Jimmie Gilham

Jimmie Earlene Gilham, age 63, passed away quietly in her home on July 10 2013 in Odessa after a lengthy illness.

Jimmie Earlene Gilham was born at General Hospital in Hobart, Oklahoma on May 8th, 1950 to James Morgan and Bessie Watson she was named after her father, James. She had two older sisters, Peggy and Patsy. Jimmie lived on a farm outside of Roosevelt as a child, and she never ate chicken again after her pet chicken was eaten as a meal or thats how the story went. Later she lived in Roosevelt. Jimmie had a lot of fun as a kid and as teenager. She graduated from Roosevelt High School. Jimmie played girls basketball and was elected Basketball Queen her junior year. As normal teenagers do, she and her niece Karen, who was a couple of years younger, talked about boys all the time, and she took Karen on her first date with her date and another friend of hers. She love the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Jimmie was NEVER a farm girl as she loved Bobby Brookes clothing and wanted a cool car, a Chevrolet Corvette. She moved to Amarillo and lived with her sister, Patsy and husband Scott when she graduated from high school and got a job. Jimmie attended hockey games there and got a sweet little poodle dog named Jacque, but her family and she, called him Jock. What else He always got his own hamburger pattie and some ice cream when she went out. She laughed and laughed and laughed about EVERYTHING Jimmie always had a great sense of humor, and it was usually at somebody elses expense. She sewed her own clothes, made crafts, and raised young calves that she bought from local dairies and sold after they had grown. Jimmie came to know Jesus Christ at a young age and always took her faith very seriously. She came to Odessa, Texas in 1986 and worked with her sister and brother in law, Peggy and Curt Wallis, at Beltone Hearing Aid Center. She became a Hearing Instrument Specialist and did sales and office work.
Jimmie met her husband, Jack, and they were married in 1988. She was a hospitable and loving person and would lay up items during the year, and at Christmas time, she would just have to decide who got what and wrap it up. During the year she would find things and imagine that someone would enjoy having it and store it away to become a gift later. Jimmie was a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, and she liked the Texas Rangers too. She attended church at Life Unlimited. She had strong convictions some would call it stubbornness, but she was kind to the end, caring more for others than for herself.

She is preceded in death by her parents and her sister Patsy Anderson.

Jimmie is survived by her husband Jack, three daughters and their families, Joyce and Eric Schaub, Robert, Evan, and Victoria, Kasey and Jason Johnson, and Colton, and Ashley Gilham as well as her sister Peggy Wallis and her niece Karen Villasenor and husband Josh and her nephew Mike Wallis. She also leaves many cousins. Jimmie was much loved and will be missed.

Visitation will be Sunday evening July 14th from 4:008:00 p.m. at the Sunset Memorial
Gardens Funeral Home in Odessa, Texas.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 15th at 10:00 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Gardens Funeral Home in Odessa, Texas with Pastor Don Palmer of Life Unlimited Church officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Compass Hospice and also to Sherry Garcia.

Visitation

Sunset Memorial Funeral Home
6801 E. Business 20
Odessa, TX  79762
Sunday, July 14, 2013
4:008:00 pm

Service

Funeral Service

Sunset Memorial Chapel
6801 E. Business 20
Odessa, TX  79762
Monday, July 15, 2013
10:00 am

Cemetery

Sunset Memorial Gardens
6801 E. Business 20
Odessa, TX  79762