Robert H. and Louise (Batie) Libby, Sterling


Freeman Libby and Cornelia Elizabeth Tobin married in Shelby County, Missouri on July 27, 1857.

In 1870 Holt County, Missouri, "Frank" is 41, Cornelia 33, Mary 11, Emma 8, and Cordelia 8.

Mrs. "Cordelia" Libby and Daniel W. Bumbaugh married in Holt County on January 29, 1873.

(Mary E. Johnson 60, is married to John W. Johnson in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1920.)

Freeman Libby and Lucy Ardry married on Nov 28, 1872 in Nodaway County, Missouri.

In 1880 Holt County, Missouri, Freeman Libby is 50, Lucy 24, Robert H. 4 and Rosanna 1.

April 1894 Oregon, Missouri " Col. Freeman Libby shipped his horses to his new home, Columbus, Cherokee County, Kansas, this week, and will leave with his family some time this week.
Robert Libby, accompanied by J Charles Parsons, left last Wednesday with his father's horses for their new home in Columbus, Cherokee County. Kansas. Charley will take a prospecting trip through the Indian Nation before he returns."

1894 "Freeman Libby and his son, Robert, are in town, this week shaking hands with their numerous friends.  They will return the latter part of the week with a car load of horses that they had left here.  They will take them to Limon, Col., where Robert has charge of a horse ranch for his father."


December 1900 Oregon, Missouri "Robert Libby, of Sterling, Colorado, who is here on a visit with his many old friends. He tells us that his father. Freeman Libby, although 72 years of age, is enjoying the very best of health. He tells us that they are all reasonably prosperous, and their many friends will be delighted at this bit of news. "

1908 Holt County, Missouri "Freeman Libby, for many years a resident of this county, and one who did perhaps as much as any other citizen ever living among us for raising the standard of horse breeding in our county, was back among us again, visiting with old friends, and all seemed glad indeed to greet him again. He seemed the same genial and companionable old gentleman as ever. He was a man of great energy and enterprise, and won and lost at times, always believing in the principle "nothing ventured, nothing gained." He was born in Bangor, Maine, June 24, 1828, and is therefore just beginning on his 81st year, hale and hearty, and seemingly as active as when be left this county, in the early spring of 1891. He ......Platte county railroad, from Weston to Savannah. He then went to Graham and bought horses and mules for the government during the early part of the war. He went to Atchison, Kansas, and laid the first twenty miles of track on what was then known as the Atchison & Pike's Peak railroad. When he was 15 years of age he went to sea, and for four years followed this calling, employed on vessels trading with the West Indies. Mr. Libby first came to Holt county in the spring of 1865, and was in the livery business here, and hauled the printing outfit to Oregon, from Forest City, which constituted The Sentinel plant, it being shipped by Chas. W. Bowman from St. Louis and came by steamboat. He was one of the very first to become a subscriber to The Sentinel and subscribed quite liberally to help establish this paper. He resided in the property now occupied by H. E. Denny. In 1871 he bought a farm in the Whig Valley section, and afterwards the old Bender farm in Hickory township. His stock breeding did not prove as profitable as expected, and he finally lost out. In 1894 he went to the Oklahoma country, and at present is making his home with his daughter, Minnie, at Sabetha, Kansas, but on his r eturn expects to go to Bozeman, Montana. His sons, Bob and Fred, are dealing in stock at Sterling, Colorado. His wife was formerly Lucy Ardrey, of Savannah, Mo., who died December 14, 1893. In politics be was always an intense Republican. He has always been a man of wonderful adaptability for any kind of business, and before the mast, as a railroad contractor, hotel proprietor, livery man and farmer, he was reasonably successful, but his extensive engagement in horse breeding, brought about reverses, caused by declines in values, caused his former successes to become a reversal. "

July 1909 Oregon Missouri "Freeman Libby left for Sabetha, Kansas, Monday, where he will make a brief visit with his daughter, Mrs. Minnie Cox, and then go on to Boston, Mass., for an extended visit with his sisters."


