
 
Mills River, N.C.; and their spouses.
 
Also surviving are her brother, Tom; her sister, Anne; nine grandchildren,
 
and a great-granddaughter.
 
Her grandson, Joshua, died in 1989, when he was 3-and-a-half. Four
 
of her siblings died before her: Harriet, Ruth, Bob, and George.
 
A wake will be held at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont on
 
Saturday, Sept. 2, at 10 a.m., with the funeral service to follow, and
 
internment at Knox Cemetery.
 
 
— Zach Simeone
 
— Zach Simeone
 +
:[[h:Altamont Enterprise|Altamont Enterprise]] - Thursday, August 30, 2012
 +
 +
Gibbs, Elizabeth "Betty" (Stebbins): Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
 +
 +
Times Union, The (Albany, NY) - Thursday, August 30, 2012
 +
 +
Deceased Name: Gibbs, Elizabeth "Betty" (Stebbins)
 +
 +
ARDEN, N.C. Mrs. Elizabeth "Betty" (Stebbins) Gibbs, 86, passed into the presence of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, at The Oaks of Sweeten Creek Nursing Home in Arden, N.C. on August 25, 2012. Elizabeth "Betty" Gibbs was born on July 9, 1926 in Saigon, Vietnam (formerly French Indo China) to missionary parents, Rev and Mrs. Irving (Mary) Stebbins. Betty Gibbs is survived by their three children, Esther Gibbs Brisson of Canton, Ga., Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake, N.Y., Irving Gibbs of Mills River, N.C., and their spouses; their nine grandchildren and a great-granddaughter; her sister, Anne and her brother, Tom. Betty was predeceased by her husband Floyd in 2011; her four siblings, Harriet, Ruth, Bob and George; and her grandson, Joshua. Calling hours will be held at Fredendall Funeral Home Altamont, N.Y., on Saturday, September 1, 2012 from 10-12 noon with the service following and internment at Knox Cemetery, Knox N.Y.
 +
<br>
 +
Edition: Final Edition<br>
 +
Page: D11<br>
 +
Copyright, 2012, (c) Times Union. All Rights Reserved.<br>
 +
 +
'''Funeral Information<br>'''
 +
Home: Arden, NC<br>
 +
Date of Death: August 25, 2012<br>
 +
Place of Birth: Vietnam, Saigon<br>
 +
Birthdate: July 9, 1926<br>
 +
Age: 86<br>
 +
Funeral Service: Saturday, September 1, 2012 12:00 PM Fredendall Funeral Home, Altamont, NY
 +
Show map<br>
 +
Visitation: Saturday, September 01, 2012 at Fredendall Funeral Home, Altamont, NY<br>
 +
Interment: Knox Cemetery, Knox, New York<br>
 +
 +
Biography<br>
 +
Mrs. Elizabeth M. Stebbins Gibbs, 86 years old, of Arden, NC <br>
 +
Date of birth: July 9, 1926; Date of death August 25, 2012<br>
 +
 +
Mrs. Elizabeth (Betty) Stebbins Gibbs passed into the presence of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, at The Oaks of Sweeten Creek Nursing Home in Arden, NC.
 +
 +
Elizabeth (Betty) Gibbs was born on July 9, 1926 in Saigon, Vietnam (formerly French Indo China) to missionary parents, Rev and Mrs. Irving (Mary) Stebbins. In 1932, at age six, Betty entered a children's boarding school at Dalat, Vietnam, where she spent nine months separated from her family, spending only three months each year with them at home for vacation.
 +
 +
In 1942, when World War II was imminent, the Stebbins were the first missionary family to be returned to the US because of concern for the safety of their seven children. Betty attended high school in Nyack, NY until the family moved to El Cerrito, CA, where her father worked as a language translator at the Office of War Information in San Francisco.
 +
 +
Following her El Cerrito High School graduation in 1945, Betty was employed at an office in the California shipyards until entering The Nyack Missionary Training Institute in Nyack, NY, where she met her (late) husband, Floyd Gibbs, from Knox, NY. They dated several years before marrying on June 1, 1948.
 +
 +
The Gibbs pastored a church for two years in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and then went to begin their missionary service in the Philippine Islands, serving in Jolo, Zamboanga City, and Manila. During their years in Jolo, Betty translated the book of John into the Tausug language so that the people there could have a portion of the Bible in their own language. When they moved to Zamboanga, Betty ran the Guest Home for Missionaries in Zamboanga City and later in Manila, a home where missionaries and guests could stay and be refreshed and encouraged.
 +
 +
After their years in the Philippines, Floyd and Betty returned to Knox to care for Floyd's parents. While living in upstate New York, Betty ministered with her husband in several area churches, including Pineview Community Church, Westerlo Baptist Church, Altamont Christian Missionary Alliance, and South Westerlo Congregational Church. The Gibbs retired to Bradenton Missionary Village in 1995, residing there for ten years, before moving to The Oaks at Sweeten Creek in Arden, NC, to be closer to their youngest son, Irving, and his family.
 +
 +
Betty Gibbs is survived by their three children, Esther Gibbs Brisson of Canton, GA, Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake, NY, Irving Gibbs of Mills River, NC, and their spouses, their nine grandchildren and a great granddaughter. One grandson, Joshua, died in 1989 at the age of 3 1/2. Betty was predeceased by four siblings, Harriet, Ruth, Bob and George. She has two surviving siblings, Anne and Tom.
 +
 +
The wake and funeral service will be held at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont, NY, on Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. with the service following at 12:00pm. Interment at Knox Cemetery, Knox NY.
 +
[http://fredendallfuneralhome.com/ http://fredendallfuneralhome.com/]
 
