GILBERT, Jeanette Irene (nee Davis) 1922-2001

GILBERT, DAVIS

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 7/7/2009 at 20:19:48

Jeanette Irene (nee Davis) Gilbert 1922-2001

Jeanette Irene Gilbert, 78, of Elkton, died Friday evening, Jan. 19, 2001, at her home in Elkton.

She was born Jan. 20, 1922, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Doris Irene (Curley) Davis in Mitchell County, Iowa. She started elementary school in Lyle before moving with her family to a farm southeast of Dexter in the fall of 1928. She graduated from Elkton Public School in 1939. At the start of World War II, Jeanette and several area girls went to Rockford, Ill.,
where they worked at the National Lock Defense plant making aircraft bolts.

On Aug. 16, 1943, she married Donald Gilbert at her parents' farm. They made their home in Avon Park, Fla., while Donald was in the Air Force, returning to Minnesota at the end of the war. They moved to the Gilbert family farm, where they lived and farmed for 33 years. In addition to helping with farm chores, Jeanette also raised laying hens. After Donald's death on March 1, 1978, Jeanette moved to Elkton in 1981.

She was a member of Dexter United Methodist Church, where she held several offices with the United Methodist Women. She was a member of Adrian Lee American Legion Post No. 170 of Dexter, a Gold Star Mother of the Grand Meadow American Legion Post Auxiliary No. 140 and a Gold Star Mother with the VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post No. 1216 of Austin. She enjoyed square dancing, card club and designing and making quilts.

Survivors include three children, Shirley Lange of Las Vegas, Nev., LaVerne (Lea Ann) Gilbert of Dexter and Bernadine (Mike) Lee of Hayfield;
10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; her mother, Doris Davis of Hayfield; four sisters, June Philip, Tucson, Ariz., Audrey (Dale) Rolfson of Bemidji, Beverly (Elverne) Mees of Dexter and Maxine (Robert) Thompson, Plymouth; a sister-in-law, Angeline (Lynn) Buschmann-DeBoer, Stewartville; also many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her father; husband; a son, Stanley Gilbert; and three infant grandchildren, twins, Tim and Tom Lange and Angela Lee.

Service: 11 a.m. Wednesday at Dexter United Methodist Church with the Rev. Tom Wilson officiating.

Visitation: 4 to 8 p.m., Tuesday at Worlein Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday.

Interment: Dexter Cemetery.

[Austin Daily Herald, Jan. 22, 2001]