Frances Wise Gillyard was born on July 15, 1943, to Joseph Wise and Willmon Franklin Wise in Snowhill, Md. Frances was raised in Maryland and attended public schools there. Leroy and Frances Wise Gillyard were joined in Holy Matrimony in January of 1960. They were married for 58 years, until the death of Leroy on Dec. 19, 2018. Frances was a loving house wife and mother. On Friday, Sept. 7, 2019, God Almighty called Sister Frances Gillyard home for her eternal rest.
Cherishing Frances’ precious life and memories are her children: Miranda (Rodney) Gilley, Leroy Wise (Dorothy) Gillyard Jr., George (Margaret) Gillyard, David (Lawanda) Gillyard, and Ezekiel Gillyard, all of Monticello, Fla.; Donald (Katrina) Gillyard and Kevin (Tameka) Gillyard, both of Lake City, Fla.; a devoted granddaughter/caretaker, Tremelody Robinson; two sisters, Shirley (Walter) Frazier, of Bridgeville, Del., and Ella (Allen) George of Richmond, Va.; one brother, Joseph Wise Jr., of Bridgeville; brother-in-law (James) Wanda Gillyard Sr. of Live Oak, Fla.; two sister-in-laws, Genita West and Benita Williams, both of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Mary Hodge, of Atlanta, Ga.; 55 grandchildren; and a host of great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren and other relatives and friends.
Hagan Funeral Service, located at 175 N. Railroad St., in Monticello, is in charge of the arrangements.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Memorial M.B. Church. Public viewing will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept 13, at Hagan Funeral Service.