==Additional Media==  
 
==Additional Media==  
<!--Below is for additional images you uploaded that you want to appear on this page. Replace {filename} with your uploaded filename (ex. newpicture.jpg) and then replace {caption} with your caption. There are six links ready for you - add additional lines if necessary between the <gallery> tags-->
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Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gibbs and Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Ball attended the wedding of Elizabeth Mary Stebbins and Floyd Gibbs at Nyack on Tuesday.
 +
:[[h:Altamont Enterprise|Altamont Enterprise]] - Friday, June 4, 1948
  
 
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Image:{filename}|<center>{caption}</center>
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Image:StebbinsElizabethMaryPortrait.jpg|<center>Elizabeth Mary Stebbins Gibbs</center>
 
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Latest revision as of 00:58, 8 August 2013

Elizabeth “Betty” M. Stebbins Gibbs

Birth

Elizabeth Mary Stebbins was born on July 9, 1926, in Saigon, Vietnam, then French Indo China, to missionary parents, Rev. Irving Stebbins and Mrs. Mary Stebbins. Her siblings were:

  • Tom Stebbins
  • Anne Stebbins
  • Harriet Stebbins
  • Ruth Stebbins
  • Bob Stebbins
  • George Stebbins

Education

After arriving in the United States, Elizabeth Stebbins went to high school in Nyack, N.Y. until the family moved to El Cerrito, Calif.

Occupation

Marriage & Children

Elizabeth M. Stebbins married on June 1, 1948 Floyd Gibbs son of Albert I. Gibbs and Elizabeth Hiltsley, of Knox. Their children were:

  • Esther Gibbs Brisson of Canton, Ga
  • Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake
  • Irving Gibbs of Mills River, N.C.

Death

Elizabeth “Betty” M. Stebbins Gibbs died on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, at the Oaks of Sweeten Creek Nursing Home in Arden, N.C. She was 86.

Obituary

KNOX — Elizabeth “Betty” M. Stebbins Gibbs devoted her life to teaching her faith as a missionary, near and far, even when it put her in harm’s way.

“She was a very giving person, always trying to help out,” said Philip Gibbs, one of her three children, whom she raised in the Philippines. “She tried to be on top of stuff all the time, and she tried to be a positive influence on people.”

She died on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, at the Oaks of Sweeten Creek Nursing Home in Arden, N.C. She was 86.

Mrs. Gibbs was born on July 9, 1926, in Saigon, Vietnam, then French Indo China, to missionary parents, Rev. Irving Stebbins and Mrs. Mary Stebbins. In 1932, at age 6, she entered a children’s boarding school in Dalat, Vietnam, where she spent nine months a year separated from her family.

