Mrs. Thomas H. “Bessie” Gillespie died of a heart ailment December 10, 1963 in St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
She was the elder daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Jerry F. Robison of the Reydon community. She was born December 9, 1896 in Mineral Wells, Texas and moved with her parents in 1905 to homestead a farm some seven miles southeast of Reydon.
She taught her first school at the age of 17 at Sandhill in the Sweetwater community. She taught for several years in the area schools including Sunny Point and Dempsey and also in the Reydon community. She and Mr. Gillespie were married in 1917 and a year later they moved to old Rankin where they owned and operated a produce business and Mrs. Gillespie served as post mistress for several years. After moving to Colorado Springs she took nurses training and worked at the profession until she retired due to ill health a few years ago. All through the years she kept an active interest in education, holding office in various educational organizations and also founded and served as its first president an organization to promote education in the field of nursing. She was an active member of the Church of Christ for more than 55 years.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. William Eagan of Colorado Springs; three sons, Thomas H. of El Centro, California; Nolan I. of La Mesa, California; Gerald A. of San Jose California; a brother, Orville Robison of Reydon, Oklahoma; a sister, Mrs. Arcie Scott of Vernon, Texas; also nine grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. Mr. Gillespie died in 1959.
Cheyenne Star, January 16, 1964