WILLIAM RILEY GILLILAND
WILLIAM RILEY GILLILAND, A SON OF HUGH AND MARTHA GILLILAND, WAS BORN IN HARRISON COUNTY, MO., ON FEBRUARY 7, 1863 AND PASSED AWAY IN HIS HOME IN KELLERTON, IOWA AT 6:30 P.M. ON FEBRUARY 6, 1944.
ON FEBRUARY 24, 1886, HE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE WITH ARDELLA MARTHA PAYNE. TO THIS UNION WERE BORN NINE CHILDREN, MRS. OMAR CANFIELD OF MITCHELL, S.D.; MRS ELMA BOHN OF DIAGONAL; MRS PEARL DEAN OF STAUNTON, IL.; MRS. BERTHA PATTERSON OF CASCADE; FRANK GILLILAND OF LAMONI; ORA GILLILAND OF EAGLEVILLE, MO.; EDGAR GILLILAND OF WOODRIVER, IL. AND LLOYD GILLILAND OF CENTERVILLE.
ALSO THERE ARE TWENTY GRANDCHILDREN AND SEVENTEEN GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN AND ONE BROTHER, JASPER GILLILAND, OF LAMONI, WHO MOURN HIS PASSING. ONE SON, JOHN GILLILAND, SEVEN GRANDCHILDREN AND TWO GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN PRECEDED HIM IN DEATH.
FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE MR. AND MRS. GILLILAND MADE THEIR HOME ON A FARM SOUTH OF KELLERTON. THEN THEY MOVED TO THE FARM HOME NEAR MOUNT ZION METHODIST CHURCH. HERE HE ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS A FARMER AND AS A CITIZEN OF THE COMMUNITY.
UPON RETIREMENT FROM HIS MORE ACTIVE WORK HE AND MRS. GILLILAND MOVED TO HIS HOME IN KELLERTON AND CONTINUED TO LIVE HERE UNTIL HIS DEATH.
IN YOUNG MANHOOD HE UNITED WITH THE METHODIST CHURCH AT MOUNT ZION AND NEVER MOVED HIS MEMBERSHIP FROM THAT CHURCH.
HE WAS A QUIET MAN WHO COULD GIVE HIS OPINION BRIEFLY AND PRACTICALLY. HE DID NOT USE MANY WORDS, BUT MADE HIS MEANING CLEAR IN A NICE WAY. HE WAS ABLE TO PUT HIS ENERGY INTO ACTION IN OLD FASHIONED WAY KNOWN TO MEN AND WOMEN WHO SUBDUED A NEW COUNTRY AND MADE IT ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE PLACES IN WHICH TO LIVE OF AL COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.
HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY A WIDE CIRCLE OF RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES WHO CAME TO KNOW AND APPRECIATE HIM THROUGH THE YEARS OF A LONG LIFE.
FUNERAL SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED IN THE HOME BY THE METHODIST PASTOR, JOHN L ALEXANDER. MRS. GLENN ROBINSON PRESIDED AT THE PIANO. PALLBEARERS WERE BEN BARNES, VIRGIL BARNES, FRED SHIELDS, HOWARD McCULLOUGH, WILL GERINGER AND CLARENCE DALEY. BURIAL WAS IN THE MOUNT ZION CEMETERY.
