My Genealogy Hound

GABRIEL D. COUTANT was born in the State of New York in the year 1844. He is the only son amongst four children — two sisters older and one younger— born to Lewis and Jane (DuBois) Coutant, both natives also of New York, the father having been born there in the year 1800 and the mother in 1802. The father, a farmer by occupation, died in the noon-day of his career, having lived a sober, industrious life. The mother is still living.

The subject of this notice, bereft of the guardianship of his father at the tender age of three, grew up under the maternal grandfather’s roof and under the fostering care of an affectionate mother and received such training as she was able to procure for him. He was reared on the farm and trained to the habits of industry and usefulness to common farm life. Being of a mechanical turn of mind he also learned the carpenter’s trade in his youth, and he alternately followed the pursuits of farming and working at the carpenter’s trade. In 1866 he married Miss Cornelia M. Noxon, a native of New York, born in 1843. He came to Nebraska in 1877 and settled in Kearney county, taking a homestead in section 31, township 5, range 16 west, where he located, and where, and in that vicinity, he has since resided. He has been steadily engaged in farming and carpentering, and has been successful both as a farmer and mechanic. He owns a place near the town of Wilcox, which he has in a good state of cultivation and well furnished with neat and commodious buildings for man and beast. He also owns a half interest in “Coutant’s addition” to the town of Wilcox, and is interested in other ways in the community where he resides. He has filled a number of local offices since settling in Kearney county, the duties of which he has discharged with credit to himself and satisfaction to the people whom he served. He is at present postmaster at Wilcox.

He and his wife are both members of the Congregational church and take much interest in church work and charitable movements in their community.

Mr. and Mrs. Coutant are the parents of four children, around whom naturally clusters much of their interest in this life and for whom they now chiefly live, these being John F., born in 1869; May R., born in 1878; Lewis H., born in 1882, and Grace, born in 1886.