“I, myself, went to a boarding school,” her son said. “You learn to be on your own. You kind of grow up on your own. She was very independent growing up. She had a lot of fun in school growing up, too, but she had an independent spirit.”

In 1942, when World War II was imminent, the Stebbins were the first missionary family to be returned to the United States because of concern for the safety of their seven children. “Her family was in some tough situations that were very dangerous, and came very close to the point of death,” said her son. “During the Tet Offensive, her sister and her family, in Vietnam, were shot to death by the Viet Cong. Five or six of them were trapped in a pit; the Viet Cong just came and shot them in the pit as they were hiding there. But she committed herself to this type of a lifestyle. She fully believed that God would take care of them in whatever they did.”

After arriving in the United States, Mrs. Gibbs went to high school in Nyack, N.Y. until the family moved to El Cerrito, Calif. Her father worked as a translator at the Office of War Information in San Francisco.

After graduating from El Cerrito High School in 1945, Mrs. Gibbs worked at an office in the California shipyards before returning to New York State and joining the Nyack Missionary Training Institute, where she met her late husband, Floyd Gibbs, of Knox.

“She comes from a long line of missionaries,” their son said. “Growing up overseas, I think it’s one of the first things you think about — doing the same thing your parents did. There came a point in her life where she felt this was what she was supposed to do, so she went to Nyack, and that’s where she met my father.” The couple dated for several years before marrying on June 1, 1948.

The Gibbses pastored a church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for two years before heading overseas to begin their missionary work in the Philippines. Their work took them to Jolo, Zamboanga City, and Manila.

During their years in Jolo, Mrs. Gibbs translated the Bible’s Book of John into the Tausug language. When they moved to Zamboanga, she ran the Guest Home for Missionaries in Zamboanga City, and later in Manila — “a home where missionaries and guests could stay and be refreshed and encouraged,” her family wrote.

“I grew up over there,” her son said. “It was a very tough ministry. They worked among the Muslims in the Philippines, and they had very few convents. The Muslims were very close-minded to any other faith, and it was very unsafe growing up, a lot of battles between the government and the Muslims. We had a lot of hairy experiences. I never saw the bullets, but I heard the bullets from our truck.” He remembers his mother’s talent as a singer, piano player, and cook.

“Her specialty was Filipino food,” he said. “One of the things we all liked was lumpia. It’s kind of like an egg roll.” She also made pancit, a noodle dish; Filipino fried rice; and suman, sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaves.

After their years in the Philippines, Mrs. Gibbs and her family returned to Knox to care for her in-laws.

While living in upstate New York, Mrs. Gibbs ministered with her husband in several area churches, including Pineview Community Church; Westerlo Baptist Church; Altamont Christian Missionary Alliance; and the South Westerlo Congregational Church. The Gibbses retired to Bradenton Missionary Village in 1995, where they lived for 10 years before moving to the Oaks at Sweeten Creek in Arden, N.C., to be closer to their youngest son, Irving, and his family.

“No matter what, she was a very upbeat person,” said Philip Gibbs. “Her faith was very strong.”


Mrs. Gibbs is survived by their three children: Esther Gibbs Brisson of Canton, Ga; Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake; Irving Gibbs of Mills River, N.C.; and their spouses. Also surviving are her brother, Tom; her sister, Anne; nine grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.

Her grandson, Joshua, died in 1989, when he was 3-and-a-half. Four of her siblings died before her: Harriet, Ruth, Bob, and George. A wake will be held at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 10 a.m., with the funeral service to follow, and internment at Knox Cemetery.

— Zach Simeone

Altamont Enterprise - Thursday, August 30, 2012

Gibbs, Elizabeth "Betty" (Stebbins): Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice

Times Union, The (Albany, NY) - Thursday, August 30, 2012

Deceased Name: Gibbs, Elizabeth "Betty" (Stebbins)

