Elise “Eliza” (Gilbert) Winkelmaier, 1810–1893

Born in France at an undetermined location on 8 November 1810, Elise “Eliza” Gilbert was the daughter of Joseph and Harriet Gilbert. Her family does not know how Eliza met Louis Winkelmaier, whom she married in 1837 in Paris, France. In an affidavit given in 1891, relating to her claim for her son William’s Civil War disability pension, Eliza stated that she did not remember the name of the church or by whom she was married.

Eliza and Louis immigrated to the United States, probably arriving about 1839. They brought with them several pieces of furniture, reported to be her dowry, most of them marble-topped chests and console tables, an armoire, and parlor chairs, passed down through the family over the years. Their first child, Louisa, was born in St. Louis in 1840. Eliza gave birth to five other children: William, Julia, Louis, Ernestine, and Julius.

After the death of her husband, Louis, in 1872, Eliza maintained her home at 1806 Park Avenue for several years, with two of her married children, Ernestine and Julius, and their families living with her. When Eliza died on 11 January 1893, she had been living with her daughter Ernestine Hannegan since 1881, according to her probate record. Per the probate record, her survivors were Frederick Weber, Louisa Ruga, Louis W. Weber, Julius Weber (her daughter Louisa’s children); Julius Winkelmaier, Louis Winkelmaier, Julia Flynn and Ernestine Hannegan (her sons and daughters). Her death was noted in the register of Ebenezer Evangelical Church, and she was buried in Holy Ghost Cemetery. The family later moved the graves of Louis and Eliza to New St. Marcus Cemetery.

At the time of her death, she owned property in Washington County, Missouri, which she had inherited from her husband. The family sold the property in 1897 to satisfy debts reported in the probate record.

Submitted by Mary McMillan
February 2018

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