The first daughter born to Henry Gambrel and Nancy Montgomery Gambrel was named Mariah. Mariah Gambrel was born on Wednesday, August 19, 1840 at Owensville, Indiana. Named after Henry's sister, Mariah Gambrel Mauck, she would be joined by three more sisters over the next eleven years. Her father had been married previously to Mary Polly Roberts and they had seven children together. Mary died sometime in 1836 in Gibson County, Indiana. She is buried at Emerson Hill Cemetery, Montgomery Township, Gibson County, Indiana. Presumably, some if not all of the children of Henry and Mary lived at the Gambrel farm with Mariah and her sisters. Thompson P. Gambrel the last child born to Henry and Mary was born in 1836 after seventeen years of marriage and six other children. I must admit that I already greatly admire Nancy Montgomery Gambrel for mothering seven step-children along with her own four daughters. Eleven children growing up on a farm must have been exciting at times! From Miranda Gambrel Rigg's history we know that the Gambrel children were raised in the Baptist faith.

Mariah married David Wilhite. During their married life, they gave birth to three known children, two boys and a girl. Their first was a son, Charles A. Wilhite born in 1865. Not much discovery has been made about Charles other than he is buried at the IOOF Cemetery in Princeton, Indiana and that he died in December of 1917. Information suggests that he died in Boise, Idaho.

The next child born to Mariah and David was another son named Harrison E. Wilhite. Born in 1867, he has also been referred to as "Hal" and on the Colvin Funeral Home Records as "Harry". Once again I have not learned much about Harrison but my research has just begun. He died in December of 1930.

Mary Polly Adull Gambrel was the third child of Mariah and David, born in 1870. She was nicknamed "Ada". Ada married John Arthur Mauck on November 7, 1889. Together they had two sons, Earle Lewis Mauck and Frank Mauck. Ada died suddenly of either appendicitis or an intestinal obstruction in 1906 at the age of 36.

David Wilhite died on January 1, 1898 at the age of 61. Mariah spent many years as a widow and at the time of her death her son Harrison was living with her at 230 West Water Street in Princeton, Indiana. She died on Friday, May 20, 1921 at her home "due to a complication of diseases." According to her death certificate she had been ill for five years prior to her death. She is buried at the IOOF Cemetery. According to cemetery records, there were no tombstones placed on the family plot for Charles, Harrison or Mariah.

My grandfather, Lauren Dale Rigg thought highly of his aunt Mariah. At some point in time, the "h" seemed to be dropped from her name and it was spelled Maria. My grandfather always referred to her as "Aunt Riah". As soon as I learn new information about Mariah I will add more to this page about this most interesting woman. From her picture I see a genuinely sweet woman and am so anxious to learn more about her. It's sadly interesting to note that both Mariah and her sister, Miranda, knew the heartache of losing children in their own lifetimes.