Biographical Sketch of Philipp Gerber, Franklin County, Missouri
>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1888.
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Philipp Gerber was born April 15, 1834, at Sonnerberg, by Coberg,
Saxony-Meingen, and is a son of Andreas Gerber, who was a baker and
musician. Andreas Gerber was twice married, the first time to Miss
Christina Liverman, by whom he had six children; and the second time
to Miss Wilhelmina Roth, by whom he had three children. All the sons
and some of the daughters were musicians, like their father. The
subject of this sketch lived at Sonnerberg until 1851, attending the
common schools up to his fourteenth year, receiving a rudimentary
education, and then attended a technical school two years, with the
view of becoming an artist. His father died in 1848, and his two
elder half-brothers being implicated in the Revolution of 1848 were
compelled to flee the country. One of them persuaded his mother to
permit young Philipp to come with him to the United States, in which
country the two landed in 1851 and reached Washington, Mo., on June
12 of the same year. They went to Newport in September, and remained
there until February, 1852, when they settled on a farm on Section 32,
Township 44, Range 2 West. On this farm Philipp remained until 1854
when he went to Washington, where he worked at the blacksmith and
cooper trades until July 5, 1856 when he returned to the farm. April
19, 1857 Miss Lucinda Rachel Cooper, daughter of Garnett Cooper, who
settled in Franklin County in 1832, became his wife. Mr. Gerber
moved to Gasconade County, December 25, 1857 and opened a farm in the
wilderness, on Red Oak Creek, three miles south of Douglas Prairie.
In 1860 he returned to his brother's farm in Franklin County, remain-
ing there until 1865. During this period he served in the United
States Reserve Corps, known as the Home Guards, three months, in 1861,
as a private soldier. He also served in the Fifty-fourth Enrolled
Missouri Militia, as second lieutenant of Company C. In 1865 he pur-
chased a farm on Section 33, Township 44, Range 2 West, on which farm
he now resides. In 1868 he was elected constable of Lyon Township, a
position he held six years, serving at the same time as deputy sheriff
and holding this position until 1880. He was assessor of Lyon Town-
ship during the years 1875 and 1876, under township organization; and
he took the State census in 1875, and the United States census in 1880
of the same township. This latter year he was elected county assessor,
a position he has since held. To Mr. and Mrs. Gerber have been born
the following children: William J., born February 23, 1858 and died
March 23, 1861; Charles H., born April 3, 1860; William S., born April
18, 1862; Maria F., born May 6, 1864; Chrisitina T., born January 17,
1867; Philipp E., born October 18, 1869; Lilly E., born July 3, 1872
and died July 18, 1873; Louis, born March 1, 1877; and Franklin, born
February 7, 1880. Charles H. married Emily Lucinda Sullins, January
20, 1886; and Maria F., married A. B. Spradling November 7, 1882.
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