* Disclaimer: The information concerning the Kimberl family history on the following pages is reproduced with the permission of the original compiler of the information, Paul Milton. *

Kimberl Family History

Descendants of John Calhoun Kimberl

First Generation

John Calhoun Kimberl "Jack" was born about 1824 in Alabama or Georgia. he died September 19, 1903 in Mexia, Monroe County, Alabama and was buried in Ridge Cemetery, Monroe County, Alabama.

JOHN CALHOUN KIMBERL - EARLY YEARS circa 1824 - 1848

The names of the parents of John Calhoun Kimberl are, as of this writing, not known. Referring to the Monroe County, Alabama census of 1880, John Calhoun Kimberl states that both of his parents were born in Georgia. John himself is listed as being born in Alabama. The closest documentation found to establish the year of birth for John Calhoun Kimberl is found in his obituary from the "Monroe Journal" newspaper dated September, 1903 (and reproduced elsewhere in this section). This article begins, "Died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Jennie Locke, near Mexia, Monroe County, Ala., on the 19th of Sept., 1903, Mr. John C. Kimbrel in the 79th year of his age.". If his age is correct in this article, then John Calhoun Kimberl was born in 1824.

The Monroe County, Alabama census of 1860 lists John Kimberl as 33 years of age and his wife Jane (Elizabeth Jane Nettles), as 36 year of age; this is believed to be a reversal in the ages of these two. However, if correct, then John Calhoun Kimberl would have been born in 1827. If the ages are indeed reversed, then John's year of birth would be 1824 (as reported in his obituary mentioned above). Also, the January 1848 marriage record for these two denotes that consent was given for Jane, making her not quite 21, and thus she should have the 1827 birht year. The 1880 census for the same county lists John C. Kimberl as 62 years of age, (accordingly, born in 1818). Accepting that all (and especially early) census information was not always accurate, 1824 is being acknowledged as the year of birth for John Calhoun Kimberl.

Since Alabama had a great influx of settlers from Georgia and the Carolinas in the early 1800's, it is highly likely that John's parents were among them. If he had any brothers or sisters, they are not now known. Who his parents were and what became of them is still being researched.

John Calhoun Kimberl is first found in Monroe County, Alabama, on paper anyway, in January of 1848 (his marriage to Elizabeth Jane Nettles).

JOHN CALHOUN KIMBERL - MIDDLE YEARS circa 1848 - 1865

John Calhoun Kimberl married Elizabeth Jane Nettles on Thursday, January 6, 1848 in Monroe County, Alabama. They were married at the home of C.R. Broughton by the Reverend John McWilliams, who served as pastor of the Philadelphia Baptist Church in Tunnel Springs from 1840 to 1870. This is found in the book "Monroe and Conecuh Co. Alabama marriages 1833 - 1880", page 63. John was 24 years old at this time and Jane was 20 or 21.

During the next 17 years, until 1865, Jane born John nine children, and very little else of them is known. John C. Kimberl is found, however, in the Monroe County Probate Office 'Deed Book D', page 434 - 1856: "2-11-1856 John C. Kimberl from J.N. McClure & Co. - Sec. 15, T 7, R 7 40 11/100 A, Claiborne, Ala". Also, both John and Jane, as well as size of their children (one child had died, two others were not yet born), are found on the 1860 Monro County, Alabama census residing about eight miles east of Monroeville, in the Post Office district of Burnt Corn, Alabama. John is listed as a farmer with real estate value of $600 and personal estate value of #350. His place of birth is listed as Alabama.

John Calhoun Kimberl is not found to have served during the Civil War. He had three children born during this period, and no service record is found for him in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. (where Confederate war records are kept).

Elizabeth Jane Nettles died on Saturday, March 5, 1865 at the age of 38. The cause of her death is not now known, but she died not quite four months after the birth of her last child, Joseph Monroe Kimberl. She is buried in Ridge Cemetery, which is located five miles north of Monroeville, Alabama on Ridge Road (County Highway 42).

At the time of Jane's death in 1865, John Calhoun Kimberl was 41 years old and left with eight children: Mary 16, Martha 14, Josephine 12, John 10, Frances 7, Charles 5, Sarah 2, and Joseph 4 months. As he is not known to have married again until 1889, it is likely that John and his eight children farmed his land during this time (immediately after the Civil War) without the presence of a mother/wife. These years must have benn quite trying for a 41 year old man with eight children ranging in age from four months to 16 years.

So far, John Calhoun Kimber has been found on paper three times during these years. First, in Monroe County Deed Book 8, page 357 - "1870, J.C. Kimberl purchased from J.A. Holloway ten acres of land from Limestone Creek to Zion Church", (the Zion Church was adjacent to the still-present Ridge Cemetery). Second, the Monroe County, Alabama census - 1870 page 492. On this census, John Calhoun Kimberl was listed as living in the Dennard's Bluff of Monroe County. He was 46 years old at the time, and all eight of his children were living with him. He is listed as being born in Alabama. The Kimberl family in the census is listed as being part of the Nettles farm. Perhaps, John and his children moved in with his late wife's parents, Joseph & Flora Nettles. Third, the Monroe County, Alabama census - 1880. On this census, John C. Kimberl is listed as being born in Alabama, and both is father and mother (names not given on census) are listed as being born in Georgia. Four of John's children are listed as living with him in 1880. John was 56 years old at this time.

The middle years of John Calhoun Kimberl's life seemed to have been filled with joy, war, personal tragedy, much hard work, and eight supportive children.

