----Source: DORCHESTER HERALD (Dorchester, Clark County, Wis.) 12/01/1916

LeClaire, Gilbert (15 Jul 1830 - 30 NOV 1916)

Died, at the home of his son, Julius, Gilbert LeClaire at 9:30 o'clock Thursday evening, aged 86 years.

Deceased was born in Montreal, Canada July 15, 1830 and in 1852 was married to Adeline Gongne, to which union was born nine children as follows: Adeline Panger of Williston, N.D.; Julius LeClaire of this city; J. J. LeClaire of Fifield; Delia Deval of Bellingham, Wash.; Dell LeClaire of Minn.; Mrs. Tom Marlow and Mrs. John Nehaba, both of Cloquet, Minn.; Tellis LeClaire of Black Hawk, Ontario, Canada, and Mrs. Gilbert Marlow who preceded him in death three months ago.

In 1868 he left Canada, going to Fond du Lac, and in 1877 came to this village (Dorchester, Clark County, Wis.), settling on the west forty acres of land now owned by his son Julius.

Funeral services will be held Monday morning at 10 o'clock at St. Louis Catholic Church.

Deceased was a man who united sound sense with strong convictions, and a candid, outspoken temper, eminently fitted to mould the rude elements of pioneer society into form and consistency, and aid in raising a high standard of citizenship in our young and growing state. How much this community owes him and such as he, it is impossible to estimate, though it would be a grateful task to trace his influence through some of the more direct channels, to hold him up in these degenerate days, in his various characters of husband and father, of neighbor and friend, to speak of the sons he has reared to perpetuate his name and emulate his virtues. But it comes not within the scope of this brief article to do so. Suffice it to say, he lived nobly and died peacefully at the advance age of 86 years. The stern Reaper found him, "as a shock of corn, fully ripe for the harvest."

Not for him be our tears! Rather let us crown his grave with garlands; few of us will live as long or as well and fewer yet will the Angel of Death greet with such a loving touch.