John Gilbert died at his home near Coupeville Sunday Dec. 16, (sic) 1903. The following sketch of his life was read at the funeral Monday by Rev. C. E. Newberry. John Gilbert was born in Hesse Darmstadt in January 1821, being thus at the time of his death, nearly 83 years old. When a lad of sixteen he crossed the Atlantic to New York and for some time served as sailor on a vessel hailing from that port. This vessel finally made a voyage to the Gulf where she was wrecked. Young Gilbert then spent several years as a boatman on the Mississippi. In 1852 he came to California where he spent several years in mining, making and losing a small fortune. Later he spent several years mining in Oregon, but was there taken sick and came to Puget Sound on the advice of a physician. Here he spent several years as a hand on steamboats until about the year 1868 when he came to Utsalady to help load a schooner. This schooner stopped in Penn's cove and Captain Roeder, who had a crop of wheat which he could find no one to cut, prevailed upon Mr. Gilbert to stop and cut it. From that time Mr. Gilbert has resided on the island. He was a man of powerful frame and robust constitution, with wonderful power of endurance. For several years he has been feeble and for the last two years has been dependent upon friends, especially upon the family of Mr. Kaehler, for those services which soothed the pains cheered the loneliness of declining years.
----Island County Times, December 18, 1903
----Island County Times, December 18, 1903
John Gilbert died at his home near Coupeville Sunday Dec. 16, (sic) 1903. The following sketch of his life was read at the funeral Monday by Rev. C. E. Newberry. John Gilbert was born in Hesse Darmstadt in January 1821, being thus at the time of his death, nearly 83 years old. When a lad of sixteen he crossed the Atlantic to New York and for some time served as sailor on a vessel hailing from that port. This vessel finally made a voyage to the Gulf where she was wrecked. Young Gilbert then spent several years as a boatman on the Mississippi. In 1852 he came to California where he spent several years in mining, making and losing a small fortune. Later he spent several years mining in Oregon, but was there taken sick and came to Puget Sound on the advice of a physician. Here he spent several years as a hand on steamboats until about the year 1868 when he came to Utsalady to help load a schooner. This schooner stopped in Penn's cove and Captain Roeder, who had a crop of wheat which he could find no one to cut, prevailed upon Mr. Gilbert to stop and cut it. From that time Mr. Gilbert has resided on the island. He was a man of powerful frame and robust constitution, with wonderful power of endurance. For several years he has been feeble and for the last two years has been dependent upon friends, especially upon the family of Mr. Kaehler, for those services which soothed the pains cheered the loneliness of declining years.
----Island County Times, December 18, 1903
----Island County Times, December 18, 1903
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