Shelby "Jean" Gilbert, 88, of rural Wabash, Indiana, died at 7:18 am, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Lafayette, Indiana. She was born on January 10, 1937, in Warren, Indiana, to Kenneth and Dorothy (Shultz) Van Zant.
Jean was a 1955 graduate of Warren High School. She married Max E. Gilbert in Warren on October 14, 1956; he died in 1969. Jean served as both the Wabash County Clerk and the Wabash County Auditor. She was a member of Wabash County Republican Women, and the Red Hat Society. Jean was very involved with the Honeywell Center in Wabash as both a donor and volunteer. She enjoyed traveling, following politics, listening to music, and especially spending time with her family. Jean was also an avid Purdue Boilermakers fan.
She is survived by her son, Eric (Nora) Gilbert of Houston, Texas, and brother, Larry Van Zant of Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was also preceded in death by her parents, three children; Douglas Jay Gilbert, Christina Lynn Gilbert, and Elizabeth Ann Gilbert, and her sister, Luann Coy.
Funeral services will be 2:00 pm, Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Grandstaff-Hentgen Funeral Service, 1241 Manchester Avenue, Wabash, with David Phillips officiating. Burial will be in LaFontaine I.O.O.F. Cemetery, LaFontaine. Friends may call 12:00 - 2:00 pm, Thursday, at the funeral home.
Preferred memorial is Wabash County Cancer Society.
The memorial guest book for Jean may be signed at www.grandstaff-hentgen.com.
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