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William Gilbert on 17 March 1927 at Laguna Beach, California.

FAMILY MEMBERS ARRANGED IN DATE ORDER

To earlier Gilbert family members

1840 - 1928 WILLIAM GILBERT

William Gilbert in 1919 (with two of his children, Permelia and Robert).

Born; 17 March 1840, Little Saperton, Heathfield, Sussex, England.
Parents; Thomas Gilbert (1791-1851) = Mercy Errey (1802-1851)
Living at Little Saperton, Old Heathfield, Sussex at the 1841 census, aged 1.
Emigrated to USA in 1851.
Married; Anna Rumney (1845-1921) on 13 February 1869, Somonauk, Illinois.
Children; Permelia Mercy (1871-1966), Robert Rumney (1874-1957), Lillian Anna (1877-1971)

The family arrived in the USA at New York in 1951 (Mercy had died on the voyage), and lived initially around Buffalo and Grand Island. About 1853 they moved to Illinois (near Princeton), where William worked as a farmhand until 1860, when he went to Kansas with his brother George. They started out in a covered wagon, driving five yoke of oxen, to get a farm from the government. Arriving at Iola, Kansas about 2 months later, they built a log house and 'broke some prairie'. The summer was very dry, and lack of feed for their cattle caused them to return to Illinois. They located on a farm about half a mile south east of Verona, Grundy County, Illinois, and made their home there.

William appears in the 1880 Census as a farmer, aged 40, living at Vienna, Grundy County. In the fall of 1880 he moved with his family to Audubon County, Iowa, returning again to their old home in February 1882. Having always nurtured a desire to go west, they moved again in March 1889 to Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota, where he bought land and farmed there until 1911. They then built a house in Luverne, where he lived until the death of his wife Anna on 2 July 1921.
He then lived at different times with his various children (according to his obituary he "..made his home with his three children, going from one to the other, as it suited his pleasure..."), and died at the house of his daughter Permelia in 1928.
One of his grandchildren is reputed to have written a book about the Gilbert family.

Died; Thursday 1 March 1928 at his daughter Permelia's house, Los Angeles, California at 1:30pm, aged 88.
Funeral conducted by Dr Snape of Temple Baptist Church, Los Angeles on Saturday 3 March 1928.
Buried; Ward Cemetery, Verona, Grundy County, Illinois beside his wife.
H R Gilbert has a copy of a photograph of William Gilbert taken on 17 Mar 1927 at Laguna Beach, Calfornia while attending a picnic with all his children to celebrate what was to be his last birthday. A digital copy of the original is in the family bible held by Bob Gilbert at Eugene, Oregon in 2020.

1845 - 1921 ANNA GILBERT (nee RUMNEY)

Born; 8 February 1845, Kent, England.
Parents; James Rumney (1794 Kent - 1853 Niagara) = Mary Rockcliffe Winch (1804 Medway, Kent - 1884 Verona, Illinois)
(James had previously married Judith Goodyear (1797 Kent - 1830 Kent) on 16 September 1815, Strood, Kent. Six children)
The family emigrated from Kent to USA in 1850, initially to Niagara Falls, New York State and later to Somonauk, Illinois.
Married; William Gilbert (1840-1928) on 13 February 1869 at Somonauk, Illinois.
Children; Permelia Mercy (1871-1966), Robert Rumney (1874-1957), Lillian Anna (1877-1971)
After William and Anna married they moved to Verona, Illinois.
She appears in the 1880 Census as aged 35, living at Vienna, Grundy County, Illinois.
The family moved from Illinois to Rock County, Minnesota on 20 March 1889.

Died; Saturday 2 July 1921, Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota at 6:15am, of pneumonia.
Funeral held at the Gilbert home in Luverne, Wed 6 July 1921 conducted by Rev J T Brown.
Buried; Ward Cemetery, Verona, Grundy County, Illinois beside her parents. In attendance were William Gilbert (1840-1928), Robert Gilbert (1874-1957), Permelia Webster (1871-1966) and Lillian Loose (1877-1971).

1856 - 1947 OSCAR ALMERON WEBSTER

Born; 21 November 1856, Canton, Bradford, Pennsylvania.
Occupation; Real estate and insurance.
Married (1); ??
Children; Horace Griffith Webster, born in Grand Forks before 1902.

