Charles Henry & Luzetta Gilbert and Their Family

 

Charles Henry Gilbert was born on August 27 1821 in Rensselaer County, New York. This is in eastern New York between the Hudson River and the Vermont and Massachusetts border. His parents were Asahel Wood Gilbert Jr. (1790-1862) who was born in Hebron, CT and Mary Wood (1791-1842) who was born in New York. I think she may have been from Washington County, NY (just north of Rensselaer County) since that is where they were married in 1816.

 

Charles Henry’s parents appeared in Troy, Rensselaer County, NY in the1820 & 1830 Census, but by the 1840 Census have moved to Villanovia, Chautauqua County, NY. Charles Henry had at least two siblings that stayed in Troy, however. One was sister Mary Ann (b.1820) who married Jacob Jacobs (b.1812) and the other a brother Asahel Wood (b.1818) who married Jane Ann (b.1815). In 1840, Charles and his parents established a farm in southwestern New York. He was 19 and his parents lived near William & Plumilla Wright. He married their daughter Luzetta Clara Wright on July 4 1841. Unfortunately, his mother Mary Wood Gilbert died July 11 1842. By the 1850 Census, both father Asahel and Charles Henry had moved to Hanover, Chautauqua County, NY. Father Asahel had married Phebe (1787-1867) and had a helper on his farm. He called himself a “produce dealer”.  Charles & Luzetta had four children by 1850 (Mary Luzetta b.1842;  Asahel William b.1844;  Plumilla “Jane” b.1847;  Henry “Birdie” b.1849). Later in 1853 they had another daughter named Emma. It appears Charles Henry’s father and stepmother stayed in Chautauqua County. Asahel Wood Gilbert Jr. died in 1862 and is buried next to both of his wives in Forestville Cemetery.

 

According to Charles Henry’s son Asahel William’s obituary, “the family came west in 1856 settling in Wisconsin and making the trip from Buffalo to Sheboygan by steamboat on the Great Lakes. Two years later he came to Delaware County, Iowa.”  I noticed that Luzetta’s sister Mercy Wright Ingram and her family had a child in Wisconsin during this travel period to Iowa. They later settled in Mason City, IA. Luzetta’s parents were with her in the 1860 Census in Delaware County. Based on this, it appears that Luzetta’s sister and parents accompanied them on this adventure.

 

In 1860, Charles’s family had settled in Honey Creek, Delaware County, IA. The census form showed they had five children; and like I said before, William & Plumilla Wright lived with them. Their son Henry “Birdie” died in 1863 and I could find no further records of their youngest daughter Emma after 1860.

 

Their oldest child Mary (1842-1932) married Lewis Hubbell (1839-1917) in 1862. He was also from Honey Creek, Delaware County, IA and the family farmed. The couple had two sons and then three daughters. Mary & Lewis stayed in the county and two of their daughters Bertha Maud (1878-1968) and Grace (1881-1960) married Dorman brothers and raised their families in Delaware County. “Maud” and Oscar (1871-1921) had four daughters and Grace and George (1878-1917) had two sons and a daughter. Both Dorman brothers were dentists. Mary’s son Barsley (1864-?) went to Nebraska with his wife Anna (1864-?) and had a daughter and son. Her son Edward (1869-?) with his wife Vinette (1871-?) had three daughters and a son and went to Pocahontas County, IA and later to Minnesota. Mary’s youngest daughter Kate (1885-1979) went to North Carolina and later to Mississippi with her husband Duane Rosenkrans (1889-1980) and son.

 

Charles Henry & Luzetta’s son Asahel (1844-1919) was called “AW”. He married Loretta Hooker (1849-1935) from Richland Township, Delaware County. Her family also originally came from another part of Chautauqua County, NY. AW and Loretta farmed in Honey Creek and were listed in the 1870 Census. It is unclear whether they took over Charles Henry’s farm or not. They had a daughter Willa (1871-1959) and a son Rudolphus (1873-1945) while living in Delaware County.

 

Charles Henry & Luzetta had left Honey Creek sometime in the 1860’s. They came to Hardin County. Their daughter Millie (Plumilla Jane) came to Hardin County too. In 1870, the couple farmed alone in Hardin Township, Hardin County, IA and daughter Millie was a schoolteacher living in Jackson Township.

 

By 1874, Asahel William Gilbert also left Delaware County to join Charles Henry, mother Luzetta Wright and sister Plumilla and her husband Alexander McCoy in Hardin County.

 

I would like to thank Maureen Wilson great granddaughter of Mary Gilbert Hubbell for her assistance. My sister in law Beverly Gilbert started this whole history many years ago and was helped after meeting this woman.

 

I am also submitting pictures of these people. Check out “Delaware County Pictures”.

 

Submitted

Feb 2004

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