Albert Gilli (1887)

Born 1887 in Troy, NY

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Loren Fay [send private message]

Biography

Sources

• 1900 USA Census of Troy, New York.

Lots of Gilli - Gillie info is found here:

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Agillie~%20%2Bresidence_place%3A%22troy%2C%20ny%22%20%2Bresidence_year%3A1870-1900~

Two Dozen Children

An elderly man, with ruddy

features and iron-gray hair had just entered

his house from the Pine

Woods avenue, when a

representative of the Times accosted

him. as he washed the soil from

his hard, brown hands,

"I do what I've been doing all my life—hard

work with little pay. But what is the use

of finding fault when you have all you want

to eat ? " And he laughed a happy laugh,

and his wife, who was working in the

b a s e m e n t echoed cheertty, "You want to

e a t ?"

Joseph Gilli, the old man, was born in

t h e canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, sixty-seven

years ago. His father w a s one of

the doughty Switzers w h o repelled the advance

of Bonaparte. Owing to an injured

arm Mr. Gilli w a s not compeiled to do service

for the government during tho rebellion

In the forties, but one of his brothers

shouldered a musket against the agitators.

After working on his father's farm for

some years Sir. Gilli learned the weavers

trade. Soon after his first wife died he

determined t o seek a new home in America,

and he came to this country with one of

his children and left five behind.

He settled in V e r m o n t and worked w i t h that

sturdy energy which has always disting-

u i s h e d the people of his race and in t wo

years w a s able to bring his remaining children

to the U n i t e d States.

By his first wire Mr. Gilli w a s the f a t h er

of nine children. He married again, and

h i s humble home was brightened with

e l e v e n more children. With bis numerous

f a m i l y Mr. Gilli came t o Troy in 1863, and

he h a s worked as a gardener ever since. In

winter he cleans with a horse and snowplow

the s i d e w a l k s of Pawling and neighboring

avenues. His second wife died

some years ago, and younger children needing

the care of a mother h e married a third

time. The i s s u e of t h i s l a s t marriage was

four children, making a grand total of

twenty-four children. At present this vigorous

old father has eighteen children living,

e l e v e n boys and s e v e n girls. Many are

married, and all w h o have arrived at man's

e s t a t e have trades and

& are hard-working,

honest citizens, who are a credit to the

places in which they have settled . When

Mr, Gilli refers to his children He is compelled

to pause a moment and does not

attempt t o count up his grandchildren. His

oldest child is forty-five and the

youngest six years.