Almira "Myra" Gibbs, born on May 31, 1842 in Steuben County, New York, was the fourth of five children born to Melvin Gibbs and his first wife Mary E. Benson. Two of Almira's siblings, Carrie and an unnamed brother, died in the 1840s. Almira's mother passed away in December 1845, and her father subsequently married Clarissa Crowell, a young teacher and neighbor who had stayed with the Melvin Gibbs family during Mary Benson Gibbs's illness.

In 1852 Melvin and Clarissa moved to Indianfields Township, Tuscola County, Michigan, taking with them the three remaining children from Melvin's first marriage; Mary, Marvin, and Almira, as well as their first two children, Elias and Alice. (Their younger children, Clara and Thomas, were born later in Indianfields Township, Tuscola County, Michigan.)

Almira met her future husband William Wallace Delling, son of William Delling and Mary Watrous, while attending the country school near her home. "Wall" was a new student who had just moved to the area. When Wall's sister Margarut Delling and Almira's brother Marvin B. Gibbs starting courting and eventually married in January 1859, Almira and Wall gradually became better acquainted. They were married on April 8, 1859 in the "Ladies' Parlor" of the Gibbs House, Almira's father's hotel in Caro, Tuscola County, Michigan.

Almira and Wall had six children of their own and adopted another child. The first five of their children (no two of whom lived at the same time) died in childhood. Only the sixth child, Lottie, and the adopted daughter, Mae, lived to adulthood. The children were

1) Jennie Delling (August 1862 - February 22, 1863);
2) Alice Delling (December 1863 - August 24, 1864);
3) Laurel Delling [a son] (April 1867 - March 28, 1868);
4) Lloyd Delling (September 1868 - October 15, 1874);
5) Unnamed Delling, who died in infancy;
6) Charlotte "Lottie" Ermina Delling (July 4, 1876 - April 1945), who married Charles A. Hurford;
7) Jane "Mae" Delling (born Eugenia May Disbrow in Tuscola County, Michigan on November 10, 1872; died son October 24, 1961), who married Malen Hartley.

Obituary:

Caro Pioneer Dies at the Age of Seventy-One

Mrs. Almira Delling passed away at five-thirty Sunday morning after an illness of several months from cancer of the pancreas, aged almost seventy-one.

Almira I. Gibbs Delling was born in New York state May 31, 1842, and was the daughter of Melvin Gibbs, who came to Caro in an early day. She married William Wallace Delling in 1859 and for many years they made their home on their farm a mile south of Caro. Five children were born to them, three dying in infancy. After the death of her husband in 1900 she came to Caro and resided on Gibbs Street with her grand-daughter, Miss Clara Hurford, whose love and devotion to her grandmother were beautiful. A few weeks ago she was moved to her daughter's home on East Congress Street.

Besides her daughter, Mrs. Lottie Hurford, and granddaughter Clara and grandson Carl, she leaves an adopted daughter, Mrs. M. Hartley of Rose City. She was a half sister of Mrs. T.W. Atwood, Elias Gibbs, and T.O. Gibbs of Caro and Mrs. N. Bonker of Saginaw.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at four o'clock from the home of Charles Hurford, conducted by Rev. E.E. Lashley and interment made in the Caro Cemetery.

Mrs. N. Bonker, Miss Lois and Ollie Bonker of Saginaw, were here for the funeral.

(Tuscola County Advertiser, May 1913)