Frances S. Gilmore

March 6, 1921 — April 2, 2016

Frances  S. Gilmore Profile Photo
Frances S. (Frannie) Gilmore, 95, of Hannibal, passed away on Saturday, April 2, 2016, at her home.
Funeral services will be Wednesday April 6th at the Grand View Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 10:00 AM until the funeral service at 11:00 AM. Pastor Tom Day will officiate, and burial will follow at Grand View Burial Park.
Frances was born March 6, 1921, in Woodville, MO, the youngest of seven children of Minnie Belle Waddell and Tilden Smith. She graduated from Macon High School in 1941, after which she and her mother moved to Hannibal where she lived for the rest of her life in the Oakwood neighborhood.. When asked "Why Hannibal?", she replied that it was the only place she wanted to live, as she loved the Mississippi River.
She married Vincent (Bud) Gilmore on November 22, 1945, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in West Ely, MO, and he preceded her in death in 2010. Frances was also preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, Fredrick, George and Woodrow Smith; three sisters, Christina Jefferies, Iva Willey and Emorine Treaster; and sister-in-law, Hazel Jeffries.
She is survived by three daughters, Jana (Art) Suchland of Hannibal, Pam (Joe) Whiston of Monroe City and Christy Gilmore of Hannibal; her grandchildren, Colin (Jessica) Suchland of St. Louis, MO, Zachary ( Jessica) Studer of Fulton, MO, Paula Suchland of Austin, TX, Seth Studer of Tucson, AR, Natalie (Casey) Codianne of Mt. Shasta, CA, Danielle (Jay) Wieneke of Williamsburg, KS, Andrea Whiston of Rensselaer, MO, and Marci (Andy) Geist of Hannibal; great grandchildren, Wade, Tilden, Cheyenne, Shelby, Trey, Cooper, Alexis, Baylie, Zayne, Jackson, Zoey and Riley. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.
Frances worked at Durasteel during WWII, and later at The International Shoe Company, Western Publishing and retired from Cosmoflex, where she worked in the office. Frances was famous for her baking and cake decorating, and was known as "The Cake Lady." She began baking cakes for family early in life and later taught herself cake decorating, making thousands of birthday, wedding, anniversary and special occasion cakes until her early 90s. She took training and became a Wilton cake decorating instructor, making many friends. Her artistic talents showed in her beautiful cakes, and family and friends particularly remember her delicious home made donuts and sticky buns.
A creative and artistic person, she also did oil painting, quilt piecing, sewing and crafting. She and Bud always raised a bountiful garden and canned its produce. She had a green thumb and dearly loved her flowers. When she and Bud traveled she brought home rocks for her rock garden or painted scenes on them.
Frances served her community and her church. She was a member of Oakwood Christian Church, where she served as an Elder, Board Secretary, Youth Group Leader and editor of the newsletter. She belonged to the Woman's Club of Oakwood for 50 years, RSVP and MO ICES. In 1949, she and her friends started a monthly card club in which she was active until her death. She also had special friends who played cards on Sunday evenings.
Frances loved her neighbors, who in return loved her. She liked cats, especially the calicoes Sally and Sissy, who kept her company. Most of all she was a strong, loyal and loving friend, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be greatly missed, but as her grandson said "She lives on in the love with which she filled our hearts."
Pallbearers will be Art Suchland, Joe Whiston, Colin Suchland, Zach Studer, Everett Brooks and Rich Piper.
The family thanks the Community Loving Care Hospice for all their good care and support. Memorials may be made to Oakwood Christian Church or RSVP.

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