Palestine High School Alumni Association

07 / 04 / 1918  –  05 / 02 / 1992

Services for Melvin Gambrell, 73, of Palestine will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Bailey & Foster Funeral Home with Cecil West and Perry Jones officiating.  Burial will be in New Addition Annex.

Mr. Gambrell died Saturday at Veterans Administration Hospital in Waco.  He was born in Palestine on July 4, 1918 to Bowen and Draple Scarborough Gambrell.  He served in the Air Force for 28 years.  He served during World War II and the Korean War, and was a special investigator for the Intelligence Security and Counter Intelligence Agencies.

He served as Chief Deputy for the Anderson County Sheriff during Sheriff Roy Herrington’s administration and helped in the formation of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Reserve Unit.  He was a graduate of Palestine High School and Nixon’s Businss College.  He was a member of the Church of Christ.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marie Isabelle Gambrell on April 28, 1973

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Gambrell of Palestine; daughter, Mrs. Fred (Emily) West of Palestie; sons, Melvin Gambrell, Jr. of Palestine, Howard Gambrell of Mansfield and Kenneth Gambrell of Arlington; sister, Wanda Cross of Fort Worth; brother Leo Gambrell of Palestine; and 12 grandchildren.

Condolence calls will be received from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, 919 N. Michigan St., Chicago, Illinois, 60611

Pallbearers will be Lance Gambrell, Greg Gambrell, Robert West, Bob Smith, Richard Farris, Dale Sparks and Philip Gray.

Source:  Palestine Herald Press