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Fran Gilliland
HUXTON, Colo. — Frances “Fran” Gilliland, 101, Haxtun, Colo., died July 6, 2023, in Haxtun. Visitation will be July 15, from 10 a.m. until the start of service at the Haxtun Methodist Church, with funeral service beginning at 1 p.m. Pastor Jeri Soens will be officiating. Interment will follow at the Haxtun Cemetery. Frances Jane “Fran” Ruzicka Gilliland, second child of Joseph and Ethel (Allen) Ruzicka, was born Sept. 8, 1921, in Plainview. She graduated from Plainview High School before enrolling in Doane College (now University) in Crete. There, she met the great love of her life, Keith DeLaine Gilliland, Dorchester. When Keith asked her to be his bridge partner, that led to an even longer lifetime partnership.
Dec. 7, 1941, changed everything for Fran, as it did for the whole country. Keith left school for Naval flight training, and Fran hastily finished her degrees in music and English. They reunited in Pensacola, Fla., after Keith received his flight wings, and were married there Feb. 16, 1943. For the next two and one half years, World War II consumed their lives. They traveled the country extensively while Keith trained for the Navy, and when Keith finally joined squadrons flying off carriers in the South Pacific, Fran returned to Plainview to teach.
After the war, they moved to Springfield, Mass., so Keith could finish his degree on the GI Bill, and then settled in Laurel, in 1947, where Keith taught high school and coached football, basketball and track. Their first daughter, Marsha Lee, was born Oct. 18, 1947, and Cynthia Sue soon followed Aug. 14, 1949.
Fran was active in the Laurel community. She directed the First Methodist Church Choir, was the first president of the PTA, and helped conduct a community presentation of Handel’s Messiah. The love of travel that they developed driving around the country together during the War continued to inspire numerous summer road trips with the family.
In 1964, the Gillilands moved to Haxtun, Colo., when Keith became the president of the Haxtun Community Bank. Fran again immersed herself in community life, singing in the Methodist choir and becoming a member of women’s church Circles and PEO. Fran and Keith were enthusiastic boosters of the Haxtun Bulldog teams and musical productions. They also remained boosters of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, for which they took a lot of good-natured ribbing. Fran also contributed to her community as a regular donor to the Red Cross Blood Bank, and was disappointed when they eventually told her she was too old to donate anymore.
As Marsha and Cindi grew and began families, Fran and Keith were blessed with five grandchildren. Eventually, Marsha’s family settled in Colorado Spring, Colo., and Cindi’s in Guam. Fran was heartbroken by Keith’s passing in 1999. She had always been right by his side in everything they did. But she bravely carried on alone for the next 24 years, turning more and more to her community for support. Even after suffering a stroke in 2010, she was determined to stay active and engaged. She traveled to Colorado Springs to stay with Marsha frequently, and loved having Cindi around during visits home from Guam. Since Cindi moved back to Colorado, she has been a blessing to Fran as a primary caregiver for the past four years.
Fran is survived by her daughters, Marsha Garrett and Cindi (Woody) Johnson; five grandchildren, Kris (Steve) Zeller, Rachel Garrett (Justin DeWolf), Eric (Christine) Johnson, Samantha Garrett (Mason France), and Daniel Johnson; and nine much-cherished great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents’ her older brother, Robert; and her husband, Keith.
Memorial donations may be made to the Haxtun Methodist Church or Haxtun Health/Hospital District c/o Tennant Funeral Home, PO Box 1547, Sterling, CO 80751.
