GOBBLE, Lee Taylor II 1914 - 2015
GOBBLE, ATCHISON, BEIGHLE, HONTS, CROSSON, COLLINS, EDWARD, BROWNLEE
Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/9/2015 at 20:27:39
"The Fairfield Ledger"
Monday, April 27, 2015
Page 8Lee T. GOBBLE
Lee T. GOBBLE, 100, of Fairfield died at 1:20 a.m. Monday, April 27, 2015 at Parkview Care Center, Fairfield. He had donated his body to University of Iowa College of Medicine. Arrangements for a memorial service are pending at Pedrick Funeral Home, Keosauqua.
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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Friday, May 1, 2015
Page 8Lee GOBBLE II
Lee Taylor GOBBLE II, 100, of Fairfield departed this life at 1:20 A.M. Monday April 27, 2015 at Parkview Care Center, Fairfield.
He was born December 15, 1914 in Fairfield to Robert Bruce and Mary Vera ATCHISON GOBBLE. His first marriage in 1952 to Pauline BEIGHLE ended in divorce. He later married Janet HONTS CROSSON and they divorced. A daughter, Mary Ann was born to this union.
Lee graduated from Fairfield High School in 1933, attended Parsons College, and spent his active life as owner/manager of Gobble's Clothing Store on the west side of the Fairfield square. For a time he also operated ladies ready-to-wear store and later combined the two stores. The first Gobble's store was opened in Abingdon, a village in northwestern Jefferson County, by Lee's great-grandfather, Thomas GOBBLE in 1853 and was moved to Fairfield by his grandfather, Lee GOBBLE I in 1898.
Lee became a partner with his father, Bruce GOBBLE following his military service during World War II and later became the sole owner. He served in the U.S. Army 1942-1945 at several domestic locations and in the headquarters of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in England and France.
Lee was an active member of First Presbyterian Church as well as many local and state-side organizations including Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, Parsons College board, Fairfield Economic Development Assn., Iowa Retail Clothing Assn, Fairfield Country Club, Bethany Home, Parking Board, and Greater Jefferson County Foundation. Other memberships included Fairfield Youth Home, Walton Club, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Elks Lodge. In 2014 he donated many items to the Carnegie Museum.
In 1990 Lee and Maxine French were named "Outstanding Citizens of the Year" by the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce. In 2006 his name was placed on the Hall of Fame Entrepreneurs list and in 2009 he was inducted into Parsons Wall of Honor.
While Lee led or supported countless community projects his largest undertaking, both financially and physically, was a new steeple for the Jefferson County Courthouse, replacing one damaged and removed years ago. Contributions totaled $50,000 for the project completed in 2004.
Lee is survived by a daughter, Mary Ann COLLINS (Ken) of Cary, NC, a grandson, Andrew COLLINS and two nieces, Mary Caroline EDWARD and Marcia BROWNLEE and many friends. He was preceded in death by two brothers, John R. "Jack" GOBBLE and an infant brother.
Lee had donated his body to University of Iowa Department of Anatomy for scientific study. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 A.M. Saturday May 16, 2015 in First Presbyterian Church, Fairfield with Rev. Joseph Phipps officiating. Burial of cremains will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield upon completion of the study. In Lieu of flowers memorials to First Presbyterian Church, Fairfield Little league or Carnegie Museum Foundation may be left at the church or mailed to P.O. Box 1885, Fairfield, IA 52556. Pedrick Funeral Home, Keosauqua is handling the arrangements.
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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Friday, May 1, 2015
Front Page and page 7GOBBLE remembered as Fairfield icon
by Nicole Hester-Williams
Ledger staff writer"This turkey ain't done yet!" Dave Neff remembered the words of his long time friend Lee GOBBLE. "He was a very generous person; he was always concerned about what else he could do for the community."
GOBBLE's friends fondly remember him as a pillar in Fairfield's tightly knit community.
He passed away Monday at 100 years old.
Neff clearly remembers the day they met. Neff, a 17-year-old high school senior, had traveled to Fairfield with his family to visit Parsons College.
"I bought a Madras plaid sport coat from him, and we were friends ever since," Neff said, adding that the two were friends for half a century.
