Western Nebraska Observer - Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

On Saturday November 2, 2019, while surrounded by family, Gale LeAnn Wimberley went to her heavenly home. Visitation will be held from 4-7 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel in Scottsbluff. A Celebration of Her Life will take place at 10:30 AM on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at Gering Zion Church with Pastor Tim Hebbert and Pastor Wayne Mundell co-officiating. Cremation will follow the service. Online condolences may be left at http://www.dugankramer.com

Gale was born to Jerrene Walls Michael and Lilvon L. Michael in St. Vincent's Hospital in Leadville, Colorado on August 6, 1962. They were later divorced.

Gale was in Junior High when Jerrene and her children then moved to Kimball, Nebraska. The children were very happy when their mother met and married John (Jack) Randall, who happily became a dad to all the children. Gale was proud of her new dad and insisted on changing her last name to Randall.

Gale graduated from Kimball High School in 1980 and moved to Scottsbluff, Nebraska to go to Fullen Hair Design, where she graduated in 1980.

Gale always knew that she wanted to be a hairdresser from the moment she gave her dolls hair cuts as a young girl. As Gale began her career as a hairdresser, she became very close friends with her clients. She always enjoyed hearing about their kids, vacations, hobbies – she was an amazing listener.

Gale and her friends picked up dancing as something to do after work. She also helped teach country dance lessons. It was there that she met the love of her life, Donald Wimberley, a single father of five.

Gale and Don married and started a family together. Along came four more kids. Gale was "Mama Gale" to many of her children's friends and "Grandma Gale" to many of those kids' kids. She enjoyed every minute of it.

In 2006, Gale was diagnosed with breast cancer. That is when she was told about the Festival Of Hope and how it could help her and her family during that time. Gale was a firm believer in giving back, so she and her aunt Barb began painting rocks, framed photos, and other things to sell at their booth for the Festival of Hope, every year for the last 13 years.

With each cancer diagnosis, she was bound and determined to beat it. That strength and determination came from her faith in God. She always handled everything life could throw at her with grace and compassion. Cancer may have weakened her body, but it could never weaken her will, stubbornness and faith.

In May 2019 her life was forever changed when Don was involved in an accident that later took his life and triggered the decline of her own health.

Due to lung damage from her previous battles with cancer and chemotherapy, Gale's suppressed immune system couldn't fight off a cold that developed into pneumonia.

Up until the very end she was a fighter.

Gale leaves behind her children Ethan Wimberley, Shane Wimberley (Sammy O'Leary), Cara (Wyatt) Edington, Ryan Wimberley and special son Max (Ashle) Powell; stepchildren: Heather Yates, Frank (Tonya) Wimberley, Mathew Wimberley, Devrin Wimberley, and Tara (Brad) Plambeck; her parents Jerrene and Jack Randall; siblings Byron (Anna) Michael, Brad (Shelly) Randall, Chris (Dave) Mills, and Swedish sister Hillevi Gustafsson; grandchildren Riley Wimberley, Caitlin Wimberley, Dawson Wimberley, and Drake and Hayden Yates; along with numerous brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, and extended family members.

Gale is preceded in death by her husband Donald Wimberley, her grandparents Virgil (Myra) Walls and Floyd and Phyllis Randall; great grandmother Chloe Miller; special aunt Dorothy Miller and several other family members.