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Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES:  GIGER, BATTIS, MALIA, STURLA

A prosperous dairy farmer, now retired, whose optimistic views of life and genial temperament have made him popular in a wide circle of friends, is August Gubser, of Old Gilroy, who was born in Canton St. Gallen, Switzerland, on May 1, 1870, the son of Joseph and Annie (Giger) Gubser, both natives of the same province. His father died a premature death, but the lad was enabled to enjoy the usual excellent public school advantages afforded in the Swiss Republic, although when he was eight years old he began to work on a dairy farm. His mother passed away when he was seventeen years old; and the following year he came out to America. A stranger in a strange land, he was glad to find at Tres Pinos, San Benito County, Cal., a number of his own fellow-countrymen; and since they were established in dairying, he worked for them for a while. Next he hired out to A. Rianda on the Ellis Rancho; and in a short time he became a partner in the dairy and cheese enterprise, and remained there at Factory No. 15 for seven years.

In 1901, Mr. Gubser acquired twenty acres of fine land nearby, and since then, from time to time, he has added seventy acres, until now he owns one of the richest dairy farms in this section. He is a stockholder in the Gilroy branch of the Bank of Italy, and having been made an American citizen when he was twenty-one years old, he has since been active in public affairs.

At Gilroy, on February 10, 1892, Mr. Gubser was married to Miss Carrie Battis, the daughter of the well-known pioneers,' Charles and Beatrice (Malia) Battis, natives of Vermont and Ireland, respectively. who were married in Gilroy in 1867, and their four children were born there. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gubser. August, Jr., is married and resides at Old Gilroy, as does Charles, his twin brother, with his wife and one child; Joseph. too, lives there, with his wife and three children. Anna became the wife of Alex. Sturla and the mother of two children, and makes Old Gilroy her home; Laura lives with her parents. The family are active in the Rebekah lodge and Mrs. Gubser is past district deputy of the order. Mr. Gubser has been a member of the Odd Fellows at Gilroy since 1902, while he has been a Mason since 1906, holding membership in the lodge at Gilroy. He has served as trustee of the San Ysidro school district for several terms, and is now trustee of the Gilroy Union high school. He recently erected a fine modern residence at his home-place, and each of his sons owns a comfortable home on his respective portion of the Gubser ranch, and shoulder their share of the labor and responsibility of conducting the extensive estate.

Transcribed by Marie Clayton, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,
 published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1466

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