Mildred Irene (McVicker) Gamble, 87, Sugar Creek, Missouri, died Monday, August 24, 2015 in Independence, Missouri. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 29, 2015 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville with burial in Byler Cemetery, Creighton, Missouri. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Saturday at the Atkinson Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Millie's name to the Salvation Army or Ascend Hospice.

Mildred was born February 2, 1928 in Creighton Missouri to Albert Earl and Maggie Jane (Reed) McVicker. She was the youngest of three girls. Her older sisters were Dorothy and Margaret. As the girls grew up, they started singing together and became known as the McVicker Trio. They sang at weddings and funerals and even sang once on the radio station WDAF. Millie played basketball on the varsity squad all through high school. She also loved to roller skate and would go all over town. On Saturday nights Millie and her friends would go down to the local restaurant, fill the juke box with coins, and jitterbug to the big band songs.

After graduation Millie went to Kansas City to work at Franklin Ice Cream Company where she met Everett Gamble. They married on September 4, 1949. Everett went to barber college and got an internship at the barber shop in Holden. They moved to Holden and lived there until 1956 when Everett got his own shop in Archie. In 1957 their only daughter Gisele was born. When Gisele was nine, Millie went to beauty school. After passing her state boards she opened a beauty shop across the street from Everett's barber shop.

Millie worked as a beautician for twelve years, then working at Cass Medical Center in housekeeping. After several years, Millie changed jobs and went to Bates County Memorial Hospital and worked as head of housekeeping. Millie stayed there until she retired at the age of 62.

Everett grew big gardens and Millie canned and froze vegetables. Millie was a wonderful cook and loved hosting big family dinners. Family meant the world to Millie. She took multiple trips to Sedalia to check on her parents, do their laundry, and assist in grocery shopping. Millie attended many McVicker cousin reunions and cherished the time she spent with her relatives.

Everett and Millie moved to Independence in 1997 after living in Archie for 40 years. Everett's health was failing and they soon moved into a house in Sugar Creek with Gisele in 2000. Millie was Gisele's best friend. They would go shopping, to the movies, to the opera, and to the museums. Millie was a great Mother! She will be greatly missed! Everett became ill and passed away in May of 2004. Millie was crushed but kept pushing on knowing that someday they would be together again.

Gisele became active in Animals Best Friends so Millie stepped up and helped with the chili suppers, garage sales, and pet expos. Millie loved animals and each time Gisele brought a pup home to foster Millie got attached to it and it never left their home. Gisele and Millie took several trips to visit relatives in Denver, Delta, Colorado, Colorado Springs, St Louis, and Batesville Arkansas. They always had fun when they traveled and enjoyed the new scenery.
After knee surgery, Millie walked with a cane and soon became self-conscious about it. Over time it became more difficult to walk even with a walker so Gisele got her a scooter. The big ranch house they have was perfect for a scooter, especially since the Hughes boys built her a ramp that took care of a step down into the garage.

Gisele insisted that Millie have a caregiver and being the stubborn lady she was, Millie did not want that. Gisele got her dear friend (like a sister) Yvette to come in and stay with Millie. After many arguments, Millie decided that she enjoyed Yvette's company and accepted that she needed a caregiver. In November of 2014 Millie had a stroke that affected her memory and balance. She had a second stroke in February 2015 that took away her ability to walk. She was placed in the Villages of Jackson Creek Memory Care and received excellent care.

Millie was preceded in death by her husband, Everett Gamble, her parents, and sisters, Dorothy Page, and Margaret Chism. She leaves behind her daughter, Gisele Gamble of Sugar Creek, Missouri; her caregiver and adopted daughter, Yvette Dawes, Bates City, Missouri; nieces, Jeanne Hughes (Espie), Creighton, Missouri, Claudia Martin (Michael), Denver, Colorado, Katherine Gates (John), Flagstaff, Arizona, Deletta Curtis (Dale), Denver, Colorado, and Cherie Jackson, Belton, Missouri; nephews, Steven Whetzel (Cathy), Omaha, Nebraska, Eugene Gamble (Laverne), Woodstock, Virginia, Glenn Jackson (Robin), Napa, California, David Page (Heddie), Wichita, Kansas, Dennis Page (Jenny), Holden, Missouri, Ed Mayhan (Sue), Quenemo, Kansas, as well as their families, and 15 great nieces and nephews.