M. W. Gamble is a native of Indiana and one of eight children, four sons and four daughters. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Virginia. They removed from Kentucky to Indiana in 1857 and lived there about twenty years going from there to Illinois and settling in Logan county, twenty-five miles northeast of Springfield. From there they went to Keokuk county, Iowa, where the mother died, and the father returned to Illinois where he died.
M. W. Gamble was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth L. Randolph, of Logan county, Illinois, August 30, 1847, the Rev. James Woodard, of the Methodist church, officiating. Mr. and Mrs. Gamble became the parents of ten children; namely, Mary E., born September 19, 1848, died October 16, 1876; William W., born November 23, 1849; Randolph, born November 13, 1851, died on the 26th of the same month; Medora A., born December 24, 1852, died January 3, 1853; Columbus J. and Joseph S., twins, born February 3, 1854, died on the 22d and 23d, respectively, of the same month; Sarah A., born October 16, 1855; Hattie I., born September 20, 1857, died February 9, 1860; Stephen A. D., born August 20, 1860; and Elizabeth F., born in October, 1862, died May 4, 1865.
Mr. Gamble came to Jefferson township in the fall of 1866, and in 1867 moved to the farm where he now resides. His farm consists of forty acres of good land. He is a carpenter by trade and occasionally works at that business. He is a member of the Baptist Church, and Mrs. G. is a member of Methodist Episcopal Church.