James Tate Gabbert
© The Meriwether Society, Inc. (J. Gabbert)

James Tate Gabbert was born on Dec. 7, 1853, in the home of his maternal grandparents, the Rev. and Mrs. William S. Burney, in Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi. His parents were Dr. Lycurgus ("Kirk") and Sarah Burney Gabbert. Having grown up in Memphis, Tenn., and Coldwater, Miss., Mr. Gabbert moved to Senatobia, Tate County, Miss., between 1870 and 1872 to keep books for Echols and Echols, one of the largest credit mercantile businesses in the area. In 1877 he established his own credit mercantile business, J. T. Gabbert and Company. Mr. Gabbert later took as his partner M. P. Moore, and the business was henceforth known as Gabbert and Moore. It sold horses, mules, wagons, and household sewing machines on the monthly installment plan. The company's farming and mercantile operations were extensive in Tate County and in the Mississippi Delta region. At one time the company operated a mercantile business in Grenada, Miss.

J. T. Gabbert also established the Senatobia Gin and Cotton Seed Oil Company and the Crenshaw Oil Company. He was one of the principal promoters of Blackborn College for Girls and served as its first president of the board. With some other Senatobia residents, he organized the Senatobia Bank in 1900 and then served as its first president.

Mr. Gabbert married Mildred ("Millie") Oliver Meriwether on Nov. 23, 1876, in Miss Meriwether's parents' home near Senatobia. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gabbert were active members of the Methodist Church in Senatobia. They raised ten children: two sons and eight daughters.

Mr. Gabbert died on March 24, 1919, in Senatobia.

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The News Scimitar (Memphis, Tennessee), 26 March 1919, Wednesday

J. T. GABBERT BURIED AT HOME NEAR SENATOBIA
SENATOBIA, Miss., March 26. (Spl.)—The remains of J. T. Gabbert, who died at his home here Sunday, were interred in the Bethesda cemetery Tuesday. Mr. Gabbert had been in ill health for several years. He was a member of the firm of J. T. Gabbert & Co., of Senatobia, and of Gabbert & Co, of Crenshaw, Miss. He was about 65 years of age, and a lifelong resident of Tate county, Mississippi. He had been in business in Senatobia for 40 years. Mr. Gabbert was a member of one of the most influential families of North Mississippi, being a nephew of Hon. Sim Tate after whom the county was named.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mildred Gabbert, who is a daughter of Col. J. O. Mereweather, deceased and several children and grandchildren.
(CindyMarie Find a Grave ID #47419229)