Reverend Verland E. Gambrel, of Fairbury, Ill., formerly of Chesterton, died
March 3, 2004 at Bromenn Regional Medical Center, Normal, Ill. He was 82.
He was born Dec. 25, 1921 in Greenfield, Ind. the son of Earl Ross and Osa (Hollenback)
Gambrel, both of whom preceded him in death.
On Nov. 6, 1943 in Nashville, Tenn., he married Ruth Marie Anderson, who
survives in Fairbury.
He is also survived by three daughters, Jean (Larry) Brown of West Hartford,
Conn., Mary (Gordon) Frobish of Fairbury and Laura Estes of Florissant, Mo.;
two sons, Paul (Jerry) Gambrel of Bradley, Ill. and Philip (Norma) Gambrel
of Beaverton, Ore.; a brother, Ivan Gambrel of North Miami, Fla.; one
sister, Rosemond (Hobert) Smith of San Clemente, Calif., nine grandchildren
and one great-grandson.
He was also preceded in death by a brother, Glen.
He received a Bachelor of Theology degree from Olivet Nazarene University in
Kankakee. He was an ordained elder in the Free Methodist Church, The Gateway
Conference. He served as Pastor for 40 years in Nazarene and Free Methodist
Churches in S.D., Ind., Ill. and Missouri, serving the last 11 years as a
free Methodist minister. He was a member of the Gateway Conference of the
Free Methodist Church; Fairbury Senior Citizens and he tutored for an adult
literacy program after his retirement. He enjoyed woodworking, camping and
electronics.
A funeral service, Reverands Ryan Garner, Richard Neiderhiser and Larry
Brown officiating, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Mar. 6 at Duffy-Pils Memorial
Home, Fairbury. Interment will be at Graceland Cemetery, Fairbury.
Visitation is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Friday at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home,
Fairbury.
Memorials may be made to Fairbury Nazarene Church Building Fund.
Posted 3/5/2004