s/o Albert & Hattie (White) Sibley

SIBLEY—Milton Erasmus Sibley, born in Clark County, MO, 1854, died Cedar County, 1929, and his wife, Ann Rebecca Dicks, born Marion County, MO, 1856, died Cedar County, 1905, and their two infant daughters were the first of the Sibley family to arrive in Cedar County. They moved from Linn County with Ann's parents, William J. Dicks and his wife, Martha Ann Hardwick and several of her brothers with their families, in 1880.

Familiarly known as "Mitt," Milton Erasmus, was the youngest of 11 children of Albert Gallatin Sibley, born Virginia, 1806, died Marion County, MO, 1872, and Harriet White, born Kentucky 1812, died Marion County, MO, 1872, who had moved from Trimble County, KY, in 1837, to Clark County, MO, to join several family members there.

Skirmishes and battles at the start of the Civil War near their home in Athens, Clark County, prompted Albert to move his family to safer surroundings in Marion County in ca. 1861. Milton grew up there and as a young man he taught school in surrounding counties. He was married to Ann Dicks, in 1876, and they made their home near her parents in Linn County. Milton and Annie had nine children: Maggie, Lamb, Emory, Lola, William, Erasmus "Raz," Allie, John and Earl.

Albert Gallatin Sibley was the son of Leonard, born Virginia 1752, died Kentucky 1824, and Judith Booth. Leonard was a wagoneer hauling supplies from Prince Edward County, VA, to the forts established by the Army to defend pioneers on the frontier in the Kentucky Territory. He purchased a large tract of land, in 1817, in what was then Henry County, KY, later as large counties were divided, became first Oldham and then Trimble County. Much of the original plantation is still owned by the Sibley family.

Leonard was the son of Robert and Jerusha Chandler of Halifax County, VA. Robert was born in Leichester, England, in 1728, while his mother, Mary, was there visiting her family. His father, John, and his mother were living in Mechlenberg, NC, at the time of their deaths.

On March 23, 1893, Milton and Annie purchased an 80 acre farm from the estate of Elmer Holland. The farm was about four miles south west of El Dorado Springs. Their children grew up there. Only two of their daughters, Maggie (Mrs. Elmer Koger) and Lola (Mrs. E. A. Hermance) and one son, John Wesley, born Cedar County, 1896, died Cedar County, March 6, 1976, remained in Cedar County.

John served in the Army during WWI in the field artillery in France. He was married to Marjorie Ozenberger on Nov., 1922. Their six children were raised on the Sibley farm where John had spent his childhood.

Their children were Ronald, Elinor (Mrs. Wayne McCann), Nadine (Mrs. Dale Hoover), Orville, Wayne and Wilmer.

Several Sibley family members live in Cedar County at this writing, Ronald and wife Pauline, Orville and wife Peggy Thatch, their daughter Dana and husband Ronnie Whitesell, with their children Tate and Kama, and their son Kirk and wife Karen Banks and their daughters Kate and Madison, Wilmer and wife Peggy Gibbs and their daughter Terri.

The matriarch of the family, Marjorie (Mrs. John Sibley) lives in El Dorado Springs and will celebrate her 97th birthday on Thanksgiving Day 1977.

Submitted by Elinor McCann Sibley

Tess Coale sent this to me (3-3-11). She lives in El Dorado Springs, MO and found this article on page 301 in a book called CEDAR COUNTY MISSOURI HISTORY AND FAMILIES BY THE CEDAR COUNTY HISTORICAL. Thank you again, Tess.