By Roselyn Fauth
IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH, THE BELOVED WIFE OF BENJAMIN GIBSON, WHO DIED AFTER A LINGERING ILLNESS ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND, 1875.
Have you ever seen a headstone that makes you want to know the story behind the name? On one of my cemetery wanders I came across one for Elizabeth Gibson, who died on 22 November 1875. Her inscription calls her an affectionate wife, a devoted Christian and an earnest Sunday School teacher. It also mentions her part in the formation of the Primitive Methodist Church on Barnard Street in Timaru. That really caught my attention because the church was formally established around 1885, so her headstone suggests she was involved from the very beginning when services were likely held in borrowed halls or private homes.
The Primitive Methodist Church became an important part of local life and later evolved into the Centenary Memorial Church before joining the wider Methodist union in 1913. Women like Elizabeth were often at the heart of these early congregations, running Sunday Schools and shaping community life. I love how her headstone remembers not just her faith but also the difference she made to those around her.
I have found a few clues about her but there is still much I would like to know. Does anyone want to give me a hand hunting for her history?