GABBERT, Dean Ireton 1922 - 2015

GABBERT, IRETON, PHILLIPS, WHITE, VAN DE VOORDE, GILLESPIE

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 4/23/2015 at 14:24:25

"The Fairfield Ledger"
Monday, April 20, 2015
Front Page

Dean GABBERT, former Ledger publisher, dies

Dean GABBERT died Saturday in his home in Nauvoo, Illinois, at the age of 92.

GABBERT began a 53-year association with The Fairfield Ledger in 1938 when he was a student at Fairfield High School. He was named managing editor in 1946 and editor in 1974. He became editor and publisher in 1981, holding the position until his retirement June 1, 1985.

His full obituary appears on page 6.

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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Monday, April 20, 2015
Page 6

Dean GABBERT

Dean GABBERT, veteran Iowa and Illinois journalist, died April 18, 2015, at his home in Nauvoo, Illinois. He was 92 years old.

A memorial service will be held Friday, April 24, 2015 at First Presbyterian Church, Fairfield, Iowa, 5:30 p.m. An additional memorial service will be held Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Nauvoo Presbyterian Church, Nauvoo, Il, at 10:00 a.m.

A former editor and publisher of the "Fairfield Ledger", Fairfield, Iowa, GABBERT and his wife, Joyce, made their home on the Mississippi River near Nauvoo, IL., in 1985.

Dean Ireton GABBERT was born July 23, 1922 at New London, Iowa, the son of Harry A. and Edna IRETON GABBERT. He was married to Joyce E. PHILLIPS October 9, 1942. Surviving are his four children: Deanne WHITE, Dakar, Senegal; John GABBERT, Winona, MN; Gretchen VAN DE VOORDE, Fairfield, IA; and Lisa GILLESPIE, Ottumwa, IA. Thirteen grandchildren and step-grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and step-great grandchildren, and 1 niece survive. He was preceded in death by his wife and one grandson.

GABBERT began a 53-year association with the "Fairfield Ledger" in 1938 when he was a student at Fairfield High School. He was named managing editor in 1946 and editor in 1974. He became editor and publisher in 1981, holding that position until his retirement June 1, 1985.

He graduated from Parsons College following World War II military service in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a director of the Fairfield Independent School District, a member of the Fairfield Airport Committee and a member of the Great Jefferson County Foundation. He also served as an elder in both the Fairfield and Nauvoo Presbyterian Churches. In Nauvoo he was active in the Boat Harbor Committee and the Nauvoo Historical Society.

GABBERT had a life-long interest in the Mississippi River. He made many boat trips on the Mississippi and other rivers, writing stories for "The Waterways Journal" and other publications. He was also the author of two Mississippi River novels, "The Log of Jessie Bill" in 1993 and "Let the Lower Lights be Burning" in 2002. He wrote the non-fiction title, "Brown-Water Boating: Tales of Riverboats & Coast Guard Cutters", 2007, and co-authored with Marilyn S. Candido, "Nauvoo: a History Featuring the Painting of Lane K. Newberry", 2006.

GABBERT's honors include the James V. Swift Prize in Maritime Literature presented by the Herman T. Pott National Inland Waterways Library of the St. Louis Mercantile Library, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2006; US Coast Guard Public Commendation, 1993; State Historical Society of Iowa Trustees Award 1985 for his writing "The Dean of an American College;" Parsons College Wall of Honor 2010, Fairfield High School Wall of Honor 2011; Fairfield Lions Award for Dedicated Newspaper Service, 1938-1985; Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen Community Service Award, 1984; Fairfield Community Education Association, Friend of Education Award, 1985; Nauvoo Grape Festival Grand Marshall, 2010; and the Nauvoo Historical Society Certificate of Recognition, 1995.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial gift may be made to the Nauvoo Historical Society - River Room, the Nauvoo Presbyterian Church, or the Carnegie Historical Museum, Fairfield.

Following cremation, burial in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, will occur at a later date. The Brian Schmitz-Lynk Funeral Home, West Point, Iowa and the Raymond Funeral Home of Fairfield are in charge of arrangements.

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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Front Page

Family, friends remember GABBERT
by Nicole Hester-Williams
Ledger staff writer

Gretchen VAN DE VOORDE remembers being a little girl anxiously awaiting her father's return home from work each evening.

"He always took my hand and he let me put my feet on his shoes and he would walk down the sidewalk, up the steps, across the porch and through the front door with me on his shoes," she tearfully reminisced.

Being the third sibling of four, VAN DE VOORDE said each of her brothers and sisters could proclaim their own great memories of their father, Dean GABBERT.

"We had one of those childhoods where you thought all marriages were that way; it was our happiest time," she said. "When he got sick, we all wanted to take care of him and make sure he was able to stay at home; all of us would have quit our jobs to take care of him."

VAN DE VOORDE said one of the greatest things about her father, who passed away at 92 April 18, was his integrity.

GABBERT worked at The Fairfield Ledger newspaper in various capacities for 53 years. He was publisher and editor when he retired in 1985.

"He was filled with integrity," she said. "I remember certain situations where people would come over and beg or bribe him to keep different things out of the newspaper," she said. "He never stooped to their level. He would always handle things in a very diplomatic way."

VAN DE VOORDE described her father as someone who knew how to maintain a balance between his work life, home life and church and civic leadership duties.

Byron Kimble, who worked with GABBERT at The Ledger from 1972 until he retired, expressed similar sentiments.

"He was an extraordinary person," Kimble said. "He had a real ability for writing. It seemed like he was able to get the content that he needed to get the story out; he was an excellent writer."

Although GABBERT worked in the news department and Kimble worked in circulation, he said he owed a lot of his professional and personal growth to GABBERT.

"We had a really strong working relationship. I really respected him," Kimble said. "He taught me a lot as far as my growing up ... I guess I can point to Dean and say he contributed to my growth as a person."

GABBERT served in World War II, and he later graduated from Parsons College.

According to his obituary, he was a director of the Fairfield Independent School District, a member of the Fairfield Airport Committee, a member of the Greater Jefferson County Foundation and he served as an elder in the Presbyterian churches of both Fairfield and Nauvoo, Illinois.

Kimble said he observed GABBERT's commitment to the community and also how he handled touchy situations.

"He had high morals and he was a good Christian person," Kimble said. "Watching him, I also grew in my responsibilities in my church."

Kimble said GABBERT taught him leadership skills.

"He taught me how to be a leader in the community and how to handle tough situations," he said. "I also experienced a lot of growth in my job. My promotion to publisher after Dean retired was due to the many examples I was able to see from him. I attribute a lot of my growth and promotions to Dean -- in my personal life and in newspapers."

Kimble said GABBERT created a friend everywhere he went.

"He had a host of friends, anybody he met ended up being a friend," Kimble said.

VAN DE VOORDE agreed.

"Everybody in town who knew my father, knew what a great man he was," she said, adding that her father spent all of his vacation time with his family.

"Every vacation he had, he would take the family camping," she said. "We went to Colorado, Utah, Minnesota and Canada. He was a great family man. My siblings and I look around at some of our friends, their parents have been gone for 20 or 30 years ... we were so lucky."

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Wife Joyce died in 2009 and is buried in Lot 2nd.198 at Evergreen Cemetery.

Joyce Elvira PHILLIPS GABBERT's obituary - click here
 

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