Jerome Robert Gamble. Though now well established in business as a real estate and loan broker at Alva, Mr. Gamble is best known over Northwestern Oklahoma as a printer and newspaper man, and though by no means old in point of years is a veteran of the printing craft, which he began to learn when a boy of about twelve years. Before taking up his present line of business he was connected with the Alva Pioneer as one of its editors and proprietors.

Jerome Robert Gamble was born November 30, 1874, at Lancaster, Missouri, a son of Jerome Bonaparte and Mary B. (Frank) Gamble. His father, who was born near Nashville, Tennessee, in 1847, was the son of a farmer, who came to Missouri at an early day, and early in life the son left the farm and began the study of law. From the age of seventeen he had taught school, and at the age of twenty-four was admitted to the bar at Lancaster, Missouri. Though his early life was one of considerable hardship and out of sheer necessity he had educated himself, he became a prominent lawyer and for twenty years practiced at Lancaster, Missouri, He also took an active part in democratic politics, and for a number of years was county attorney of Schuyler County. In 1888 he removed to Manhattan, Kansas, practiced there two years, and was then located at Wallace, Kansas, nine years. In 1900 he brought his family to Alva, Oklahoma, and was one of the members of the Woods County bar until his death in 1905. Jerome B. Gamble was married at Lancaster, Missouri, in 1868, to Mary B. Frank, a daughter of Sanford Frank, and she was born in 1853. There were eight children in the family. Alma Matilda is now the wife of Benjamin Johnson of Fredonia, Kansas; the next two were twins, a son and daughter, who died in infancy; Jerome Robert; Myrtle Mary, widow of B. M. Spaulding, living at El Campo, Texas; Nellie Helen, wife of Elmer Pugh, of El Reno, Oklahoma; Sarah Jane, wife of Lewis Gascho, of El Campo, Texas; and Carrie Etta, wife of C. J. Snoddy, a farmer in Woods County, Oklahoma.

Jerome R. Gamble finished his education in the public schools of Manhattan and Wallace, Kansas. Prior to that time, at the age of twelve, and following an enthusiasm which has led a great many boys into the printing and newspaper business, he found opportunities to learn the printing trade in an office at Lancaster, Missouri. He finished his apprenticeship at Sharon Springs, Kansas, and at the age of twenty bought the office of the People’s Voice at Sharon Springs, and was editor and owner of that small journal two years. When he sold out he returned to the case as a practical printer, and worked at different points in Kansas and Oklahoma until 1910. He then secured an interest in the daily and weekly Pioneer of Alva, and was one of its editors and proprietors four years, since which date he has been out of the newspaper business altogether and now has a large clientage as a real estate and loan broker.

In politics Mr. Gamble is a democrat, and for two years served on the state committee from Woods County. He is one of the veterans of the Spanish-American war. Early in that period of hostilities in 1898 he enlisted as a private in Company L of the Second United States Volunteer Infantry, a regiment that was of the “Rough Rider” class and was recruited from the territories of Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico and Indian Territory.

On January 1, 1902, at Alva Mr. Gamble married Miss Evangeline Matilda Lloyd, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Thomas Lloyd, a sketch of whom appears in following paragraphs. Mrs. Gamble was born February 28, 1875. To their marriage were born four children: Robert Jerome, who died in infancy; Daisy Marie; Robert Jerome; and Thomas Frederick, born August 20, 1914. Mr. Gamble and family are members of the Episcopal Church.