Poplar Bluff is shocked today by the unexpected death of one of its best known, yet unheralded residents.
Dale H. Gaebler, whose contributions to this community included a multitude of civic work as well as contributions to local sports, died Tuesday night at his home. He was 78.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Cotrell Funeral Service. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Gaebler served on the Poplar Bluff R-I School Board from 1975 to 1990, including three terms as its president. He was first hired by the Poplar Bluff school district on July 6, 1990, as the director of transportation and retired in June 2013 after 23 years of service.
He was a member of the chain gang at football games for 49 years and only missed one game during that time. Just Friday night, while working the Mules game with Dexter, he mentioned how he was looking forward to making it 50 years in 2018.
He was the first person to be recognized by the Poplar Bluff Mules football team with its Mule Skinner Award in 1980. In 2015, the SEMO Conference awarded him the Sam Giambelluca Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on the football sidelines and was recognized by the Missouri High School Activities Association with a Distinguished Service Award.
"Dale was a great guy and was a steadfast supporter of our school. He will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," said John Scott, president, Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education.
Gaebler was remembered by his friends and co-workers as someone who was always in a positive mood and willing to lend a hand to those who needed it. He was named the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 1984.
Back when former Poplar Bluff Athletic Director and coach Bill Caputo was coaching track in the mid 1970s, the hurdles were in bad shape. They were worn down and Caputo didn't have money in the track budget to buy new ones. He also didn't have the skills to fix the hurdles himself.
Caputo went to the school board, which Gaebler was on, and asked for help.
Gaebler took the hurdles home and fixed them up. He put in new bolts, added fresh paint, when he brought them back to Caputo they looked like brand new hurdles.
"That's the kind of support you got from Dale Gaebler," Caputo said. "Anything he could to support our program."
For years, it was Gaebler who transported a mule, appropriately names Skinner, to football games for students to run around the track after touchdowns. He also brought a mule and carriage to Poplar Bluff historical museum events and take people for rides up and down the street.
"He was so good for Poplar Bluff and I don't even know all of what he did. I'm sure his family doesn't even know all the things he's done for Poplar Bluff," Poplar Bluff museum board secretary Kati Ray said. "You could not leave him and still be in a bad mood. He was always so positive, uplifting and his visits were always filled with hugs."
Ray, who, like everyone else was stunned to hear of his passing, said she last saw Gaebler at the museum this weekend.
While Caputo was athletic director, he never worried about the chain gang for football. He just put Gaebler in charge of it.
Sometimes one of the game officials was Chris Rushin, who is president of the Poplar Bluff Letter Club and vice president of the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame.
"It was always great to have him over there when he was doing chains. You never had to worry about it," Rushin said. "It ain't going to be the same on a Mules sideline anymore."
Jim Fischer, who had known Gaebler since the 1960s and worked with him on pit crews and on the chain gang for the past decade agreed.
"That's going to be strange," said Fischer, who spoke with Gaebler on Tuesday night and was shocked to hear the news. "I don't know who will take his place."
Over the years, Gaebler loaned out his van for the golf team when busses weren't available. He was a member of the AMVETS and hauled hay its turkey hunts. He brought watermelons for the football team each year when they finished two-a-days workouts in preseason. He worked the hospitality room during the Poplar Bluff Showdown each winter for 30 years. In the early days, Lonnie Taylor remembers how they'd make everything from scratch.
"He was famous for his jalepeno cornbread. Everybody loved that. We made all kinds of stuff back then," said Taylor, who taught at Poplar Bluff and ran the adult education program. "He always worked hard, always knew what needed to be done, never complained."
John Holland, who graduated with Gaebler from Poplar Bluff High in 1955 said Gaebler was always a major player in planning reunions and always very organized.
Gaebler was on the school board and later worked for Holland as director of the transportation department, which was a mess before Gaebler stepped in, according to Holland.
"He cleaned it up and reorganized the whole operation," Holland said. "He ran a bus operation for years that was impeccable."
He retired from the school district in 2013.
Gaebler owned Gaebler's 66 gas station for 25 years on Main Street, now the parking lot for First Methodist Church. He also raced on local dirt tracks driving car No. 66.
"He used to fix my car for free when I didn't have the cash to pay him and never ever asked me for a dime of it," said Tony Dolle, a former Mules football player who now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. "As long as I lived in Poplar Bluff, I never bought gas at any other station just for that reason.
"He was a great guy and a great family friend."
Dolle's late father, John, served with Gaebler on the school board.
Gaebler, who served in the US Army Reserves from 1958-67, was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Gaebler; mother, Bertha Gaebler; and brother, Arnold Gaebler.
He is survived by his wife, Wanda Gaebler; son Tim Gaebler; daughter Anita Cates; and grandchildren David Gaebler, Colter Gaebler, Alex Gaebler, Shelly White, Payton Cates and Brileigh Cates.
Contributions in his memory can be made to Jefferson Barracks Museums in honor of POW/MIA servicemen and women.
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DAR reporters Brian Rosener, Ben Striker, Chelsae Cordia and Donna Farley contributed to this story.