Gayle Lynn Mills Obituary (1949 - 2015)

Gayle Lynn Mills, 66, passed away Thursday, December 10, 2015, after a hard fought battle with cancer. Gayle was born in Garden City, Ks, he is the son of Everett and Marena Mills. Gayle graduated Sublette High School, class of 1968. In 1969, He married Debbie Huitt and together they had a beautiful daughter, Amy Lynn Mills. On August 4th, 1987, Gayle married Brenda Mings. Survivors include his devoted and caring wife of 28 years, Brenda (Mings) Mills of Englewood, Ks; daughter, Amy (Mills) Thiessen and husband Brad of Inman, Ks; grandsons, Blaine Thiessen and Brenton Theissen; sister, Karen Messerly of Sublette, Ks; brother, Dale Mills and wife Beth of Corpus Christi, Tx. Gayle is preceded in death by his parents, Everett Silas Mills and Rosalee Marena (Hendershot) Mills; brother-in-law, Robert Messerly; nephew, Joshua Riley. A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, December 17, 2015, at 2:00 pm at the Minneola United Methodist Church, 231 South Main St. Minneola, Ks, with burial at the Haskell County Cemetery at a later date. Gayle has donated his body to the University of Kansas School of Medicine. The family will receive friends on Sunday, December 20, 2015, from 1:00 - 5:00 pm at the Weeks Family Funeral Home & Crematory, 1547 Road 190, Sublette, Ks, 67877. Memorial contributions are suggested to "WEPAC Alliance" and to "Gayle Mills Memorial Fund" in care of Weeks Family Funeral Home & Crematory, P.O. Box 1200, Sublette, Ks 67877. Condolences may be left online at WeeksFamilyFuneralHome.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Below are the "Family Reflections' that were read at Gayle's Memorial Service. Gayle has 14 nieces and nephews, 26 great-nieces and nephews, 3 great-great nieces and nephews. As well as several who aren't blood who call him Uncle. Gayle was a dancer from way back. He took tap dancing lessons with his sister and their mother made their outfits. He was in cub scouts and boy scouts. He enjoyed welding junk together to make yard art. He taught a lot of nieces and nephews to drive the old farmall tractor and his hot rod Lincoln. When Gayle played town team softball in Sublett in the 70's there were two Larry's so they named one Larry Bob. Then they started adding Bob to everyone's name. Gayle Bob stuck with Gayle to this day. When his nephew Josh was little he was the only on that called him Gayle Bob. Now all call him Uncle Gayle Bob. In later year Josh dropped the Gayle and starting calling him Uncle Bob, which many do now. Gayle started calling his sister, Karen, sissy when he was old enough to talk. She was called sis by the entire family including aunts and uncles. Brenda and Gayle have always called her sis. If Brenda was eating something that Gayle knew she would beat herself up over, he would start sing the Bob Will song "Rollie Pollie" to her. At a family holiday Gayle asked Brenda to get him some water, and she ask why he couldn't get it himself. His reply was cause you make the best iced water. Karen and Brenda still laugh about that. Before Gayle had to quit driving his truck he let Logan paint his thumb nails pink. He wore nail polish proudly until it wore off. Logen has a lot of fond memories of uncle Gayle bob, but her fondest is the time Gayle Bob and B took her to her first concert. They saw Alan Jackson in Dodge. Gayle's favorite show on Sunday was CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. He and Brenda watched it together. That was a very special time spent together. Reflection from Eldean, Gayle's mother-in-law "Gayle and I would often go down to the cafe in Englewood for coffee and breakfast. Barbara Brown always gave him grief about ordering his eggs on top of his pancakes, so Gayle never did it when she was there. One day Gayle had put in his order before Barbara left, but she got up and left early so Gayle called over to Marcella to go ahead and put his eggs on top of his pancakes. We always had plenty to talk about at coffee." When Brenda first asked Gayle to get a pedicure and a manicure, he thought that was a silly thing for a man to do. It ended up being one of his favorite things. Gayle has always been a music lover. One of his favorite artists is Don Edwards, A cowboy singer and guitarist. He was fortunate enough to meet him at the Tumbleweed Festival in Garden City in 2013. Reflection from Karen, his sister "I remember catching my brothers smoking in the old chicken coop that say behind our house. I, of course, told my parents about this at the supper table. I am sure, knowing my dad, that the boys had consequences. After Dad handed down the discipline, Gayle spoke up "Hey Sis, do mom and dad know about you driving the Ford 100 mile per hour on the old highway road." I am sure the car keys were hung on the hook for a long time. As I recall, he sure seemed