Robert is rooming with Mary Hutts 39 and her four kids in 1900 Logan County. He was born in Missouri in February 1875.

May 1908 Sterling "Rudy Brownell has entered the Denver Post race from Ogden to Denver. Bob Libby has concluded that he is too heavy and will let Rudy uphold the honor of Logan county alone. "

July 1908 " Bob Libby has an arm in a sling this week. His horse fell with him last Friday and a broken collar bone resulted. "

February 1910 Sterling "Lindsay, Fyffe & Libby will sell fifty head of horses at auction at the Llndsay & Fyffe sale stable on the river road Saturday of this week."

March 23, 1910 Sterling "The papers in a divorce suit have been filed with the county judge by Robert H. Libbey against Mrs. Minnie Libbey. Mrs. Libbey is a non-resident."

In 1910 Sterling, Robert is a dealer, 27, divorced, living in a rooming house on Denver Street.
He's also in the Eureka, Nevada census in 1910.

Louise Batie was in Sterling in 1910, 24, born in Indiana, a saleslady in a millinery store, She's married one year, her second one. She's lodging with Frank Medenberg 75 and Cassie 63.

Robert H. Libby and Mrs. Louise B. Batie married in St. Joseph Missouri on January 5, 1911.


September 1911 "Mrs. L. L. Brown and baby returned to their home at Crawford, Nebraska, yesterday morning after a two weeks visit with her sister-in-law, Mrs. R. H. Libby and family."

September 1911 "Clarence Day and R. H. Libby left this morning with five cars of horses for St. Louis markets."


January 23, 1913 Sterling "R. H. Libby of this city received a telegram yesaterday which stated that his father, Freeman Libby, had died Wednesday night at his home in Maitland, Missouri, the cause of his death believed due to old age. The Advocate joins with the friends in extending condolence to the bereaved."
"The jury in the case of Robert H. Libby and C. W. Day, against the Union Pacific Railroad company, tried in the district court Thursday and Friday, returned a sealed verdict Saturday morning, finding damages in the sum of $1,470 in favor of the defendants, who alleged the injury and loss of stock due to the railroad company."

Robert Hall Libby registered for WWI in Sterling, born February 11, 1875, a stock dealer.

November 1918 "For Sale — 1918 Ford touring, or will trade for fat mares or mules weighing 900 to 1200. R. H. Libby, 213 N. 3rd. Phone 208R."

In 1920 Robert, 45 and Louise 36, born in Indiana, are in Colfax County, New Mexico, where he's still a livestock broker.

1922 Albuquerque or Las Vegas, New Mexico "The ladies of the Millinery club met Saturday afternoon at the Consolidated school building. A beaver hat was remodeled, and it was decided to meet hereafter on Thursday afternoons at the homes of the members, the next meeting to be with Mrs. E. E. Johnson. On account of threatening weather only seven ladies were present, viz: Mrs. R. H. Libby, local leader; Mrs. Joseph Zimmerman, Mrs. Albert Zimmerman, Mrs. C. H. Ilanke, Mrs. Richard Hanke, Mrs. Henry Schmidt, and Mrs. E. E. Johnson."

February 1940 Clovis, New Mexico "A jury was impanelled this morning to hear a civil case, Elsie May Libby against Robert H. Libby, suit for separate maintenance. Judge Patton receded the other half of the jury panel subject to recall at any time between now and the next term of court. "

Robert is a cattle buyer in 1940 Clovis, 65, divorced, saying e was born in Kanss.

R. H. Libby died in Memorial Hospital, Clovis on December 14, 1941, after suffering a coronary thrombosis on December 8.

Robert H. Libby 1876-1941 is buried in St. Joseph, Missouri # 83222479, with his sister Minnie L. Libby Cox 1880-1961, on the same stone as her husband Gillim Cox 1866-1922 # 83222357.
(Minnie is in St. Joseph in 1940, 59, married to Edward Kneale 84.