Gideon DeCamp was born in Wall Lake, Sac Co., Iowa to Joseph Stately DeCamp (1832–1918)and Elizabeth Caroline Culver (1853–1913). Before Gideon was born his mother came down with diphtheria. Every one feared that she would die. Both she and the baby survived, and Gideon was born. He lost 3 siblings at that time. It was his oldest sister, Annie that took care of him as a baby and through his growing up years. The family migrated to Fresno, California in about 1891 when he was about 4 years old. As young men, Gideon and his brother, Joe, loved to dance. They frequented the dance halls around Fresno, Clovis, and Sanger, as often as was possible. It was at a dance that he met the love of his life, Maybelle Emerson. The dances that they attended often had competition dances. They would enter the waltzing competition and generally win the first prize. On 7 March 1916 he married Maybelle. From this union was born three children, Howard C. DeCamp, Caroline Elizabeth DeCamp, and Doris May DeCamp. Gideon's grew up helping his father on the family farm, but never owned his own farm. During the depression years he had a difficult time finding work and the family followed the fruit harvest. They always returned to Fresno in the fall so that the children could go to school. Even though the DeCamp brother and sisters were scattered though out the state, they always remained a very close knit family. A WWII draft registration card revealed that at the time he was 55 years old and living in Benicia, California. His employer was Eaton and Smith Construction Co. and he was working at the Benicia Arsenal Extension. Solano Co., CA. Soon he discovered that there was a need for rubber stamps and he founded his own business and did very well in that endeavor. He bought a large mobile home and rented a space in a Vallejo Mobile Home Park, where he lived for the rest of his life. He and Maybelle would take the Greyhound Bus and visit various members of the family during each year. They never left any one out. By the same token, every one traveled to Vallejo as often as they could to visit them. When his nieces, the two daughters of his brother Joe, got word that he wasn't expected to live but a few days, they went to Vallejo to be a support for the family, and were with him at his demise. He was survived by his wife of 61 years, Maybelle Emmerson Decamp; his daughters Caroline De Camp Estep of Vallejo,CA, and Doris DeCamp Janssen of Fairfield, CA; Two grandsons Jim Jansen of Fairfield, an his namesake Gideon W. DeCamp of Washington D.C; a and a granddaughter Anise Grannis of Washington State. He was preceded in death by his son Howard C. DeCamp, an army career man; his brothers Joseph L. DeCamp, and David L. DeCamp, and sisters Anna Belle DeCamp Harbert and Fannie Elizabeth DeCamp Long.

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