William Ezra Gilpin

(Click on image to enlarge)
Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society and Tom Rainford.

Here is Rose's husband and Charles' stepfather. Born circa 1856, he was some six years older than Rose, and the third of four (surviving) children of Washington and Mary Gilpen. His father and mother were from Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively, but by 1850 they were married and farming in Adams County, Indiana. I believe Mary died in the 1870s, and Washington remarried circa 1881.

The casual researcher has some trouble tracking down this particular Gilpin child, since he sometimes went by William and sometimes by Ezra. After his marriage to Rose, apparently he settled on Ezra.

I have mentioned elsewhere that Ezra described himself in 1900 as a day laborer. By 1910 he was a railroad section foreman. His occupation is illegible in the 1920 Census — perhaps "Laborer" for a "Railroad," but I can't be sure. In 1930 he was a railroad crossing guard.

An entry at findagrave.com shows 1934 as the year of his death, but I have not been able to confirm that.


Sources:
♦ 1850 Census.
♦ 1860 Census.
♦ 1870 Census.
♦ 1880 Census.
♦ 1900 Census.
♦ 1910 Census.
♦ 1920 Census.
♦ 1930 Census.