GOBBLE was 50 at the time.
Neff fittingly called GOBBLE, who was the owner of Gobble Clothiers then located on the west side of the square, an "appropriate dresser."
"He was a true gentleman; he always wore the appropriate attire at the appropriate time," Neff said. "He was always considerate and when he was out, whether it was at a restaurant or the country club, he would stop from one table to another. He wouldn't sit in a corner - he would visit with everybody. He was a very outgoing person."
Fairfield resident Mark Shafer knew GOBBLE for just as long as Neff, and said he admired him.
"Lee GOBBLE was a very creative soul," Shafer said. "I admired his marketing skills."
Shafer often smiled while reminiscing about GOBBLE's store, and as a historian, he added a bit of GOBBLE's personal history to his memories.
"I believe GOBBLE's great-grandfather came here from Virginia and opened a general store in Abingdon," Shafer said, adding that the GOBBLEs had a long history of business ownership here in Fairfield.
"They've had ties to Jefferson County since the 1850s," Shafer said. "They were a business presence in the community."
Thomas GOBBLE, Lee's grea-grandfather (sic) opened the first GOBBLE store in 1853. Lee's grandfather, Lee GOBBLE I, moved the store to Fairfield in 1898.
After serving in World War II, Lee partnered in the venture with his father Bruce.
In 1969, Lee became the sole owner of Gobble Clothiers.
GOBBLE sold the operation in 1986 to Fairfield residents Bruce and Angela Bussey.
"They had really nice suits and I remember the department store had all kinds of different departments," Shafer said. "The basement had things like jeans and overalls. If you wanted a gag gift or something naughty you'd go to the back of the store."
Shafer remarked about plastic vomit and "naked lady golf tees."
"It took me a long time to realize the pun with the 'naked lady golf tee,'" Shafer laughed, emphasizing the world "tees." (sic)
Shafer remembered purchasing a wedding game from GOBBLE's store in the 1950s.
"It was called 'Bride Bingo,'" he said. "I still have it."
However, outside of running the store for many years, Shafer said GOBBLE was proud of his community and his alma mater, Parsons College, which he graduated from in 1937.
Shafer said Life Magazine wrote a store (sic) criticizing Parsons, and GOBBLE rebuffed it by creating T-shirts with hard-hitting yet catchy slogans against the article.
"He created the T-shirts to fight back against the article they published," Shafer said.
Neff said GOBBLE remained extremely involved in the community - even during his later years.
In 1985 he started the Jefferson County Restoration Fund to repair the Jefferson County Courthouse clock tower steeple.
By 2004, GOBBLE had raised the $50,000 to see the project through to fruition.
"He knew he was coming up on his 90th birthday, and he had made a promise to his father that he would repair the steeple before he died," Neff said. "He felt vital at 90, and he started asking people for donations and he was able to fulfill that promise to his dad."
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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Page 10Lee Taylor GOBBLE II
Lee Taylor GOBBLE II, 100, of Fairfield died at 1:20 a.m. Monday, April 27, 2015, at Parkview Care Center in Fairfield.
Mr. GOBBLE had donated his body to University of Iowa Department of Anatomy for scientific study.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Fairfield, with the Rev. Joseph Phipps officiating. Burial of cremains will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Fairfield upon completion of the study.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to First Presbyterian Church, Fairfield Little League or Carnegie Museum Foundation can be left at the church or mailed to PO Box 1885, Fairfield 52556.
Pedrick Funeral Home in Keosauqua is handling the arrangements.
A full obituary was published in the May 1 edition of The Fairfield Ledger.
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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Thursday, October 13, 2016Page 8Lee T. GOBBLE II
Lee Taylor GOBBLE II, 100, of Fairfield, died Monday April 27, 2015, at Parkview Care Center in Fairfield.
A graveside service, with interment of cremains, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Evergreen Cemetery in Fairfield.
Mr. GOBBLE had donated his body to University of Iowa Department of Anatomy for scientific study.
Pedrick Funeral Home in Keosauqua is handling the arrangements.
The complete obituary was printed in the May 1, 2015, edition of The Fairfield Ledger.
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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.
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