Kate’s notes: Martha Cordelia (Mitchell) Gilleland was married to Thomas Franklin “Uncle Tom” Gilleland, who was a son of William Gilleland and Rachel Elizabeth Allen. William was a son of the famous Texas pioneer, Daniel Gilleland. The name of Martha’s daughter, referred to in the obituary as “Mrs. Anfang” was Ora Lee. 

The Tulia Herald
Tulia, Texas
12 January, 1928

MARTHA CORDELIA GILLELAND
______________

   On the first day of the week and the first day of the year our dear friend and neighbor, Mrs. Martha Gilleland was called by our Heavenly Father to come up higher, to the place not made by hands to the mansions in the skies.
   Mrs. Gilleland was born in Dade County, Missouri, September 19, 1858, came to Texas in 1870 and was married to T. F. Gilliland, November 1st, 1877 in Bell County, Texas. She was converted and joined the Baptist Church in 1877 but 1879 she joined the Methodist Church with her husband and lived faithful and consistent member of that church for 50 years. She gave the best years of her life in the service of her master, the Lord and Savior[sic] Jesus Christ, serving as teacher in Sunday School and helping in every way she could to help establish Christianity on the Plains, having moved here 37 years ago. She lived the ranch life for 17 years near where Happy now is, before moving to Tulia 20 years ago. She cheerfully and willingly endured all the hardship of pioneer life always aiding and helping someone that needed succor.
   She leaves her companion, “Uncle Tom” Gilleland, one daughter, Mrs. Anfang, three grandchildren, Thomas Lee and LaDeen Mitchell of Tulia and Mrs. Karl Watter, of Newark, New Jersey and also three great grandchildren of New Jersey. She also leaves two brothers, one in Tulia and one in Arkansas and one sister in Ballinger, Texas, several nephews and nieces.
   Though an invalid for two years she retained a human love for life and was always thoughtful and alive to the welfare of her family and took a deep interest in the pleasures and affairs of her neighbors and friends, she was always so cheerful and tried to make life brighter for others.
   May her memory enrich and anchor our lives and sustain her bereaved companion until he is caught up in the skies to be with her and his blessed Savior[sic] in the skies.
       Greatest of spirits – not for three
       Our treasure shed, our sighs are given:
       Why mourn to know thou art a free
       Partaker of the joys of Heaven.
       Finished thy work, and kept thy faith
       In Christian firmness unto death
       And beautiful as sky and earth
       When Autumn sun is downward going,
       The blessed memory of thy worth
       Around thy place of slumber glowing!
                                     -By A Friend

*Also appearing in the same edition of the paper was this note of appreciation from the family:
CARD OF THANKS
________________

We most sincerely thank each of the many friends who were so kind and sweet to us during the illness of our darling wife, mother and grandmother, also for the many acts of love and for the beautiful flowers. May God’s most richest blessing always be upon everyone.
                                                                                                T. F. Gilliland
                                                                                                Ora Lee Anfang
                                                                                                Joyce Watter
                                                                                                LaDeen Mitchell
                                                                                                Thomas Lee Mitchell

   
-transcription by Kate Maynard, 2012