Henry owned a company that manufactured fur for Stetson fur hats.^a.3 One of Henry Sr.'s obituaries said that he arrived in Danbury in 1892 and after learning the hatting fur trade, started his own business about 1910 as Gebert Fur Company^f.1. Since he had a child born in Brooklyn in 1911 and one born in Danbury in 1914, the 1910 estimated business start date is too early.

Also, he didn't even arrive in America until February 1893 when he was eleven years old. Henry probably started working at his father's fur company somewhere between 1894 to 1897. By the 1900 census he was working as a furrier and still living at home with his mother and siblings.^j.10

In 1910, the census shows that Henry and family were living in Queens, New York City. Unfortunately, the enumerator did not indicate their address, nativity, citizenship, occupation, or education information. Since several children were born in Elmhurst during this period, they probably lived there or in the neighborhood. His 1926 Petition for Naturalization indicated that he lived in Connecticut since February 8, 1912.^h.4

The 1912^g.5 Danbury directory shows him as a salesman living at 39 Rocky Glen. The very next year^g.6 he was listed as a hatters' furrier working and living at 247 White St. In 1924 the Danbury directory^g.11 showed a 1/4 page ad for H. J. Gebert, Manufacturer of Hatters' Furs and boasted a telephone connection. By 1947, they still had a phone but the ad size increased to 1/2 page.^g.19 The Gebert Fur Co. went defunct sometime between 1959 when Charles Gebert died^f.3, and the death of Charles’ son, Henry C. Gebert in 1984.^f.2 [click on the Gebert Fur Co. ad above for more details about the company.]

Loretta "Pat", their daughter, remembers that when her recently widowered Uncle Charles' home burnt down in 1916 or 1917, his children came to live with her family on Beaver Brook Road for about a year. There was a building next to this house which was probably owned by M. Becherly. The family then moved to Sheridan Street in Danbury where Henry bought the house and rented a shop. In fact the home in which Pat was born in 1914 is now the Cornell Funeral Home. Another home remembrance was bringing sheets down to the brook to wash them when they lived in Hayestown. They had to carry water into the house and of course, they had an outhouse.

Pat as well as her cousins, George and Violet, mentioned that the her family, Henry J.'s line, pronounced their name as in Geebert while the rest of the family always said Gebert with the e short as in bed. Pat thinks it may have had to do with sentiments during World War I.

She also remembered her mother being quite unhappy that she was not able to vote even though she was born in the United States. Until 1922 when women were given the vote, a women's citizenship was based on her husband's citizenship. That wasn't too big a national concern until women were given the vote in 1922. Since they had married well before 1910, Mary had lost her citizenship. Between 1910 and 1924 the Immigration and Naturalization laws changed several times. Perhaps she wasn't even able to vote until her husband became a citizen in 1927.

According to the 1920 CT census, Henry rented a home at 243 Bound Brook St., came to the United States in 1892 and was pending naturalization. He was born in Germany where both his parents were born, and they as well as he spoke German. The census described his occupation as a manager in a fur factory [Gebert Fur Co., of course].^j.8

Henry showed up in the National Archives Immigration and Naturalization Records index for Connecticut. According to their index, Henry Joseph Gebert at his Germantown Road address, was naturalized by the Superior Court of Bridgeport, Conn. on May 3, 1927 as evidenced by certificate #12554. The index indicated he was born in Germany.^h.2

On April 5, 1950, he was interred in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Danbury, CT ^j.1. click here and here to read his obituaries. His nephew George Gebert Jr. stated that his obituary also appeared in the NY Journal American because the man was worth $500,000.^a.3

What isn't said in the obituaries was the scope of Henry's benevolence. A review of the Danbury directories^g.1-19 over the years always showed several relatives employed by his company. What isn't shown in any document was his giving to his brother George's family in times of need. Whenever times became really tough for George's family in Brooklyn, Violet would take buses from Brooklyn to Danbury knowing that Henry would come through. Family lore says that Henry helped send George and Violet's children to camp, too.

Although his brother was a rouster^a.3, never holding a job for more than three months, Henry never held it against Violet and the children. In addition to the family lore, further evidence of his largess can be construed from his obituaries.^f.1,f.2,f.11 Four priests assisted the lead priest from New York city. A quartet sung Wiegand's requiem high mass. Delegations from six non-profit organizations paid respects at the home. Heavy contributors of time and/or money get that kind of a send off. Henry J. Gebert Sr. was indeed a benevolent man.

He married MARY C. KENNEDY who was born on September 1, 1882 in Brooklyn, NY, the daughter of Michael and Mary Driscoll Kennedy. Their daughter, Loretta (Pat), said that they were married on Thanksgiving when they were both nineteen making the date about November 1901.

