The Kimbro relatives of Covington and Crenshaw Counties are descendants of John Kimbrough, the ancestor who was born in 1640 in England. He eventually sailed to America and settled in New Kent, Virginia where he died in 1716.

John was first married to Mary Douglas (1645-1680) in 1660. Following her death he was married in 1698 to Margaret Buckley (1670-1720), and he was married a third time to another lady whose name was not found. Among John Kimbrough’s children by Margaret was a son, Buckley Kimbrough who was born in 1699 in New Kent, Va.

Buckley migrated to Edgecombe, N.C., where he died in 1743. Buckley was married in Virginia to Elizabeth English (1701-1765). Among their children was a son, Nathaniel Kimbrough, who was born in 1782 in Wake, N.C. He was married to Mary Alston (1730-1780), and he lived out his life there where he died in 1781. Among their children was a son, James Kimbrough, who was born in 1771 in Gatesville, Chowan County, N.C. James was married to Margaret Jones (1771-1860), and they migrated to Georgia. Their son, Henry Kimbro, was born there in 1802.

Henry Kimbro appears to be the generation that altered the name from Kimbrough to Kimbro. He is also the ancestor who brought the family to South Alabama where he settled in Crenshaw County. He arrived before 1836 because he was a delegate representing the Old Union Primitive Baptist Church at the Conecuh River Association meetings from 1836 to 1841.

Henry’s wife was Mary Ann Gouden (1818-1886). They were the parents of the following eight children: Simon Peter Sr., b. 1834, d. 1915, m. (1) Margaret Elizabeth Rushton (1840-1883) (2) Nancy Jane Pope (1842-1890) (3) Nancy Warwick Farmer (1847-1917); Harriet, b. 1836, d. 1907; James Paul, b. 1840, d. 1891; Henry, b. 1843, d. 1869; Mary Ann, b. 1846, d. 1929; John Thomas, b. 1848, d. 1905; Joseph Benjamin, b. 1854, d. 1930; and Eliza, b. 1858.

The oldest son, Simon Peter Kimbro Sr., is the primary subject of this writing. He was actually born in Covington County in 1834, and this placed him at the right age to provide service in the Confederate Army. He enlisted at Bullock on August 7, 1861, and became a private in Company A, 18th Alabama Infantry Regiment. He served throughout the war and was paroled on April 14, 1865, at Montgomery. It appears his brother Henry and possibly James Paul also rendered service.

Simon Peter Sr. had married and begun his family before the war, so he was able to return and resume his role as father and provider. His first wife, Margaret Elizabeth, was the daughter of Joseph Rushton. They had at least 10 children before her death. In fact, she died during the year of her last child’s birth, which was 1883. The children included the following: Mary Ann, b. 1858, d. 1934; Martha Ellen, b. 1860, d. 1935; Susan Rebecca, b. 1861, d. 1866; Silometh Louisa, b. 1865, d. 1942; Lee, b. 1867, d. 1941; James Henry, b. 1871, d. 1874; William Joseph, b. 1874, d. 1952; Sarah Frances, b. 1876, d. 1904; Jesse Wilson, b. 1880, d. 1929; and Susanna Mae, b. 1883.

Simon Peter Sr. was married second to Nancy Jane Pope, daughter of Hezekiah Pope. They had only one son, Simon Peter Jr., b. 1886, d. 1963 and buried in the Theba Community.

Simon Peter Kimbro, Sr. resided mostly in the Leon community near the Covington-Crenshaw County line. He homesteaded 79.84 acres of land in that township in 1886. His family was enumerated there during the 1900 and 1910 census recordings. His younger son, Simon Peter Jr., continued to reside in the same area until his death in 1963.

One of Simon Sr.’s older sons, Lee Kimbro, was married in 1887 in Crenshaw County to Julia Pope (1866-1938), daughter of Hezekiah and Millie Ann (Wingate) Pope (1837-1904). Lee and Julia resided in Crenshaw and Covington Counties, and they died in Covington County in 1942 and 1938. They were both buried in the Bethel Cemetery, which is located in the Babbie community, west of Opp.

Lee and Julia reared the following children: Quillie Va Julia, b. 1901, d. 1910, buried northeast of Dozier; Jessie Lee, b. 1888, m. Olive Etta Heath; Margaret Elizabeth, b. 1893, m. 1911 Halver L. Brown; Millie Ann, b. 1891, d. 1912, m. 1911 Ezra Simmons; and John Pope, b. 1889, m. 1915 Carlie Mahalie Garrett.

The oldest son, Jessie Lee Kimbro, was married in 1907 in Butler County to Olive Etta Heath. They reared the following children: Lucille, b. 1911, m. (1) Benjamin Stuart Woodham (2) “Mac” McRae; Olive Pauline, m. (1) John Ferrin Cox Sr. (2) James Pelah McGee; Onaz; Ina Maude, m. (1) Obed Monk; Hester, m. Robert Morgan; Jutilda, m. (1) Bernie Salter (2) Alvin Binzel; Libby LeeEtta; and Jerome.

Several members of this family including five generations have been active in the newspaper publishing business. Hopefully, some of the related history might be featured in a future column. One Kimbro descendant, Michele (Cox) Gerlach, the granddaughter of John Ferrin Cox Sr. and Olive Pauline (Kimbro) Cox, is the current publisher of this very newspaper, The Andalusia Star-News.

Sources for this writing include records provided by Gerlach and Ancestry.com for genealogy and history of the earlier generations.

Anyone with additional information on the Kimbro family or the history of newspapers in Covington County is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-222-6467; or email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.