Wanda Williams Gamble

Funeral services to honor the life of Wanda Williams Gamble will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, at Trinity Baptist Church in Natchitoches, LA, with Brother Josh Curry as celebrant. Burial will follow in the Beulah Methodist Cemetery in Marthaville with Brother Ron Thompson conducting the graveside service. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, LA. Mrs. Gamble, age 81, passed away on Monday morning, June 15, 2015 in her home after a lengthy illness. She was born November 14, 1933, in Provencal, LA. She graduated from Provencal High School and then went on to complete her elementary education degree at Northwestern State University. In 1955, she married Circe Gamble from Marthaville, who had just returned from the Korean War. Their first outing was a blind date. They were married for 57 years. Wanda was a teacher for many years. She loved teaching, but she loved being a mom more and soon resigned to stay at home with her five children and help with her grandchildren, who were the love of her life. Wanda was a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Natchitoches, LA, for many years. She recently moved to Ruston, LA, to be near her oldest daughter and has been attending First Baptist Church in Ruston. She loved to cook for and spend time with family and friends, sew, and participate in church activities. Mrs. Gamble is preceded in death by her parents, Floyd Williams, in 1991, Ollie Williams, in 1994, her son, Gary Gamble, in 2011, her husband, Circe Gamble, in 2012, and her sister, Mary Williams, in 2014. Those left to cherish her memory include her four daughters, Melanie Gleason and husband, Glen, of Ruston, LA, Linda Thompson and her husband, Arthur, of Huntsville, AL, Kayla Damron of Clovis, NM, and Mary Koob of Natchitoches, LA; her fourteen grandchildren – Angela Lawrence of Frisco, TX, Ashley Lonadier of Ruston, LA, April Krishna and her husband Niraj of McKinney, TX, Cara Thompson of St. Martin Island, Carl Thompson of Miami, FL, Heather Gamble of Tupelo, MS, Stephanie Matheney of Clovis, NM, John Gleason and his wife Marisa of Farmerville, LA, Caitlin Thompson of Tuscaloosa, AL, Jessica Gamble of Conway, AR, Jared Koob of Keithville, LA, Brianna Gamble of Shreveport, LA, Tyler Damron of Clovis, NM, and Kaycee Damron of Clovis, NM; her eight great-grandchildren – Robert White of McKinney, TX, Madelyn Brown of Frisco, TX, Jonathan Lonadier of Ruston, LA, CiCi Allo of McKinney, TX, Bransen Brown of Frisco, TX, Makinzie Nesloney of McKinney, TX, Oliver Koob of Keithville, LA, and Kiley Cavallino of Shreveport, LA. Two more will be born in 2015 which will bring the number of great-grandchildren to 10. She also leaves behind two brothers-in-law (whom she considered brothers), Irby Gamble and his wife, Judy, and Henry Gamble and his wife, Patricia, and many friends. She has maintained contact with one of her best friends from high school, Dorothy Nichols, for about 70 years and loved her dearly. Those honored to serve as pallbearers will be John Gleason, Carl Thompson, Jared Koob, Tyler Damron, Robert White, Joe Allo, Niraj Krishna, Kyle Teitz and Derek Hooper. Honorary pallbearers will be Glen Gleason, Arthur Thompson, Roger Ferrier, Irby Gamble, Henry Gamble, and Terry Hendricks. The family would like to extend their thanks to Premiere Hospice of Ruston for all their loving care and support during Wanda’s illness.