Milburn A. “Mel” Gilbertson was born on Jan. 4, 1923, in Sparta, Wis., to Mingel and Alma (Hagen) Gilbertson. He married Renada Hefti on April 27, 1946. Milburn worked for the City of La Crosse, Wis., for 35 years, and he retired in 1983 as the supervisor the La Crosse City Water Department. Gilbertson died in La Crosse on Dec. 29, 1998.
