Services for Betsy Martha Buchanan Gilmore, 88, of Allen are 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the First Baptist Church, Allen. Rev. Chad Kaminski will officiate. Burial will follow at Allen Cemetery.
Betsy passed away Sunday, December 24, 2017 at her home. She was born March 16, 1929 in Ada to Roy and Ona Whitehead Buchanan. She attended Ada Public Schools, graduating from Ada High School in 1947. Betsy was a first generation college student at Each Central University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Business Education in 1951, and her Master in Education in 1969, with reading, elementary and special education certification. During her undergraduate years at East Central, she worked as an assistant to the Registrar, Harvey Faust, and also worked as a stenographer in the Department of Welfare, Ada. After graduation, she was employed as a secretary at Tinker Air Force Base, OKC and the Service Pipe Line Co., Tulsa.
On July 18, 1953, Betsy married Owen “Buck” Gilmore in Allen and then moved to Oklahoma City where she worked as an Assistant Credit Manager at Anderson-Prichard Oil Corp. In 1958, Buck and Betsy moved to Allen along with their three-year-old daughter and two-year-old son. Five years later, a second son was born.
Betsy began teaching school at Allen in 1963 and continued teaching until 1973. During that time, she taught 2nd grade, Jr. High and High School English and business subjects. She also taught remedial reading and began the first Special Education program at Allen. Betsy loved working with children and children loved her. She especially enjoyed reading and telling stories to her students and even wrote a book of stories based on her own childhood memories for her grandchildren. Over the years, her students have kept in touch and speak fondly of how she touched their lives in so many positive ways.
Betsy is survived by her two sons, Roy Edwin of Allen and Owen Buck and wife Myriam of Tulsa; one daughter, Sarah Angeline Garcia and husband W. T. “Skye” of Ada; one brother, Merle B. (Dick) Buchanan and wife Loretta of Grizzly Flats, CA; four grandchildren, Jesicah Bowin and husband Dane of Tulsa, Sarah (Molly) Gilmore of New Orleans, LA, Owen David Gilmore of Los Angeles, CA, and Zachary Star Garcia of Ada; and three great-grandchildren, Evan Farris, and Adara, and Oliver Bowin of Tulsa.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Owen “Buck” Gilmore; her father and mother, Roy and Ona Buchanan; and her brothers, Versal and Buel “Buddy” Buchanan.
Bearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandson, Jesicah and Dane Bowin, Molly Gilmore, David Gilmore, Zachary Garcia and Evan Farris. Honorary bearers are Kenny Clark, T. Skye Garcia and Bob Jennings.Services for Leonard E. Iker, 71, of Allen are 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the Allen School Auditorium, Revs. Buddy Drake and Ed Rutherford will officiate. Burial will follow at the Allen Cemetery. Family and friends may call at the Allen Chapel from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Friday.
Criswell Funeral Home, Ada
