Gibson, Faith "Fay"

Other Events:

• News Mention: 20 Feb 2003; The Florida Catholic - Venice Edition
• Obituary: 25 Feb 2005

Notes:

News Mention:
EMAIL Date: 10/28/2004 12:59:54 PM Pacific Standard Time From: beeastie@be llsouth.netHi Jay, This is in regards to your question cocerning Faith Gib son and her husband Wilbur Conklin. ( This person is either currently livi ng, or, no death record has been found for this person. If this pers on is deceased, please let me know the death date and location. If you kn ow this person is living, please contact me with an address, either post al or email. Thanks.) Faith and Wilbur are my great Aunt and Uncle and they are still livin g, they reside in Bonita Springs, Fl. The following is a article about th em, that I found on the internet last year. It was in "The Florida Cathol ic - Venice Edition". I am also attaching the picture that was included w ith the article. If I can be of further assistance please let me know. B est Regards, Robby


Still in love after all these yearsThe Anniversary Mass brought together more than 28,000 years of marriage.
By: Heather Felton (Venice - Feb. 20, 2003) The Epiphany Cathedral was packed and ne ar to bursting as couples from across the 10-county diocese to celebrate t heir marriages and renew their vows. A total of 545 couples attended, brin ging 28,851 years of marriage to the celebration on Saturday, Feb. 1 "Thank God for the example of all of you good people," said Father Willi am Adams, the homilist for the 19th annual event. "You wouldn't be he re if it weren't for your strong love and good example."He spoke about many older couples he knew and told their stories of how th ey met and why their marriages are so successful."We are forever young and we like to remember good things," he said.During the Mass, sponsored by the diocesan Family Life Office in the Pasto ral Ministries Department, the couples were recognized in groups by the nu mber of years married. There were 23 couples celebrating their silver anni versaries, 186 celebrating gold anniversaries and 336 with more than 50 ye ars married.The final couple introduced were Fay and Wilbur Conklin, married 74 yea rs and the longest married couple at the Mass.Bishop John J. Nevins, the presider at the Mass, went down to meet them wh ere they sat in the first row wearing matching outfits of light blue. He l ay his hands on their heads and blessed them, hugged them and then told t he congregation that the blessing and hugs were for them all.The Conklins, of Bonita Springs, attend St. Leo Parish. They met at a dan ce hall in Oshkosh, Wis., in 1928 where the diminutive Fay was dancing wi th friends. That was how she caught Wilbur's attention."I'd seen her on the floor dancing with another girl," he said, sitti ng at home a few days before the Anniversary Mass. "The girl she was danci ng with was so much taller than her…. She was short and cute."
Fay cut in.
"I wasn't as bad looking as I am now," she joked.The couple "went together" only a few months before they were married M ay 16, 1928. They were 20 years old.In the early years of their marriage, things were tight. It was during t he Depression and jobs were hard to find. Wilbur worked at a tire compa ny repairing and selling tires for many years while Fay stayed home with t heir children."Everybody had hard times," she said. "It didn't hit us alone. It hit ever ybody. It was a bad spell."Now 94, the couple have had four children, two boys and two girls, and exp erienced the death of their eldest son. Wilbur served in World War II alth ough illness kept him from serving overseas. He also converted to Catholic ism from Methodist without telling Fay, as a surprise to his Catholic wif e.The couple lived in Wisconsin for most of their lives although they travel ed a great deal and made winter trips to Florida for many years before fin ally settling here with their daughter, Nancy.They attribute their continued marriage to just getting along."We just seem to click," Wilbur said. "We liked each other and got along g ood together." "It's always been pretty good," Fay added. "He's always be en good to me."
Wilbur jumped in."She's not combative," he said. "She won't get mad at anything."
Fay laughed at this.
"We never argued much," she said. "We never cared to argue."The couple agreed that the hardest time married was during the Depressi on years and the best time is now. They enjoy reading and going to concert s. And each morning the couple goes for a walk together."We don't have to work, we can go wherever we want to go," Fay said.

Obituary:
Faith (Fay) Conklin, age 96, of Bonita Springs, Florida, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2005. She was born May 16, 1908 in Oshkosh, the daughter of Alex and Bridget (O'Connell) Gibson. She is survived by her husband Wilbur with whom she celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary on May 16, 2005.
She has four children: Carol (David) Jeske of Beverly Hills, Fla., Nancy Radke of Bonita Springs, Fla., Jack (Betty) Conklin of Oshkosh.
Preceding her in death were a son Wilbur (Joan) Conklin, along with 1 sister Kathern Duffy, 2 brothers Joe and Al Gibson. There are 5 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandson.
Fay was a loving mother and homemaker all of her life. She spent most of her married life in Oshkosh and at Pearl Lake, Redgranite before moving to Bonita Springs, Fla. She enjoyed walking, swimming and Sunday band concerts with Wilbur and daughter Nancy.
A memorial service was held May 26, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Leo Catholic Church in Bonita Springs, Fla.
Walter Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
God saw Fay was getting tired
And more years were not to be
So He put his arms around her
And whispered, Come with me.
Robert Blechl Author Email: beeastie@bellsouth.net
Added: 10 Dec 2005 URL: Note: Posted May 25, 2005

Faith married Conklin, William "Wilbur" 16 May 1928. William was born 6 Jul 1908, Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin, USA; died 27 Aug 2007, Bonita Springs, Lee, Florida, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Military Service: From 4 Jun 1946 to 19 Nov 1947; WWII,
• Death Record - Civil: Oct 1983; Social Security Death Index

Notes:

Military Service:
NAME: Wilbur Conklin
BIRTH: 6 May 1929
DEATH: 3 Oct 1983
MILITARY: 4 Jun 1946
OTHER: 19 Nov 1947

Death Record - Civil:
54901 Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin, United States of America
Wisconsin (Before 1951)