Julia Martha (Soske) Gilman

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., August 28, 2020 at Gering Memorial Chapel with Father Mark Selvey of St. Francis Episcopal Church officiating. The service will be also live streamed on Gering Memorial Chapel Facebook.

In Julia’s early years, she married Lawrence Soske. He always wanted to have and own land so he and Julia moved several times in their marriage. Julia had to bake for the family and feed three hired men that helped Lawrence run the ranch. That meant baking bread, feeding and processing chickens and eggs, canning produce, cooking on a wood stove in the early years, carrying water several hundred yards from the well, and sewing and making clothing. She told us that she started before everyone else and went to bed after everyone else. Julia was a hard worker. She raised two daughters, Marian and Carolyn. When they located to Scottsbluff, Lawrence passed away in 1971, Julia had bought a new 1972 Dodge Dart from Glen and after a while they were going out and ended up getting married in 1974. They moved into Glen’s house as it was close to the business.

They traveled to different dealer meetings in the first 25 years and visited many places. They were able to bring a lot of artifacts back and do a lot of exploring at the different locations, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, and even Hawaii. Julia and Glen lived 32 steps from the back door of Gilman Motor Company so she would go over and get the coffee ready for everyone at the dealership and then she would do the deposit for the day. One of Julia’s biggest talents was her ability to cook and bake. She actually entered her recipes in national contests. She always wanted Christmas at her house, she even had Glen built a huge table because there would be about 22 people eating brunch on Christmas morning. She would have enough food to feed 50 people for two or three meals, it was out of this world. If anyone went hungry, it was their own fault.

In 1998 or so Glen’s health started to deteriorate and Julia was by his side every minute of the time helping him, she cared for him until he passed away in 2000. She then moved to The Residency and enjoyed a lot of good times with the other residents. She and Glen were long time members of the Episcopal Church in Scottsbluff. Julia was on the alter guild for many years and enjoyed helping the church.

Survivors include daughters, Marian McKee of Albuquerque, NM, and Carolyn (Gary) Newton of Wooster, OH, step sons James (Kathy) Gilman of Scottsbluff, NE and Patrick (Jodi) Gilman of Greeley, CO; sister Dorothy Shuck of Sanger, CA; niece Cheryl (Patrick) Ing of Sanger, CA; nephew David Greer (Margaret) of Concord, CA; great nieces and nephews Megan Greer, Jonathan Greer and Ryan Greer, grandchildren Audrey McKee, Melanie Lago, and Jeremy Newton, step grandchildren Trever and Lacey, Brandon Belford, Tina Schulte and Jessica Nielson, great grandchildren Ethan Lago, Henry Newton, and Peter Newton, and step great grandchildren Colton Gilman, Austin and Parker Gilman and Cameron Schulte.