Bio: Gilbertson, Tillie (104^th Birthday – 2010)

Contact: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Gilbertson, Egge, Knutson, McKnight

----Source: Banner Journal (Black River Falls, Jackson Co., WI.) February 10, 2010

Gilbertson, Tillie (104^th Birthday – 4 February 2010)

By Pat McKnight

Crediting her longevity to hard work, Tillie Gilbertson recently celebrated her 104^th birthday during a celebration held at Pine View Care Center (PVCC).

Born Feb. 4, 1906, in Polk County, MN, Gilbertson was the eldest of eight children of Hanna and Theodore Egge.  She is the only sibling still living.

Gilbertson said she does a lot of thinking about her life and remembers working on the family farm, driving the team of horses, cultivating the corn, making hay and raising vegetables.

She left the farm to attend college and then became a teacher.  Ten years of her teaching career were spent as a special education teacher.

Gilbertson married Alfred in 1945 and the couple had one child, Gwyn.

In addition to being active in her Lutheran church and sewing and art projects, Gilbertson liked to travel. She said she traveled throughout the United States and parts of Canada. “I think I have touched something in every state,” said Gilbertson.

She came to Black River Falls in 1996 to be close to her daughter and became a resident of PVCC in 2006.

There was a lovely photo of Tillie in the Banner Journal, and beneath that photo was this: Tillie Gilbertson, a resident of Pine View Care Center, celebrated her 104^th birthday Feb. 4.  A native of Minnesota, Gilbertson moved to Black River Falls in 1996 to be closer to her daughter, Gwyn Knutson, and her family.  Gilbertson spent much of her life in the teaching profession and enjoyed sewing, oil painting and other artistic projects.