to enjoy the fast ride at the time." He was a fan of the Ellen Degeneres show. He would schedule his naps accordingly to watch her show daily. Reflection from Brad, Son-in-law "I recall the time Amy and I and Corey and Becky Falke went to Colorado to visit Gayle and Brenda. Brenda had to go to work early so Gayle was in charge of Breakfast. Brenda being the cook she is, left detailed instructions on how to add milk to her biscuit mix and how to roll them out and bake them. And left detailed instructions on how to make sausage gravy. Instead of putting flour in the gravy, Gayle put sugar. So we had sweet gravy. Of course it was all Brenda's fault. Gayle was always a good sport about all the teasing he got. When Amy makes gravy, I always ask her if she's using her dad's recipe." Reflection from Christian, nephew "When I was in Kindergarten and learning about hatching eggs, I was will Uncle Gayle and grandpa at the tailwater pit. And found rabbit do-do. Uncle Gayle told me they were rabbit eggs, so I picked them all up, wrapped them in a napkin, and when we went to town to eat I proudly showed my grandma my rabbit eggs." In all the years Gayle drove a truck he guessed that he drove in excess 3.5 million miles and never had a speeding ticket. He always told Brenda and Ranae if either got caught speeding, they ought to just throw them in jail. Reflection from Kelsey, Gayle's niece "In 1997 Grandpa rented a large van so his whole family could go to Dallas for World War 2 reunion. Aunt Brenda and I went Brazier shopping. I bought a water bra. That evening we were going to supper with Gayle in the driver's seat and he told me that I should not have worn my new bra cause he was getting sea-sick." Refection from Brenton, Gayle's grandson "I remember the time there was a armadillo in grandpa and grandma's yard. Grandpa got the gun and chased it through the yard. Mom and I laughed so hard watching grandpa chase the armadillo with gun in one hand and trying to hold up his jeans with the other. He finally got him." Reflection from Madison, Gayle's niece "I always knew that if Uncle Bob was in town, there was about a 100% chance that we'd have ice cream. We always enjoyed sharing sweet treats, especially when he had me try Peppermint ice cream not long ago. We went on a date to see Penguins of Madagascar in January. The whole way to Dodge Uncle Bob told me everything I could have ever wanted to know about boar hunting, and then some. He talked the whole way there and back. When he got home, he told Aunt B that I didn't have much to say. I wonder why!" Reflection from Amy, his daughter "With a lifetime of memories it's hard to choose a favorite. Dad was my hero from the time he helped to bring me into this world ,the time that he carried me from our home during a tornado, the first days he walked me into school, all the times that he cheered at my sporting events , even the time he made me go to free throw competition that I didn't want to do, and i won and he gave me the 'arent you glad i made you go' speech , every single vacation we took he always took care of me. As he walked me down the aisle to my husband Brad, and the first time he held my children, he was my greatest hero on these days too. Even on occasions near the end that I held his hand he was always my hero and always will be. I miss you terribly daddy. But I know you will still be taking care of all of us like a great hero always does." Reflection from Brenda, his wife "I recall the time Gayle told the story of his dad sending him to the local barber shop to get a buzz cut. Gayle thought having a flat top would be cooler, so when he returned home Dad was less than impressed. His dad sent him back to get his money's worth." Reflection from Morgan, Gayle's niece. "Uncle Bob always had interesting facts about unusual things. and that he told stories about World War 2 that his dad shared with him." Refection from Nelson family, Gayle's niece Angie's family "Uncle Bob and his hot rod Lincoln will always be treasured memories. Ej and Keenan remember Gayle Bob pulling them on a sled behind the Lincoln one winter. He always had a joke for the boys. Summers at uncle Gayle Bob and Aunt B's were always an adventure and a whole lot of laughs. Even when they were in trouble. Keenan will always remember working on the old formula tractor with Uncle Gayle Bob, and learning to crank start and drive it. Keenan and EJ chuckle a lot as they remember working on many things with Uncle Gayle Bob. When one of the old told would break or wouldn't work right, Uncle Bob would say Just can't have nothing nice. When Angie thinks of all the time her boys spent with Uncle Bob and Aunt B, it makes her think of the Alan Jackson song Drive. Alan has a red boat, a ford pick-up and a jeep. Uncle Bob and Aunt B have a red tractor, and old ford pick-up and a hot rod Lincoln."