JOHN CALHOUN KIMBERL - LATTER YEARS 1889 - 1903

Unfortunately, very little concerning the latter years of John Calhoun Kimberl is known. It is known that he married for the second time on Tuesday, March 12, 1889. He married Polly (often seen as Pollie) Thompson. John was 65 years old at the time of the marriage. Polly was born in Alabama in 1846 and thus was 43 years old. As is currently known, no children were born of this marriage. Since Polly's last name was still Thompson, she probably had not been previously married.

In 1889 when John married again, his children were ranging in age from 25 to 40. At least three of them, and maybe five, were married by this time. John Calhoun Kimberl married Mary Polly Thompson one month and three days after his son, Joseph Monroe Kimberl married Susan Lydia McCoy. Very little, if anything, is known about John and Polly's marriage years. John Calhoun Kimberl has been remembered as "Jack" Kimberl by some of his children's descendants.

Polly Thompson Kimberl outlived John by 27 years, and she died on Saturday, February 22, 1930 at the age of 84. She is buried in Ridge Cemetery, Monroe County, Alabama. The Thompson family had been in Monroe County since at least 1844 (when her older sister was born). How long the Thompsons and Kimberls had known each other is uncertain.

THE DEATH OF JOHN CALHOUN KIMBERL

John Calhoun Kimberl died on Saturday, September 19th, 1903 at the home of his daughter Frances Jane (Jennie) Locke, near Mexia, Monroe County, Alabama. He was 79 years old at the time. The cause of his death is not now known. He is buried at the Ridge Cemetery, Monroe County, Alabama.

Try as I may, I have been unable to obtain a copy of his death certificate. It could supply needed information concerning his birth date and place, his parents, etc. I have tried the State level, the County level, and a private researcher. All so far to no avail.

John Calhoun Kimberl may well be remembered not only as the progenitor of our family, but also as a man who weathered many storms and contributed greatly to what we, his descendants, are today.

OBITUARY:
(Retyped verbatim, see notes below)

"Died at the home of his daughter Mrs. Jennie Locke near Mexia, Monroe county, Ala., on the 19th of Sept. 1903, Mr. John Calhoun Kimbrel in the 79th year of his age. Mr. Kimbrel was a well known industrious honest and upright citizen of Monroe county for about 60 years. He was first married to Miss Jane Nettles and to their care were intrusted eight children, five sons and three daughters all of whom survive him. In March 1889 he was married to Miss Pollie Thompson who proved to be a faithful loving wife to the last hour of his life.

In young manhood Mr. Kimbrel professed religion and joined the Baptist Church, although he was not a member of any church at the time of his death, he enjoyed all religious exercises and even on his death bed joined his feeble voice in the soul cheering songs of zion. Assuring the loved ones around him that his way clear, requesting his grief stricken wife to meet him in that beautiful land. Thus has passed away on Monroe's much esteemd old citizens.

How consoling to the bereaved ones to know that through all his suffering, he ever kept an eye on Him who is the light of the world, and that faith sustained him to the last. God grant that all his loved ones when called upon to lay down the burdens of this live be cheered by the faith and a bright and strong hope of living in the mansions prepared for us by our dear redeemer.

Weep not grief stricken wife for your loved one now walks the golden pavement and with golden harp forever sounds redemption through the sky.

A FRIEND"

NOTES:

1) This obituary was printed in the "Monroe Journal" newspaper, Monroeville, Alabama in 1903.

2) The original newspaper clipping was not found until 1989, 86 years after it was written. It was folded in a back compartment of a wallet that had belonged to Joseph Monroe Kimberl (John's son), and was in the possession of Janie Gladys Eulalia Kimberl Ward (now deceased).

3) Obivous misspelling of the name Kimberl.

4) If, as stated, he was 79 when he died in 1903, then John Calhoun Kimberl was born in 1824.

5) If, as stated, he had been in Monroe County for 60 years, then he would have moved there about 1843 at age 19. He is documented in Monroe County in 1848 when he married Elizabeth Jane Nettles.

6) He actually had nine children in lieu of the eight mentioned, six daughters and three sons; one daughter died at nine months of age in 1849.

1. John married (1) Elizabeth Jane NETTLES, daughter of Joseph M. NETTLES and Flora CANNON, on January 6, 1848 in Monroe County, Alabama. Elizabeth was born in 1827 in Alabama. She died on March 5, 1865 in Monroe County, Alabama and was buried in Ridge Cemetery, Monroe County, Alabama.

They had the following children:

2. Elizabeth Cosby KIMBERL was born on October 10, 1848 in Monroe County, Alabama.
She died on July 9, 1849 and was buried in Ridge Cemetery, Monroe County, Alabama.

Elizabeth was also the first name of her mother.
She died one day short of nine months old.

3. Mary Elizabeth KIMBERL was born December 7, 1849 in Monroe County, Alabama. She died January 14, 1916.

Elizabeth was the name of her mother and also the first name of her sister who had died five months earlier.
She married and moved to Texas; descendants unknown.

Mary married W. Arthur TALBERT on May 13, 1896 in Monroe County, Alabama.

4. Martha Jeannette KIMBERL was born October 12, 1851 and died June 6, 1932.

5. Josephine KIMBERL was born August 11, 1853 and died June 22, 1930.

6. John Jefferson KIMBERL was born September 7, 1855 and died October 8, 1923.

7. Frances Jane KIMBERL was born March 15, 1858 and died June 23, 1941.

8. Charles Gilmore KIMBERL was born on May 7, 1860 and died June 12, 1922.

9. Sarah Ann KIMBERL was born March 15, 1863 and died January 28, 1945.

10. Joseph Monroe KIMBERL was born November 22, 1864 and died October 22, 1943.

John also married (2) Mary Polly THOMPSON on March 12, 1889. Mary was born 1846 in Alabama. She died February 22, 1930 and was buried in Ridge Cemetery, Monroe County, Alabama.