Patsy Jeanne Gilmer

A life of wit and artistic talent ended Sunday morning with the death of Patsy Jeanne Gilmer. Mrs. Gilmer had moved here just two weeks ago from Clovis, N.M. and was residing at Wisteria Nursing Home on South Willis, Abilene, Texas. Graveside services will be 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 31, in Lovington City Cemetery in Lovington, New Mexico, directed by Stevens Funeral Home. Arrangements are being made by The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene, Texas. Mrs. Gilmer was an accomplished artist and entertained her family with her quick wit. She was born in Amarillo, Texas, December 7, 1932 to Mary and Lawrence Rice, and died at a local hospital after a brief illness. In 1950, at the age of 17, after graduating from Hamilton High School, she married Bill Gilmer on June 3. After a brief honeymoon they made their home in Lovington, New Mexico. Together they started an insurance company that was very successful and later sold that company and moved to Clovis in 1962, where they continued in the insurance business. They traveled extensively before a series of strokes made it impossible for her to do so. She was a member of the Clovis First Baptist Church. A diagnosis of diabetes at age 19 never deterred Pat from leading an active life. She seemed to beat all odds, and from primitive methods of treatment in 1952 to the latest technology, she took medical changes in stride, never losing her sense of humor or cursing the disease that she lived with for 58 years. Working with several teachers, Mrs. Gilmer honed her artistic talents and delighted in giving her paintings as gifts to friends and family. She is survived by her husband, Bill Gilmer of Wisteria, a sister B J Naranjo-Smith and brother-in-law Ellis Smith of Abilene; five nieces, Brenda Rice, Paula Rice, Lezlee Aritua of Lafayette, La., Jeanne Michelle Naranjo of Long Beach, California and Karen McGoldrick of Virginia Beach, VA; two nephews, Mike Gilmer of Houston and Mark Gilmer of Midland, a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Joe and Betty Jean Gilmer of Midland, sister-in-law, Norma Rice, and several cousins, great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Dr. Lawrence Rice and a nephew, Michael Naranjo. Memorials are suggested, in lieu of flowers, to the Diabetes Foundation. The family would like to offer special thanks to the caring doctors and nurses in Emergency, ICU 7th Floor and Skilled Nursing Unit at Hendrick Medical Center.