She died on Sept. 30, 1957 at age 75. She never remarried after Henry died.^c.1,f.4 Her obituary in the Danbury newspaper is shown on the right. Her sister, Margaret Kennedy who never married [Jan. 12, 1877-Feb. 4, 1964], is buried two plots over from her in St. Peter's Cemetery in Danbury.^b.2

Pat, their daughter, has many memories of life growing up with the Henry Geberts. Henry J. Sr. was stern, strict, but generous and open-hearted. His wife, Mary was also firm but she always deferred to Henry.

Pat mentioned that although the business went downhill after Henry Sr. died, it was really Henry Jr. who had originally brought it up to profitability. Around 1923-24 after he finished high school, Henry Jr. had been working in Steele's Dept. Store when his father asked him to come help him in the business. The combination of his dad's indepth knowledge of the business and Henry Jr.'s natural ability to sell and influence people made it into the moneymaker it came to be. Most of the sisters helped in the office, too. One time when Walter was very young and mischievous, his Uncle Charles told on him. Walter did, however, finally settle down when he was older. The hat business, however, starting dying all over the country in the 1950s due to changing fashions. Danbury, once considered the hat capital of the world, no longer has a single hat manufacturer within its borders.

The nature of her father's business was to soak rabbit skins in a wet acid before cutting the fur off the skins. This loose fur was then sold to Stetson and other hat manufacturer's who would make it into felt and hats.

Pat has very graciously provided two family portraits of Henry's family for this history. After viewing the Henry and children one, use your Back button to come back here and view the one with Henry and grandchildren. Walter was not included so they may have been taken after his death in June 1948 but had to have been taken before April 1950 when Henry Sr. died. Dorothy also is missing in the portrait but she was living in California at the time.

MADELINE C. GEBERT HIRT was born on October 12, 1902 in Brooklyn, NY.^{f.15, h.4} In the 1920 CT census she was listed as "laborer fur weigher" as her occupation.^j.8 She married FRANKLIN S. HIRT^a and was living in Danbury in 1950 and 1957.^f.1,f.4 Madeline had one son, Franklin J. Hirt who still lives in the family home on Staples St. in Danbury and three daughters, Mrs. Maryrose Dillon who lives in Bethel, Mrs. Suzanne Dunn now living in Florida, and Mrs. Roberta Boffelli who lives in North Carolina. At the time of Madeline's death, she had eleven grandchildren. She died April 9, 1977^c.1 Click here to read her obituary.

MARION M. GEBERT, Mrs. WILLIAM J. HOLOMANY, SR.,
was born on June 11, 1904 in
Brooklyn.^h.4 By 1950, she was living in Danbury. During her life in Danbury, Marion was actively involved in her church and in the Fire Department's Ladies Auxiliary where she had been an officer. At her death at age 90 on January 2, 1995, she was a widow living at 1 Great Plain Road in Danbury and was survived by her son, Sgt. William J. Holomany, Jr., and two granddaughters.^c.1,f.1

HENRY J. GEBERT, JR. was associated with his father in the Gebert Fur Company. Although involved in the car crash that killed his father, Henry was only bruised. Henry Jr. was involved in Danbury and Connecticut politics as a Republican Committee Chairman.^f.13 He was born on August 2, 1906 at Elmhurst, Long Island, NY and died on September 15, 1962 in a hospital in New York State. Although his birth name was Henry Christopher, Pat says he changed it when he was confirmed to Henry J., like his father, and became Henry Jr. This is supported by the 1920 CT census showing Henry J.'s son to be Henry C. when all other later records show him to be Henry J.

The 1940 Danbury city directory^g.18 indicated he was a furworker at 16 River St. in Danbury which was the address for Gebert Fur Co. After his father's untimely death, Henry Jr. took over the helm of the company. Although the company went into a decline during the 1950's while Henry Jr. was running the company, the cause was not due to his management, but rather to the decline of the industry as a whole. Not too long after his death, the whole hatting industry in Danbury vanished, a victim of the times and styles. Click here to read tributes to him.

Small world stuff - my cousin on my mother's side, Thomas Furlong's son-in-law's family lived for many years on the same street as Henry Jr.'s family in Danbury.

Henry was buried on Sept. 20, 1962 in the family plot in St. Peter's Cemetery in Danbury, Ct. On June 30, 1967 he was reinterred in a different plot where his wife and daughter were later buried beside him. His impressive stone can be seen here.

