Father William Gamber, remembered as a “priest’s priest and a people’s priest” for his service, also loved to restore old homes, cementing a strong memory for Father David Blume, director of vocations in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“He was 85 or so, up on a ladder, painting the eaves of the house,” after some restoration work, Father Blume said of Father Gamber, who died Oct. 24 at age 91. “I said, ‘Bill, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.’ He said, ‘Oh, I’m doing fine.’”

Father William Gamber

That house was in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, the town where Father Gamber grew up and returned in 1996 after retiring from 32 years of active ministry in the archdiocese. He returned to take care of his aging mother, who died at 98 in 2002. The historic house had been moved to a nearby city, but Father Gamber bought it, had it brought back to town, restored and lived in it.

The same energy Father Gamber had for housing projects he poured into his priestly ministry, Father Blume said. Even in retirement, he continued to concelebrate Masses, hear confessions, visit the ill in hospitals and support vocations at Our Lady of Victory in Fergus Falls, he said. Father Gamber also traveled often from Fergus Falls to the Twin Cities to visit friends, attend funerals and events.

“He wanted to serve God until his last breath. He did that in whatever way he could,” said Father Blume, who got to know Father Gamber about 12 years ago and visited him regularly.

Father Blume will deliver the homily at Father Gamber’s funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Oct. 29 at Our Lady of Victory. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will celebrate the Mass, which will be private for family because of COVID-19 restrictions.

A walk-through visitation also is planned, for Oct. 28 at Our Lady of Victory, from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a 6:30 p.m. prayer service.

Father Gamber’s ministry to others included enlisting in the Navy in 1950 after attending a college seminary for two years. He served four years in Hawaii, before enrolling at then-St. Thomas College in St. Paul, graduating and entering The St. Paul Seminary in 1959.

Ordained in 1964, he served at Holy Spirit, then-St. Therese and then-St. Vincent de Paul, all in St. Paul, and at then-St. John the Baptist in Hugo, the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis and St. John the Baptist in New Brighton. He also was a chaplain at the Minneapolis Veteran’s Administration Medical Center.

Father Alan Wielinski, pastor of Our Lady of Victory, said he was a transitional deacon at the parish in 1983 when he first met Father Gamber on one of the priest’s frequent visits to Fergus Falls. Now as pastor, he was privileged to have Father Gamber’s assistance the last seven years at the parish, Father Wielinski said.

“He was very close to so many people, parishioners, deacons and priests. He was a priest’s priest and a people’s priest, both,” Father Wielinski said. “He loved the Church and he exuded gratitude to God for his many gifts and the long life that he enjoyed.”