Obituary - D. Robert Gamble

Bert Gamble, 87, "Poet of the Palouse" Passes June 8 in Moscow

Bert Gamble, Poet of the Palouse, age 87, died June 8th at Paradise Villa Convalescent Center in Moscow where he had been a patient for a year and a half.

Bert, whose full name was Daniel Robert Gamble, was born at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, the eldest child of the Reverend and Mrs. Daniel Gamble.

At the age of two, Bert came with his parents and a younger brother to the Moscow area, where he spent his childhood and received his education.

Early in life, Bert showed a talent for writing poetry and songs. In 1909 his first song, Orange Blossoms was published. For some years he composed lyrics for songs set to music by Edward J. Carey, band leader at the University of Idaho.

During his lifetime, Mr. Gamble has written over a thousand poems, many of which appeared in farm magazines and in newspapers of this area, including those of Genesee and Kendrick. His poems were published, also by The New York Mirror, Seydell Quarterly, Ford Farming, and Ideals.

In 1954 he published a small book of his poetry, Days of Yesterday, and Songs of the Palouse Country.

For many years Mr. Gamble made his home in Spokane and was employed by the Carney Cedar Company. He retired about twenty years ago and much of his best writing was done during these retirement years.

In 1957, his life-story appeared in Washington Northwest Frontier. Just last November he won the Gem State Writer's Guild award for excellence in poetry. At the present time, three pages of his poems are included in an anthology of poetry by Northwest poets published for Expo '74 by Composers, Artists, and Artists of America.

Survivors of Mr. Gamble include: one brother, Gus Gamble, of Lewiston; two sisters, Mrs. Earl (Lola) Clyde of Moscow; and Mrs. Tom (Elizabeth) Wahl of Pullman; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held June 11th at Short's Chapel in Moscow, with the Rev. Ervin D. Rymes, First Presbyterian Church of Moscow officiating. William Roberts was vocalist and Mrs. Charles Bond, organist.

Pallbearers were: Edwin Ratajak, Walla Walla; Donald McIntosh, Colfax; Raymond L. Albrook, Pullman; and Dr. Boyd Martin, Rudolph Carlson, and Robert W. Peterson, all of Moscow. Honorary pallbearers were John Miranda, Clarkston; Henry Schlueter and William A. Roth, Genesee; Basil Drew, Charles Bond and Daniel Kottke, Moscow; and E.R. Peterson and George Mueller of Spokane. Burial was in the Moscow City Cemetery.

Unknown newspaper, (handwritten date 1974)
Transcribed by Jill Leonard Nock

---