Gumbo is always welcome!
Best gumbo I've had was made by my uncle. He is an old salty dog, served in the Navy, grew up on the coast. He has a house on a canal in Orange Beach. We'd take his aluminum boat out into Perdido Bay, pulling a net for shrimp. Combined with fresh caught crab and fish, I can't really match his seafood gumbo in N. Alabama. But I've experimented with more rural forms of gumbo, smoked chicken or turkey with sausage, and I made a killer smoked duck and oyster gumbo (despite recipes to the contrary, sausage does not belong here).
I always remove the membrane from the backside of the ribs. I have always heard the ribs will be tough if you don't.
I think you are correct for grilling ribs. When slow cooking in a smoker, most cooks still recommend removing the membrane, though others suggest it helps retain fat/moisture and gives the ribs a hot-dog-casing "snap." I've done it both ways; you get more smoke and rub penetration without the membrane.