The Gilbert Sisters

"The Gilbert Sisters"

I remember my Aunt Pauline talking about her friend, Maime Osborn, and her daughters, known as "The Gilbert Sisters." I came across the Gilbert family history in the Raymond's 125 Years of Memories book. It turns out that their father, Lee Gilbert, built the White Cottage (originally a gas station and ice house), and according to the family history, a time capsule was placed in the front corner of the building. I wonder if anyone ever found it? 

The family history below (author unknown), is from the Raymond 125 Years of Memories book, published in 1996: 

Lee and Mayme (Luking) Gilbert’s family of ten children have six generations going back in three directions, buried in Asbury Cemetery. The family names are Potterf, Luking, and Gilbert.

Reuban Taylor and Sarah Emma (Tittle) Potterf are great grandparents to this family. He was a Raymond merchant for many years. He and his sons built the store buildings where Mizera’s market is now. This is at the end of downtown Raymond, in the business district, at the corner of Broad and McGown, as the streets are now named. The steel doorway plates had the name “POTTERF” imprinted on them. One still remains. Reuben Taylor Potterf was the elected Justice of the Peace. He also made the pine boxes that were used for burials of the day. So it was said of him that “he married them and he buried them.” Something more added to that was -- he used the hearse as a paddy wagon and he “hauled them off to jail.” This early Raymond couple have quite a few descendants in the area and many more scattered. They lived in Raymond in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

The great grandfather and mother of the Lee and Mayme (Luking) Gilbert family were William and Minnie and they are both buried in Asbury Cemetery. There were three Luking sons: Frank, John, and Henry. Frank and Henry lived out their lives in the Raymond vicinity. John, the grandfather of the Gilbert family of ten, went West and is buried at Missoula, Montana. He was a storekeeper most of his life and owned and ran a small neighborhood store.

The Gilbert ancestors first settled in Jefferson County in 1838. Eli Wilson and Abbigail -- “Wils and Abbie” -- the grand grandparents of the Gilbert family, grew up there. They married and brought their family to Sangamon County, farming near Pawnee. They retired in 1903 and moved to Raymond, buying the house next to the Raymond Cemetery. At this same time, 1903, James Wilson and Martha Caroline (Uncle Jim and Aunt Matt to many) bought a farm east of Raymond. 

Lee Gilbert was about eight years old and grew up on this farm. In 1914 he married Mayme Luking. Their first five years of married life was on a homestead near Roy, Montana. There were crop failures and finally a hailstorm, and they were forced to give it up. The next two years or so they lived in Hettinger, ND. They got back to Raymond in 1923 and the fifth child was born in January of that year. They lived first on the farm east of Raymond that was owned by Grandfather James Wilson. Then they lived for six years in the house by the Raymond Cemetery that was the home of Eli Wilson and Abbigail, the great grandparents who are buried in Asbury Cemetery, passing in 1911 and 1920, respectively. If that little house could have talked, it would have had a lot to say. Two more of the family were born in those six years. In 1930, the family moved to the property where the White Cottage restaurant is now. The last three of the ten children were born at this place. Lee was the “ice man” for the town in the 20’s and early 30’s before refrigerators. He also delivered coal which folks burned for fuel to heat homes, schools, and churches in those days. The early 30’s is when Rt. 127 and Rt. 48 were put through Raymond. The White Cottage was built by him as a filling station and ice house. In 1935 and 1936, the ages of the children ranged from one year to 19. There were seven girls and three boys.

The girls became known as the “Gilbert Sisters.” They did a tumbling, acrobatic act and performed at area picnics and other affairs. The older girls formed a quartet and took part in church services, minstrels, and other programs. The family fell on hard times, and in 1941, most of the family undertook to leave Raymond and settled in Cedaredge, Co. Lee was killed in an accident and subsequently the rest of the family came back to Illinois. Raymond citizens collected a fund to help the family get back. In 1996, there are about 107 descendants of the Gilbert family -- Lee and Mayme (Luking) Gilbert’s family of ten. Mayme later remarried and was known as Mayme Osborn. 

The White Cottage building has a time capsule in the front corner nearest to town. They thought of several things to put in it. Someday someone will find it.