Obituary for Olla Etta Gillham
Olla Etta Gillham, 92, of Wayside, passed away on Friday, November 13, 2020.
Services will be 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, November 18 at the Wayside Community Church. Burial will follow at Wayside Cemetery.
Olla Etta Gillham was born May 5, 1928 to Bonnie Hazel Adams Gillham and Memory Loyse Gillham in the Wayside, Texas community on the county line road five miles southeast of Wayside in what was known as the south house owned by her grandmother Gillham who owned the farm at the time. It is owned by the Fosters now I believe.
Olla attended Wayside public school until 1937-1938 school year and attended the Wayside community church on Sundays. In 1937, the family moved to what was known as the Bush Place west of Amarillo. She attended two years of school at Soncy, Texas public school. Her 7th grade was at the Amarillo Seventh-day Adventist Church School and her 8th grade was at the Canyon, Texas public school.
When she was ready for the 9th grade her sister, Edith and brother, Stanley were about to get in the car to go to Enterprise Academy in Abilene, Kansas and Dad said, “Olla, pack your clothes up I am taking you also.” Olla’s tenth grade was spent at Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado. Her eleventh and twelfth grade was spent at Auburn Academy in Auburn, Washington.
Summers in Auburn, Washington were spent working with her mother and three siblings. She stayed home two days a week to do the family laundry and care for the four youngest siblings. From a young age, Olla dressed the younger children which was not always an easy task.
She graduated from Auburn Academy short after her 18th birthday. Pastor Jewett, whom she had worked for in the 11th and 12th grade years asked to her to teach school at Port Angelos, Washington right after high school. That was a big responsibility for such a young lady.
Olla attended Walla Walla College in College Place, Washington. She taught school at El Paso, Texas and attended summer school at Union College, Lincoln, Nebraska, then returned to El Paso the second year. Alter teaching elementary school in El Paso, she returned to Walla Walla College and received her degree in Home Economics and elementary education.
She taught elementary school at the Seventh-day Adventist elementary school in Amarillo, Texas. Then was called to Albuquerque, New Mexico Sandia View Academy as dean of women.
Next she moved to Shenendoah Valley Academy as dean of women. She taught church in school in Austin, Texas for a year.
Olla taught and was the girls dean at Jefferson Academy in Jefferson, Texas from 1966-1985 then was dean and full time teacher at Ozark Adventist Academy, Gentry, Arkansas.
In 1985, when her father died she came to Wayside, Texas to take care of her mother. During the time her mother could stay alone she worked at Happy Independent School System.
She was a charter member of the Tulia Seventy-day Adventist church and a member until her death. She taught childrens classes for many years, assisted upholstering the pews, paint and many other construction tasks. She was active in many community projects as well.
Olla was preceded in death by her parents, 10 siblings and two nephews. She is survived by one brother, Chaney Loyse Gillham who lives in Bowden, ND and two sisters, Bonnie Laura Dessenko of Salem, OR and Esther Jane Mesnard of Wayside, TX and 41 nieces and nephews and great, great nieces and nephews.
The family suggests that memorials be made to the Wayside Cemetery Association, PO Box 155, Wayside, TX 79094.
Services will be 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, November 18 at the Wayside Community Church. Burial will follow at Wayside Cemetery.
Olla Etta Gillham was born May 5, 1928 to Bonnie Hazel Adams Gillham and Memory Loyse Gillham in the Wayside, Texas community on the county line road five miles southeast of Wayside in what was known as the south house owned by her grandmother Gillham who owned the farm at the time. It is owned by the Fosters now I believe.
Olla attended Wayside public school until 1937-1938 school year and attended the Wayside community church on Sundays. In 1937, the family moved to what was known as the Bush Place west of Amarillo. She attended two years of school at Soncy, Texas public school. Her 7th grade was at the Amarillo Seventh-day Adventist Church School and her 8th grade was at the Canyon, Texas public school.
When she was ready for the 9th grade her sister, Edith and brother, Stanley were about to get in the car to go to Enterprise Academy in Abilene, Kansas and Dad said, “Olla, pack your clothes up I am taking you also.” Olla’s tenth grade was spent at Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado. Her eleventh and twelfth grade was spent at Auburn Academy in Auburn, Washington.
Summers in Auburn, Washington were spent working with her mother and three siblings. She stayed home two days a week to do the family laundry and care for the four youngest siblings. From a young age, Olla dressed the younger children which was not always an easy task.
She graduated from Auburn Academy short after her 18th birthday. Pastor Jewett, whom she had worked for in the 11th and 12th grade years asked to her to teach school at Port Angelos, Washington right after high school. That was a big responsibility for such a young lady.
Olla attended Walla Walla College in College Place, Washington. She taught school at El Paso, Texas and attended summer school at Union College, Lincoln, Nebraska, then returned to El Paso the second year. Alter teaching elementary school in El Paso, she returned to Walla Walla College and received her degree in Home Economics and elementary education.
She taught elementary school at the Seventh-day Adventist elementary school in Amarillo, Texas. Then was called to Albuquerque, New Mexico Sandia View Academy as dean of women.
Next she moved to Shenendoah Valley Academy as dean of women. She taught church in school in Austin, Texas for a year.
Olla taught and was the girls dean at Jefferson Academy in Jefferson, Texas from 1966-1985 then was dean and full time teacher at Ozark Adventist Academy, Gentry, Arkansas.
In 1985, when her father died she came to Wayside, Texas to take care of her mother. During the time her mother could stay alone she worked at Happy Independent School System.
She was a charter member of the Tulia Seventy-day Adventist church and a member until her death. She taught childrens classes for many years, assisted upholstering the pews, paint and many other construction tasks. She was active in many community projects as well.
Olla was preceded in death by her parents, 10 siblings and two nephews. She is survived by one brother, Chaney Loyse Gillham who lives in Bowden, ND and two sisters, Bonnie Laura Dessenko of Salem, OR and Esther Jane Mesnard of Wayside, TX and 41 nieces and nephews and great, great nieces and nephews.
The family suggests that memorials be made to the Wayside Cemetery Association, PO Box 155, Wayside, TX 79094.