This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Max
Henry Gaebler
1851 -
1920
PROMINENT
CITIZEN
CALLED
BY DEATH
Was
Secretary and Treasurer of the
Watertown
Table Slide Company
Since its
Organization – A Good Citizen Gone
b.
[ Article contains portrait ]
Max
Henry Gaebler, a prominent and highly esteemed resident of Watertown and
secretary and treasurer of the Watertown
Table Slide Company, died this morning in his late residence,
Mr.
Gaebler was born in Danbury, Conn.
The
son received his early education at home under the instruction of his
grandfather and had read many of the German classics before he was twelve years
old. His studies were continued in the
local high school, under the late Prof. Bernard and he was one of the first
three students to enter Northwestern College.
He also received an excellent musical education.
In his
early life he assisted his father in the construction of musical instruments
and also aided in the conduct of the music store. He acquired technical skill in piano tuning
and since 1870 devoted a great share of his time to this art and gained a
statewide reputation for extraordinary skill.
In
1889 he helped in founding the Watertown Table Slide Co., and gradually
withdrew from the other avocations and since the founding of the company has
been its secretary and treasurer and designed a great share of the special
machinery used in the plant.
He was
united in wedlock on
Mr.
Gaebler was a republican in politics and he was a candidate for mayor in 1914,
and although defeated for the office received a strong endorsement in his home ward
and a large vote throughout the city. He
never aspired to public office and on this occasion was induced by his friends
to make the run. It is also true of
other positions of responsibility and trust which he capably filled.
He
served as a member of the Jefferson county board of supervisors several terms
being elected in a democratic ward from 1881 off and on until 1911. He was a charter member of Watertown Lodge
No. 666 B. P. O. Elks and a member of Lincoln Lodge No. 20, Knights of
Pythias.
He was
a life long lover and student of music and for many years served as musical
director of the Concordia Musical
Society. He was also in his early
life an accomplished pianist and violinist.
He was a great reader of current literature and was one of the most
intelligent and best informed men in this section of the state. He possessed an affable disposition and a
genial nature which drew to him many warm friends wherever he was known. His home life was all that could be desired
in a father and husband.
He
took an active interest in all that concerned the industrial life and growth of
Watertown and was always ready to lend a helping hand for anything conducive to
that end.
Watertown
loses a good citizen in the death of Mr. Gaebler, a type of the forceful, self
reliant man. He was a man of liberal
tastes and cultivation and possessed a fund of diversified information.
Mr.
Gaebler had a marked social gift and was always a welcome addition to the
social life of Watertown. His engaging
personality and address bespoke confidence and a liking shared in by the whole
community. His nature was of the
sterling kind which bespeaks confidence and wins and keeps friends.
The
funeral will take place on next Tuesday afternoon with services in the family
home at
The
burial will be in Oak
Hill cemetery.
Beebe-Gaebler
Watertown Gazette, 06 24 1920
On
Thursday, June 17, 1920, Hans D. Gaebler, son of the late Max H. Gaebler and
wife, was married at Kankakee, Ills., to Miss Helen Beebe of that city, at the
home of the bride’s parents. They have
already began housekeeping in the Gaebler homestead in Fifth street. The groom is one of Watertown’s best young
men. He is a graduate of the Watertown High School and of the Northwestern College, this city, and graduated
in the science course of the state university.
He also graduated from the University of Chicago and served as law
librarian there several years. He is at
present reading law in the office of his uncle, C. R. Blumenfeld.
Cross
References:
Life-like picture of the late Mrs. Max
Gaebler, 1908
Memories of Plath family, Otto Emil and Sylvia,
by Max Gaebler
