Elma Gertrude Gambs

GAMBS BAILEY PULLEY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 8/27/2010 at 20:12:31

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Elma Gertrude Gambs
By Edwin Gambs

Elma Gertrude Bailey, known as Gertrude, was born the youngest of three children of Arthur and Emma (Pulley) Bailey. She was born on November 27, 1880, at Prophetstown, Whiteside County, Illinois.

Her father died when she was an infant. The family left Illinois and went to Tarkio, Missouri, where Mrs Bailey had relatives in the laundry business. They apparently lived there a number of years, because Gertrude later attributed her ironing skill to her work in the laundry.

It seems the family went from Missouri to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where Mrs Bailey’s brother, Will Pulley, ran a shoe store.

Eventually the family moved to Danbury, Iowa, where Mrs Bailey married to Mr Patterson. After Patterson’s death, she married Frank Hills, who ran the Smithland newspaper with his brother, Will. It was during this time what Gertrude met George W Gambs, who was to become her husand.

George and Gertrude were married by D O Billings at Smithland on April 24, 1902. The story of her married life is found in the section in ths book on George W Gambs.

Gertrude liked flowers and had many around her home, especially African Violets. In later years some members of the family appreciated her ‘green thumb’ when they tried to look after the flowers for her.

She was an excellent cook. She had very firm convictions about how food should be prepared and there was no changing her mind. Apple pie was to be prepared with nutmeg and cinnamon! Kay Gesaman, one of her granddaughters, printed up a collection of her recipes. Gertrude’s pumpkin pie recipe is still the family favorite.

She preferred handwork as embroidery, applique and hem stitching to more practical sewing. However, the clothes whe did make for the family were well done.

As might be inferred from the statements about her cooking and sewing, Gertrude was very particular about everything she did. Thie table had to be set just right and a messy butter knife or jelly jar was taboo on her table.

Gertrude said that she ‘was saved in a Free Methodist Church in Dakota’, and this fact guided her strong beliefs about Sunday activities. She was active in the church and saw to it that her chidlren were in church on Sunday. She would not go shopping on Sunday, even when that became a more normal activity in later years.

She loved music as did her husband, and could often he heard singing as she worked – sometimes hymns, but often the popular songs of that day. It was only her love of music that finally let her relax her ‘Sunday rules’ and attend a musical movie on a Sunday.

Gertrude had a quick wit and a saying for everything. These she used to illustrate her philosophy of the right way to behave. A favorite sill quoted by the family was, ‘Act funny, get hurt funny!’

She was a favorite grandmother and always remembred everyone at Christmas, no matter how hard the times were. This love made her death on Christmas Day, 1956, much harder. She became ill as the whole family was gathering for Christmas dinner. Everyone present that day remembers how hard it was to open the gifts she had placed under the tree before she died. She was buried beside her husband in the Little Sioux Township Cemetery in Smithland.