Lillie Mae Gilleland passed away at nearly 103 in Texas, on Feb. 25, 2020. She and her husband Harry were Page pioneers, arriving in 1959 with their family: Maryann, JB, Joy, and Betty Lois.
Harry worked as a public relations man with the Bureau of Reclamation until his retirement. They loved everything about Page, the people, the sense of community, and the gorgeous scenery. She was known as the “Cake Lady,” and created beautiful cakes for all occasions.
Lillie Mae claims her longevity was due to healthy living. She grew much of her food in her own greenhouse and shared them with others. She had a way to put a positive spin on everything. She was simply a power-packed package.
The best part of Lillie Mae was her capacity to love. She loved Jesus first and loved her family and friends fiercely.
No immediate service is planned. She wanted the celebration to be on her 100th birthday, when people from all over the country came to celebrate with her in Texas.
She donated her body to UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, Texas) for medical research. When her ashes are returned, the family will bring them back to Page to be buried next to Harry. Lillie Mae’s four children are Maryann (David) Ukman, JB (Kathy) Gilleland, Joy (Tom) Kameika, and BL (Rob) Tapella. She had eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