ARDEN, N.C. Mrs. Elizabeth "Betty" (Stebbins) Gibbs, 86, passed into the presence of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, at The Oaks of Sweeten Creek Nursing Home in Arden, N.C. on August 25, 2012. Elizabeth "Betty" Gibbs was born on July 9, 1926 in Saigon, Vietnam (formerly French Indo China) to missionary parents, Rev and Mrs. Irving (Mary) Stebbins. Betty Gibbs is survived by their three children, Esther Gibbs Brisson of Canton, Ga., Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake, N.Y., Irving Gibbs of Mills River, N.C., and their spouses; their nine grandchildren and a great-granddaughter; her sister, Anne and her brother, Tom. Betty was predeceased by her husband Floyd in 2011; her four siblings, Harriet, Ruth, Bob and George; and her grandson, Joshua. Calling hours will be held at Fredendall Funeral Home Altamont, N.Y., on Saturday, September 1, 2012 from 10-12 noon with the service following and internment at Knox Cemetery, Knox N.Y.
Edition: Final Edition
Page: D11
Copyright, 2012, (c) Times Union. All Rights Reserved.

Funeral Information
Home: Arden, NC
Date of Death: August 25, 2012
Place of Birth: Vietnam, Saigon
Birthdate: July 9, 1926
Age: 86
Funeral Service: Saturday, September 1, 2012 12:00 PM Fredendall Funeral Home, Altamont, NY Show map
Visitation: Saturday, September 01, 2012 at Fredendall Funeral Home, Altamont, NY
Interment: Knox Cemetery, Knox, New York

Biography
Mrs. Elizabeth M. Stebbins Gibbs, 86 years old, of Arden, NC
Date of birth: July 9, 1926; Date of death August 25, 2012

Mrs. Elizabeth (Betty) Stebbins Gibbs passed into the presence of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, at The Oaks of Sweeten Creek Nursing Home in Arden, NC.

Elizabeth (Betty) Gibbs was born on July 9, 1926 in Saigon, Vietnam (formerly French Indo China) to missionary parents, Rev and Mrs. Irving (Mary) Stebbins. In 1932, at age six, Betty entered a children's boarding school at Dalat, Vietnam, where she spent nine months separated from her family, spending only three months each year with them at home for vacation.

In 1942, when World War II was imminent, the Stebbins were the first missionary family to be returned to the US because of concern for the safety of their seven children. Betty attended high school in Nyack, NY until the family moved to El Cerrito, CA, where her father worked as a language translator at the Office of War Information in San Francisco.

Following her El Cerrito High School graduation in 1945, Betty was employed at an office in the California shipyards until entering The Nyack Missionary Training Institute in Nyack, NY, where she met her (late) husband, Floyd Gibbs, from Knox, NY. They dated several years before marrying on June 1, 1948.

The Gibbs pastored a church for two years in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and then went to begin their missionary service in the Philippine Islands, serving in Jolo, Zamboanga City, and Manila. During their years in Jolo, Betty translated the book of John into the Tausug language so that the people there could have a portion of the Bible in their own language. When they moved to Zamboanga, Betty ran the Guest Home for Missionaries in Zamboanga City and later in Manila, a home where missionaries and guests could stay and be refreshed and encouraged.

After their years in the Philippines, Floyd and Betty returned to Knox to care for Floyd's parents. While living in upstate New York, Betty ministered with her husband in several area churches, including Pineview Community Church, Westerlo Baptist Church, Altamont Christian Missionary Alliance, and South Westerlo Congregational Church. The Gibbs retired to Bradenton Missionary Village in 1995, residing there for ten years, before moving to The Oaks at Sweeten Creek in Arden, NC, to be closer to their youngest son, Irving, and his family.

Betty Gibbs is survived by their three children, Esther Gibbs Brisson of Canton, GA, Philip Gibbs of Ballston Lake, NY, Irving Gibbs of Mills River, NC, and their spouses, their nine grandchildren and a great granddaughter. One grandson, Joshua, died in 1989 at the age of 3 1/2. Betty was predeceased by four siblings, Harriet, Ruth, Bob and George. She has two surviving siblings, Anne and Tom.

The wake and funeral service will be held at Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont, NY, on Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. with the service following at 12:00pm. Interment at Knox Cemetery, Knox NY. http://fredendallfuneralhome.com/

Additional Media

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gibbs and Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Ball attended the wedding of Elizabeth Mary Stebbins and Floyd Gibbs at Nyack on Tuesday.

Altamont Enterprise - Friday, June 4, 1948

Sources