George W Gambs

GAMBS BAUER BAILEY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 8/27/2010 at 20:14:39

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

George W Gambs
By Edwin Gambs

George Washington Gambs was born May 14, 1875, the eighth child born to Nicholas Gambs, 1833-1920, and Mary Bauer, 1838-1882. He was born on the family farm two miles east of Smithland, Iowa. He farmed with his father until his marriage.

On April 24, 1902, in Smithland, Iowa, he was married to Elma Gertrude Bailey. Six Children were born to them: Paul Nicholas, May 18, 1903-December 1903, Phil Melvin, October 18, 1904, Emma Elizabeth, October 30, 1906, Lora Genevieve, February 10, 1909, Clifford Errol, July 25, 1910, and Katherine Mary, August 19, 1919.

George began farming east of Smithland on rented land. In 1903, he moved his family to a farm two miles east of Oto, where he farmed some 408 acres owned by Noah Williams of Ida Grove, Iowa.

Williams owned a ranch fourteen miles northwest of Bonesteel, South Dakota, and he needed someone to manage the ranch. So George and his family boarded the train at Smithland and went to South Dakota.

The ranch was fourteen and one-half sections. The work involved some farming, but most of the work was tending cattle and putting up hay for them. This type of operation didn’t particularly appeal to George, and Williams died in 1918; George became serious about moving back to Iowa.

Williams’ son promised George a farm near Whiting, Iowa, so he came back to Iowa on an immigrant train. This train provided cars where George could put his four head of hourses in one part and his furniture and belongins in the other. He rode along to take care of the horses, and the rest of the family returned on a passenger train.

When they got to Whiting in March of 1919, they learned the farm that they had been promised was already occupied. They found a house in Salix, where George hired out himself and his horses to area farmers. In early 1920 they moved to rural Smithalnd where he continued to work for area farmers. They moved to town in 1921 and from 1923-26 he was custodian for the Smithland School.

Although he never had a great deal of money, George was generous with what he had and a good friend to all. He once brought a boy who had no one to look after him. This boy stayed with the family for several years until he was able to look after himself.

George liked music. He played an accordian until he wore it out and then took up the harmonica. Although not seen in church regularly, he liked to sing hymns while he worked.

Even though he did not attend school beyond the tenth grade, he was good in math and liked to read.

George was interested in politics and a Republican most of the time, perhaps because his father was such a staunch Democrat. However, he was so upset with Hoover that he voted for Roosevelt. When he later mentioned his disappointment with Roosevelt, his wife never failed to remind him that ‘you voted for him’.

As mentioned before, George was not a church-going man – but he was not one go much of anyplace that required him to dress up. However when he did get dressed up and out of the house, he always had a good time visiting with everyone. Due to an infection, he had lost the use of one ear. Either he didn’t like to go out because of this or he used it as an excuse. His son, Phil, noted that he seemed to hear everything that he wanted to hear.

He was an avid gardener, as was his father before him.

George did most off the shopping for his wife, but she always told him what to buy, since he attended to be exta agant and she was very frugal.

He was fond of his grandchildren and always seemed to have gum for them. Once he gave my brother, my sister, and me Blackjack Gum when we were all dressed up. Or mother was just a little upset over the mess that resulted on our clothes.

In 1926, George moved this family to a 240 acre farm, three miles west of Smithland, where he farmed until about 1931. They moved back to Smithland then, and was variously farmer, school custodian, town marshall and street commissioner, and caretaker of the Methodist Church. He died in the basement of the church, as he was putting things in order after a funeral, November 18, 1847. He is buried in theLittle Sioux Township Cemetery at Smithland.