She met her future husband Carl Lewis Gilbo in 1937 during Fleet Week in Portland. She first landed eyes on the sailor while touring one of the docked ships. She noticed his smile first. They married on May 27, 1940 in Clark County Washington. She cared for 37 foster babies with her husband. The couple went on to have three children - Kathleen, Barbara and Ted - and adopted one of the foster babies, Nancy. After having retired as a catering worker, she worked as a volunteer for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center for many years. When asked why she said: "I just don't like to sit at home," said the nearly 4-foot-9 woman with wavy, white hair. Then something unexpected happened to Gilbo, then 88. Her volunteer work turned into a pseudo-job as she typically found herself showing up early and staying late. Doctors and nurses came to know her name as she circulated from department to department working with newborns or filing paperwork. In the years since, she clocked more than 26,000 hours of service, equivalent to that of a full-time employee of 12 1/2 years. She was the longest-serving volunteer at Emanuel. When she was not volunteering, Gilbo spent time swimming at a community pool or knitting sweater sets for babies. She said she had lost count of the number she had made over the years. (bio by: Jay Lance)
She met her future husband Carl Lewis Gilbo in 1937 during Fleet Week in Portland. She first landed eyes on the sailor while touring one of the docked ships. She noticed his smile first. They married on May 27, 1940 in Clark County Washington. She cared for 37 foster babies with her husband. The couple went on to have three children - Kathleen, Barbara and Ted - and adopted one of the foster babies, Nancy. After having retired as a catering worker, she worked as a volunteer for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center for many years. When asked why she said: "I just don't like to sit at home," said the nearly 4-foot-9 woman with wavy, white hair. Then something unexpected happened to Gilbo, then 88. Her volunteer work turned into a pseudo-job as she typically found herself showing up early and staying late. Doctors and nurses came to know her name as she circulated from department to department working with newborns or filing paperwork. In the years since, she clocked more than 26,000 hours of service, equivalent to that of a full-time employee of 12 1/2 years. She was the longest-serving volunteer at Emanuel. When she was not volunteering, Gilbo spent time swimming at a community pool or knitting sweater sets for babies. She said she had lost count of the number she had made over the years. (bio by: Jay Lance)
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