"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home."
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Who has lived here?
In 1918, the house was built for Albert C. Gilbert (pictured second man in from right, back row). Albert Gilbert was the son of William Gilbert and was the president of the Gilbert Paper Company. He also served as the vice president of National Manufacturers' Bank and was a trustee of Lawrence University. Mabel was the granddaughter of Harvey Kimberly.
After Albert's death, Mabel Gilbert felt she could not take on such a large residence by herself at her age. She sold it to a man named Jim Brady. Brady then sold it to Howard Angermeyer and they sold it to Bob Di Renzo. The two men exchanged houses and money in the sale which occurred around 1966 or 1967. |
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Who lives here in 2015?
Mr. Bob Di Renzo (middle) and Mrs. Cheri Di Renzo (right) resided in the Albert C. Gilbert House.
Mr. Robert Di Renzo has been living in the Albert C. Gilbert house for 49 years. He and Mr. Jerry Bomier founded the Di Renzo and Bomier law firm in 1953. Mr. Di Renzo practiced until 2011. Additionally, he was a B17 pilot in WWII (at 19), a jet pilot in the Korean War and was in the Wisconsin Air National Guard for over 25 years. Mr. Di Renzo has three children. Mrs. Cheri Di Renzo has been living in the Albert C. Gilbert House for 8 years and had previously taught art for 31 years at Omro High School. Much of the artwork in the house has been created by her. She enjoys the water beside her home and loves the view of her patio during the summer. Mr. Di Renzo passed away on June 10, 2018. We want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Di Renzo for their assistance with this project. Mrs. Di Renzo sold the home in 2019 to the DeBruin family. |