June 21, 1929 – Dec. 8, 2015
Helen Fay Sommers Gilliland, 86, died peacefully Dec. 8, 2015 in Bend.
She was born June 21, 1929 in Independence to Frank and Rita (Lundholm) Sommers, the oldest of three children. She was raised in Sweet Home, where she meet her husband, Carl Vernon Gilliland. They were married in Vancouver, Wash. on June 28, 1949 and moved to Chicago, Ill., where Mr. Gilliland was stationed in the Navy.
When he finished his service, they moved back to Oregon. They made it to Burns and had just enough fuel to make it to either Bend or Lakeview. They chose Lakeview, since they had family living there at the time. The Gillilands made their home there for more than 45 years and raised their three children Danny, Diane and Larry.
After her husband’s death, in 1991, Mrs. Gilliland left Lakeview, to be closer to family, but always kept in touch with friends in Lakeview. She lived in Sweet Home until 2005, when she moved to Bend.
Mrs. Gilliland was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and loved the gospel of Jesus Christ. She liked to bake goodies and try new things. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, embroidering, knitting and crocheting.
She also found a talent in oil painting. Each painting she created had a story behind it.
Mrs. Gilliland is survived by son Danny and daughter-in-law Janet of La Pine, daughter Diane and son-in-law Dennis of Napa, Idaho, and son Larry Gilliland of Portland; 15 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; brother-in-law Lowell Funk of Sweet Home; sister-in-law La Dean Lough of Klamath Falls; numerous nieces and nephews; and cousins Loretta Henrickson of McMinnville and Dolph Lundholm of Yuma, Ariz.
She was preceded in death by her husband Carl; her parents; sisters Viola Smith and Elva Funk; brother-in-laws Harrold Gilliland and Warren Lough; and nephews Dale Funk and Don Gilliland.
A memorial service was held in Lakeview on Dec. 14 at the LDS Church. She was buried in Lakeview next to her husband.