Margaret Lillian Gilliland

She is survived by her youngest son, Douglas, and his wife Sandy; her oldest son, Robert’s wife, Debbie; her grandsons, Scott Gilliland, Samuel Gilliland, Benjamin Gilliland; and her granddaughters, Kim Millstone, Sara Mullinix, Ashley Gilliland and Christin Gilliland. In all, she had three children, eight grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

She was born to Robert and Helen Christian in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on November 16, 1926. She was raised in Fountain, Colorado, along with her younger sister Roberta and two brothers, Jerry and Ron. She attended Fountain High School and graduated in May of 1944 as the valedictorian of her class. She attended Blair Business College from May 1944 to June 1945. Beyond academics, one of her passions in high school was baton twirling. She entered and won many competitions throughout the state. She married her high school sweetheart, Hudson Kinsley Gilliland in 1945. Margaret and Hudson lived in Fountain until 1951. That year they moved to Greensboro, North Carolina and stayed from 1951-52. While there she worked at Piedmont Gas Co., and from 1952-1954 she and Hudson lived in Charlotte, North Carolina where she worked at Southern Bell Telephone. In 1954 they moved to Denver, Colorado and she worked at Universal Carloading Co. In 1956 they moved the family back to her hometown of Colorado Springs. She worked at Centennial Trucklines until 1958. In that year she went to work at Colorado Springs Supply Company where she stayed until 1967.

Fountain was the place where so many of her nearest relatives lived, and where the Christian family flourished. Her dad ran the town grocery, where he spent much of his time butchering deer and elk brought in during Colorado’s hunting season by many of his family members. Margaret worked at the store with her sister, delivering groceries to local residents on her bike. On many evenings, she and her sister could be found studying in the back of the store. Her mother, Helen, was a cook at Fountain High School for many years. It was almost impossible to come to her home and not find freshly cooked vegetables, fruits, and many delicious dishes to enjoy. Friends and relatives frequently gathered around her kitchen table in the evenings and on weekends. Helping her mother with numerous house chores, canning, gardening, and feeding the chickens and rabbits, were activities that Margaret excelled at.

In 1956, Margaret, Hudson and their three sons, Robert, Roderick, and Douglas moved to Security, Colorado which is just north of Fountain, and south of Colorado Springs. Because Hudson traveled frequently , Margaret became the leader of the family as well as the primary breadwinner while working at Colorado Supply Company. She kept a hectic schedule. Her days began with her picking up her father and taking him to his grocery store in downtown Colorado Springs. Then she would work a full day, and many times during the weekend and evenings. In the summer, she also drove her sons to the Broadmoor Hotel around 6:30 am, where they worked as caddies. After work, she picked her father and sons up and transported them back to their homes in Fountain and Security. Her loving care for her father, mother and three sons was one of her great legacies.

In 1968, Margaret and Hudson moved to Kansas City, Missouri. This began a new chapter of her life, where she took an Executive Assistant position with Hallmark Cards. Amazingly, she remained there for over 27 years. She reached celebrity status at Hallmark because of her excellent work habits, grace and beauty. She was featured as a model on many holiday greeting cards and advertisements. After retirement, she spent much of her time gardening, caring for her home, and helping her oldest son, Robert, run his home-building and remodeling company, Gable Custom Homes. She used her skills as a bookkeeper and accountant to help manage his business.

Margaret absolutely loved to garden. She could be found starting early in the morning and continuing until sunset, planting flowers and shrubs. She had a passion for putting her hands into the fresh soil in her big yards. Another great talent and passion of hers was playing cards. She was an expert bridge player, participating in a number of bridge clubs with her girlfriends over the years. Later in life, she and her immediate family played Gin Rummy daily. If there are card players in heaven, they better watch out!

One fun fact about Margaret is that she had an unquenchable sweet tooth. In her final days, if I wanted to raise her spirits, I’d bring her some delightful pastries from her favorite local bakery. Sweets were her only weakness. She was never a drinker or smoker and was always committed to eating right and getting plenty of sleep. She was the model of clean, healthy living. She took care of her body, her family, her home, and most of all, her relationship with God. She read the Bible daily and always had a prayerful spirit.

Margaret was a born-again Christian. Her greatest legacy was sharing her deep faith in God. Her authentic love for Jesus was an inspiration to everyone around her. She was a faithful tither to her church, the Second Presbyterian Church, and she gave to many Christian organizations. Her positive love for everyone, and her teachings of self-reliance, trustworthiness and hard work, were the hallmark of her character. Her faith never wavered, right up until God took her hand and brought her to heaven. While her body became frail at the end, her loving spirit was gigantic. Her compassion and positive outlook made it a joy to be around her. Her smile was contagious, and her warmth touched us all. It was my greatest honor to be her son.

Today, she has a new body and a new spirit with our glorious Father in Heaven. As it says in Revelation 21:4: “God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for everything that made people sad has now gone and the old world has passed away.” She is surrounded by her loving parents and many other family members and friends. Just as she was a blessing to us her whole lifetime on earth, she now will be a blessing to all the other Christian souls and angels in Heaven.

We love you, Mom. Your memory will never be forgotten, and your spirit will live in us forever.