San Joaquin County Biographies
Ref: Page 1332
Transcribed by: Linda Diane Jackson 1/17/2010
JOHN D. GILGERT
One of the pioneer families in the Golden State is that which now finds a worthy representative in San Joaquin County in John D. Gilgert, who is also a native son of the county where he has resided all of his life. He was born on the Gilgert homestead near Collegeville, May 30, 1864. His father, John G. Gilgert, was born in 1826 in Germany and in 1847 came to New York where he followed his trade of wheelwright in Herkimer County until 1852. He came to California via Cape Horn and from San Francisco came to Stockton where he worked in a blacksmith shop until 1860 when he moved to Collegeville and located on a farm of forty-eight acres, a portion of the Dan Kitchings ranch. The blacksmith shop opposite the Kerrick Tavern, or Eight-Mile House, on the Mariposa Road was conducted by a close friend by the name of John Aust and Mr. Gilgert bought him out and moving the shop to his farm, made wagons, carriages, farm implements and tools; his products and workmanship were known far and wide and at the present time his wagons can be found on many of the neighboring ranches. In 1857 he was married to Miss Sybella Martenstein, a native of Germany, who came to California in 1852. They were the parents of six children of whom John D. is the eldest son. Since he was twenty-five years old J.G. Gilgert had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and in 1883 he passed away at the family home. His wife now makes her home with her son John D., our subject, who obtained his education in the public school at Collegeville and at the age of eight years was set to work doing odd jobs around his father's shop and learned the trade. When he was twenty-three years old he located near Oakdale where he farmed for eight years and on his return to San Joaquin County he farmed the Jack ranch for twelve years.
In 1888 Mr. Gilgert was married to Miss Christina Rapps, a native of Wisconsin, who came to California in 1885. Her sister Adaline married a brother of our subject and they reside in Stockton. Mr. and Mrs. Gilgert are the parents of six children: Birdie is a graduate of the Stockton High school, the San Jose State Normal, Los Angeles Bible Institute and is at present doing missionary work at Sells, Ariz., among the Indians; Walter, an engineer, married Miss Mabel Morris and they have three children; Anna is a stenographer for the Western Electric Company at Oakland; Carlton married Miss Chrystal Yandell and has two daughters and is associated with his father in business; George R. married Hazel Ward of Madera County, and is also interested with his father in business; Lillian is a graduate of Stockton High school. About ten years ago Mr. Gilgert purchased the property on the northeast corner of Jack Tone and Mariposa roads and remodeled the buildings on the place and opened the Collegeville store, handling groceries and meats. He conducts three meat routes in the county, one route covering a distance of seventy miles. For twenty years Mr. Gilgert was a trustee of the Collegeville school district. He is now deputy county clerk and holds the office of registration clerk. He is a Republican in politics. He joined Oakdale Lodge of Odd Fellows in 1891 and became past grand; about ten years later he transferred his membership to Truth Lodge No. 55 at Stockton and with his wife is a member of Rainbow degree, Lodge of Rebekahs, of which his daughter Lillian is also a member.
History of
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
With A
Biographical Review
of
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been
Identified with Its Growth and Development
from the Early Days to the Present
HISTORY BY
George H. Tinkham
HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
1923
San Joaquin County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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