Margaret Louise Gilliam (Louise) was one of four children born to Luther & Stella Humphreys on February 10, 1930. She spent her childhood in Lakeland Florida and later attended Florida Christian College. While a student, she met and married Doyle Gilliam.
After a few years in church ministry and the birth of two children, the Gilliams moved to Malawi Africa to mission work among the Chechewa speaking people. The Gilliam’s along with their growing family of five children spent over twenty years in the countries of Malawi and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). During the Rhodesian Civil war, the Gilliams returned to the States and Doyle began teaching at the Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock, Texas. The Gilliams would return to Malawi year after year to visit the churches they had planted there.
Louise spent many of her years in Lubbock running the daycare program for the Sunset School of Preaching. Her work enabled the wives to attend classes knowing that their babies and children would be cared for by Miss Louise and her helpers. Many adult men and women consider Miss Louise, their second mother. The Gilliams often hosted students in their home for Louise’s famous home-cooked meals. She was beloved my many generations of student families and will be greatly missed. After the death of her husband of sixty-five years, Louise moved to San Antonio to close her daughter.
Louise is processed in death by her parents, her brother John, and sisters Mary & Charlotte and her husband Doyle. She is survived by a son, Stephen Gilliam, a daughter Charlene Hosking (Bernard), a daughter Ellen Abshier (Mark), a daughter Laura Close (Allen), and a son John Gilliam (Shanna), 9 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
Memorial Gifts may be made to; Sunset International Bible School Institute.
