Mrs. Emma Gilbert, who would have been 97 had she lived until Feb. 11, died Jan. 5th in the home of her son-in-law, Lex Brown, Newville, where she had been cared for the past seven years.
The daughter of Buel and Nancy Palmer Oviatt, she was born Feb. 11, 1848 near Albion. She was the oldest surviving member of the old Albion academy student body. In 1875 she married J. S. Gilbert at Utica and in 1881 they moved to Milton Junction.
They had five children, two of whom survive: Dr. Zina Gilbert of Melrose and Ward O. Gilbert, Prairie do Chien. Wilma died in 1882, Harry in 1877 and Bonnie (Mrs. Lex Brown) in 1944. There are nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her many years were filled with activity for her family and the good of the community. She was a loyal member of the Milton Junction S.D.B. church, a worker in the Ladies Aid society and active in the Women's Relief corps and the W.C.T.U.
Funeral services were conducted from the Tellefson funeral home in Edgerton and the Milton Junction S.D.B. church, on Jan. 7, 1945, by Rev. Orville W. Babcock. Mrs. Withey sang two selections, with Miss Lillian Cooper at the organ. Burial was in Milton Junction cemetery, pallbearers being Geo. Sherman, Charles Brown, Henry Pierce, Fred Splitter, Lawrence Sherman and John Moore.
