township; Charles P., of Cumberland, Iowa; George N., of Tama, this state; John L., of Kanawha, Iowa; and Edith May, now the wife of Bradford Stevens, who is in charge of the old homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Shearer.
Mr. Shearer has ever since arriving at voting age given his support to the republican party and has served in a number of township offices, including those of trustee, assessor and township clerk. He has discharged the duties of postmaster in a way that meets with the general approval of the people. Being of a genial disposition, his friends may truly be said to include every man, woman and child of the community. He is a member of James Ewing Post, G. A. R., of Maxwell, and he and his wife are supporters 0f the United Brethren church, by their example demonstrating the sincerity of their faith as followers of the great Master.
WILLIAM MARION GAMBLE.
The Gamble homestead is one of the best known places in Story county. It originally comprised a large portion of section 28, Indian Creek township, but it has recently been divided into two farms. It was here on the 25th of February, 1875, that William Marion Gamble, the son of John D. and Elizabeth (Mullen) Gamble, was born. The father was from Tennessee. in which state he was born on the 7th of May, 1830, but when he was seven years of age his parents removed to Indiana, and it was there he met and married Elizabeth Mullen, who was born in Indiana on the 8th of June, 1835. They migrated to Iowa in 1856, locating in Story county, where they procured, direct from the government, a portion of the present home farm. Mr. Gamble was the type of man who makes perseverance spell success. By his own energy, unflinching purpose and firm determination he became one of the men of affluence in this section of the state. He broke the prairie, cleared away the forest and brought to a high state of cultivation every acre of his farm. His was no easy task, for farming implements of those days were crude indeed compared to those of the present; then, too, much of the work performed by machines now at that time was done by hand and days were consumed in the performance of a task which now requires hours. Nevertheless, he steadily persevered until he had acquired six hundred acres of as good farming land as can be procured in the state. Mr. Gamble never retired but continued to cultivate his farm up to the time of his death on the 27th of June, 1893.
His political allegiance was given to the democratic party and his party fealty rewarded by his fellow citizens bestowing upon him various township offices, in each and all of which he most faithfully discharged his duties to the universal satisfaction of the community. Mrs. Gamble sur-