Sometime after 1921,^{f.13,j.8,g.14} Henry Jr. married ANNA V. LACAVA GEBERT who was born June 1, 1904 and died January 25, 1986 in Lincoln, MA.^c.1,c.2,f.1 The 1940 Danbury city directory^g.18 indicated their home was at 12 Starr Ave. in Danbury. Their only child, Anne Marie Gebert Callahan, who married Joseph W. Callahan, Jr., is buried near them in the family plot. Click here to read Anne Marie's obituary.

WALTER J. GEBERT born September 26, 1908 at Elmhurst, Long Island^h.44 in New York, was killed when he fell from a fire truck owned by the Germantown Hose Company. He was buried on June 9, 1948.^f.1,f.26, He was married to LENA M. TROCCOLO and according to the 1940 Danbury directory^g.18, he was a driver at 150 Main St. and their home was at 48 Pahquioque Ave. in Danbury. His obituary, however, stated he was associated with his father in the Gebert Fur Company. The space next to him in St. Peter's cemetery is reserved for Lena. Walter had four children: Madeline, Lorraine, Walter, Jr., and Henry. This Henry has a son, Henry Jr. who is the father of Aaron Gebert.

ROBERT J. GEBERT was born in New York on Aug. 28, 1911^c.1, and married to ARLENE H. STAIB^f.23 who was born in 1915. Arlene was Pat McGuire's good friend in high school. Pat says Arlene never worked for the Geberts but did work in a furniture company before she married. The 1934 Danbury city directory listed their address as Germantown Rd., Danbury and his occupation as furworker.^g.16 The 1940 edition indicated the same and added that he worked at 16 River Rd. [Gebert Fur Co.] and added RD 5 after Germantown Rd.^g.18 They were still living in Danbury in 1950 and 1957.^f.1,f.4 He died on March 6, 1992 in Randolph, VT of chronic lung disease, respiratory failure after a long illness.^d.11 His wife Arlene died in 1965 and was buried by him in St. Peter's Cemetery.^e.1 The high school pictures for two daughters, Carol Ann Gebert Moffit [Danbury 1963] and Jeanne Gebert Edman [Danbury 1959] are shown below:

LORETTA PAT GEBERT MC GUIRE was born on March 17, 1914 in Danbury, CT ^j.8and still lives in the neighborhood as sharp anyone half her age.^b.2 Because she was born on St. Patrick's Day, her Dad wanted to name her Patricia but her Mother already made up her mind to name her Loretta. So she was named "Loretta" but called "Pat" all her life by her family and friends [see high school picture].

Loretta married WALTER J. MC GUIRE by 1935^f.26. He was with Henry Sr. in the accident and sustained serious injuries.^f.1 Loretta and Walter were living in Danbury in 1950 and in New Fairfield at 18 Fox Hollow Rd in 1957 and 1982.^f.1,f.4 He was born on April 2, 1914 and died on October 22, 1982 in New Fairfield, CT. where they were still living at the Fox Hollow address. Pat and Walter were fortunate to have many years of traveling enjoyment during their retirement. The obituary also indicated that he was a retired Supt. of Pub. for the municipal government.^f.26 Loretta and Walter have a joint headstone in St. Peter's Cemetery but, thank goodness, hers is not complete.

Loretta and Walter had four children, Walter J. McGuire, Jr. [Aug. 18, 1937-June 12, 1962 who died in an auto accident, Robert J. McGuire [June 25, 1940-Sept. 15, 1996], John McGuire who lives in Ohio, and Kathleen McGuire Southward who now lives in New Hampshire.

DOROTHY C. GEBERT EISENHAUER was born on December 26, 1917 in Danbury, CT.^j.8 Although the 1937 Danbury directory states that Dorothy C. Gebert married James Williams, family obituaries indicate she married ROSS EISENHAUER^b.2 and lived in Live Oak, Calif. in 1950 and 1957.^f.1,f.4 She has a son, Michael Henry Eisenhauer, and two daughters, Patricia Eisenhauer Gregory and Genevieve Gail Eisenhauer Martin. Dorothy her daughters and grandchildren, still live in California.

IRENE O. GEBERT was born about October 24, 1919 ^h.4 in Danbury and was living in Danbury in 1950 and 1957.^f.1,f.4 She apparently has never married and lived for a long time with her aunt Margaret Kennedy in Danbury before Margaret died. Irene is now in delicate health in Danbury. Her headstone is in St. Peter's cemetery in Danbury but, of course, does not include her date of death.

GENEVIEVE GEBERT KEENAN, born October 21, 1921 in Danbury, was unmarried in Danbury in 1950^f.1 but was listed as married to Walter Keenan in 1957 and living in Danbury.^f.4 Genevieve died on January 24, 1990 at the age of 68. A retired high school teacher, she was living at 24 Birch Drive in Bethel when she died.^c.2