Garvin Blelock (PETE) Gabbert

 Garvin Blelock (PETE) Gabbert, was a sportsman with many interests. In addition to his watefowling passion, he hunted antelope in Wyoming, play golf, umpired softball games, and broke quarter horses to work. In his later years, he even owned and trained race horses.

Peedro, as he was sometimes called by his closest friends, loved horses and always had quarter horses that he broke and rode as long as he was able. he kept them at a farm east of town and Steve Loucks grew up helping Uncle Pete break and shoe his horses. He loved racehorses and spent a lot of time in Omaha at the Ak Sar Ben racetrack during racing season. He eventually bought his own race horses and enjoyed some success with them.

Pete made his living as a dragline operator. As the story was told to Steve Loucks, who submitted this info, Pete and Ivan Loucks unloaded their bulldozers at the end of Nebraska Street (what is now the intersection of Nebraska St and Cemetary Rd.) one day and started north to a farm some of the "guys" had bought at the edge of town. When they were done, there was a road to what became the golf course and a place for what is now the Waterfowlers' hall of Fame.

Pete was an original member of the group that started the East Side Farm duck club, and built the levees which created it, as well as many of the original levees for many of the early duck clubs. His partners in setting up the East Side Farm were Dick Vest, John Laukemper, Jim Crawford,Dr. Hugh Wallace, and Tracy Burge.

This info has been submitted by Steve Loucks , a nephew, in 2014. 

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