Hugo Gebert
Hugo Gebert is prominently identified with the business interests of Denison as a member of the firm of Pfarr, Gebert & Hunt, conducting a general mercantile establishment.
His birth occurred in Hamburg, Germany, on the 26th of August, 1870, his parents being Henry and Christiana (Luetjens) Gebert, who were likewise natives of that country. The father was a tile manufacturer, making fine tile stoves and fireplaces. He put up all the stoves for the king of Denmark. His demise occurred in Hamburg when he had attained the age of about forty years. His wife, who still survives him, subsequently gave her hand in marriage to Herman Ebel, by whom she has a daughter, Clara. Our subject has one brother and one sister, as follows: Ludwig, who is still a resident of Hamburg; and Meta, the wife of Theodore Voss, likewise of Hamburg.
Hugo Gebert was reared and educated in his native land and after putting aside his textbooks began learning the printer's trade, working at that occupation for one year, at the end of which time he became a waiter in a hotel. In 1887, when a youth of seventeen, he crossed the Atlantic to the United .States, wishing to test the truth of the many favorable reports which he had heard concerning the opportunities of the new world. He located on a farm five miles south of Denison, Iowa, and began working by the month.
In 1888 he took up his abode in Denison, securing a position as clerk with M. J. Casman, with whom he remained for a few months. Subsequently he entered the service of the firm of J. P. Miller & Company, continuing in that employ until 1893. In that year he embarked in business on his own account in partnership with John J. Wieland, conducting a general store. Mr. Wieland subsequently sold his interest to Mr. Hunt, and the firm is now doing business under the style of Pfarr, Gebert & Hunt. They have secured an extensive patronage because of their large and well selected stock of goods, their reasonable prices and earnest desire to please their customers.
On the 4th of October, 1894, Mr. Gebert was united in marriage to Miss Florence Iola Osborn, a native of Adair county, Iowa, and a daughter of John and Harriet (Culbertson) Osborn, who were born in Illinois and Pennsylvania respectively. Their children were eight in number, namely: William, Richard, Florence I., Bessie, John, Bernice, Ruby and Leslie.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gebert have been born seven children, as follows: Harriet, Roy, Mary, Paul, Almarine, Hugo McVitty and Frederick.
In politics Mr. Gebert is a republican, while fraternally he is identified with Sylvan Lodge, No. 507, A. F. & A. M., the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World. In religious faith both he and his wife are Presbyterians. Mr. Gebert is widely recognized as a popular, enterprising and public-spirited citizen as well as a representative business man of his community and has a host of warm friends.
Source: History of Crawford County, Iowa. Vol. II. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911.