Married (2); Permelia Mercy Gilbert (1871-1966) on 24 June 1902 "at the farm", Luverne, Minnesota by Rev.J.Y.Montague.
Children; three -
(i)Florence Dorothy Webster (teacher, born 3 June 1903 Grand Forks, N.Dakota - never married)
(ii) Robert Gilbert Webster, born 21 December 1905, Grand Forks, N.Dakota - married Nora Henrietta Hoffman (born 11 June 1904 St Louis, Missouri - died 18 September 1992 Oakland, California) on 6 September 1930 at Christ Evangelical Church, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Three children, Donald (1933-1993, CBS correspondent), Robert (1935-19?? eye surgeon), Gretchen (1941-?? married Willis Blackwell).
(iii) Margaret Evelyn Webster, born 27 November 1907 Grand Forks, North Dakota. High school teacher, not married, died 4 December 1984 Glendale, Los Angeles.

Lived in Grand Forks, North Dakota for over 20 years, moving to Los Angeles, California in 1922.
Died; 12 April 1947, Los Angeles, California.

1871 - 1966 PERMELIA MERCY WEBSTER (nee GILBERT)

Permelia Webster (formerly Gilbert) with her three children in 1909 at Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Born; 19 June 1871 Verona, Grundy County, Illinois.
Parents; William Gilbert (1840-1928) = Anna Rumney (1845-1921)
Married; Oscar Almeron Webster (1856-1947) on 24 June 1902 "at the farm", Luverne, Minnesota by Rev.J.Y.Montague. This was probably Oscar's 2nd marriage, as he is reported to have had a son (not Permelia's), Horace Griffith Webster, born in Grand Forks, before 1902. Oscar was in real estate and insurance.

Children; three -
(i) Florence Dorothy Webster. Teacher, born 3 June 1903 Grand Forks, North Dakota - never married.
(ii) Robert Gilbert Webster, born 21 December 1905, Grand Forks, North Dakota. Married Nora Henrietta Hoffman (born 11 June 1904 St Louis, Missouri - died 18 September 1992 Oakland, California) on 6 September 1930 at Christ Evangelical Church, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Three children, Donald (1933-1993, CBS correspondent, based in London), Robert G (1935-19??, eye surgeon, San Francisco), Gretchen (1941-?? married Willis Blackwell, car hirer, in 1962, two boys).
(iii) Margaret Evelyn Webster, born 27 November 1907 Grand Forks, North Dakota. High school teacher, not married, died 4 December 1984 Glendale, Los Angeles.

Lived in Grand Forks, North Dakota for over 20 years, moving to Los Angeles, California in 1922.
Died; 1 April 1966, Glendale, Los Angeles, California.

1874 - 1957 ROBERT RUMNEY GILBERT

Robert Gilbert in 1919 (with his father William and sister Permelia).

Born; 14 April 1874, Verona, Grundy County, Illinois.
Parents; William Gilbert (1840-1928) = Anna Rumney (1845-1921)
Married; Augusta Norelius (1881-1977) on 27 June 1916 at Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota.
Children; Roberta Anna (1917-1998), Ruth Margaret (1919-1919), William Frederick (1922-2007).

The family moved from Illinois to Rock County, Minnesota in 1889, so Robert attended elementary school in Illinois, but graduated from Luverne High School, Minnesota in 1896. He then farmed for 14 years. In 1911 he attended business school at Grand Forks, North Dakota, and the following year was employed at the Red River Company in Grand Forks. In the spring of 1913 he moved to Pipestone County, Minnesota.
After their marriage in 1916, Robert and Augusta spent their first five years living on a farm east of Pipestone, Pipestone County. They moved to Luverne, Rock County in 1922 and lived at 215 North East Park Street. They were members of the First Baptist Church in Luverne.
Died; 31 August 1957, Restmore Convalescent Home, Rock Rapids, Lyon County, Iowa.
Buried; Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota.

More information about Robert's family

1877 - 1971 LILLIAN ANNA "LILLIE" LOOSE (nee GILBERT)

Born; 16 May 1877, Verona, Grundy County, Illinois
Parents; William Gilbert (1840-1928) = Anna Rumney (1845-1921)
Married; Frank Walter Loose (born 6 October 1872 Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota - died 17 March 1953 Santa Ana, Orange County, California) on 8 September 1920 at Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota. Frank was a farmer and rancher in Minnesota and California, and lived in Santa Ana.

Children; Annabelle E.Loose, who was born 19 March 1922 in Santa Ana, California, and married music teacher Walter Eugene Lott (born 17 August 1915 Holtville, Imperial, California) on 17 July 1955 at Santa Ana, California.
Annabelle and Walter had 1 daughter, Karen Ann Lott (born 1960, Pomona, California). Karen married William David Schaefer (born 29 September 1960 at Santa Ana, California) at Claremont, California on 7 September 1985, and they had a daughter, Amanda Christine, born 11 July 1993.

Lillian died; 22 December 1971, Pomona, Los Angeles, California.

To later Gilbert family members in the USA