Wilbert, Henry

Submitted by Mike Miller

Henry Wilbert, president and manager of the Plaquemine Ice & Cold Storage company, one of the leading manufacturing interests of Plaquemine, La., has held his present position and discharged the duties of the same in a capable and efficient manner since the establishment of this industry in 1890. The company's buildings are equipped with all the latest improved machinery, and they manufacture ten tons of ice daily. Mr. Wilbert was born in Plaquemine, January 28, 1854, and is of German descent, his father, Anthony Wilbert, having been a native of that country. The elder Wilbert came to the United States when a young man (1844), and located, at P1aquemine, where he followed the cabinet maker's trade, which he had learned in Germany, until 1869. After this he was engaged in the sawmill business, and was among the pioneer timber men of the state. Having a thorough knowledge, of the business and being possessed of a great amount of energy and perseverance, he was unusually successful. He was indebted to his sons for a large part of his success.

His death occurred July 4, 1888, when seventy-two years of age. For a number of years he was a member of the council, not from choice, but through the influence of his friends. While in Germany he served his allotted time in the army. He was a devout Catholic. Mr. Wilbert was married in Plaquemine, soon after his arrival, to Miss Sebelia Solomon, of that place, and to them were born eight sons and one daughter, six sons and one daughter living: Tony, Henry (subject), Frederick, Peter, John, George, Charles, Joseph and Mary Sebelia. Those living are residing in Iberville parish, and all the sons, with the exception of Henry, are connected in the mill business and also the real estate business.

The Wilbert Timber company own a shingle mill, sawmill, planing mill and many thousand acres of valuable timber land. Henry Wilbert received a liberal education and when still a young boy commenced working in his father's mills, where he remained as manager until his father's death. He is the largest stockholder in the Ice company, and for that reason is president and manager. In 1873 Mr. Wilbert married Miss Victoria Dieffenbach, of Plaquemine, and they have an interesting family of two sons and five daughters living. Mr. Wilbert has taken the thirty-second degree in Scottish rite Masonry, and will soon take the thirty-third degree. He is also a member of the American Legion of Honor, and in politics is a democrat. The family hold membership in the Catholic church.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 455. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.