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Earl Gillam

June 25, 1928 - February 26, 2013

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Obituary Viewed 5069 times

Posted by:
Rodney Wilson

Posted on:
March 6, 2013

Jason: Beautiful memories. He was special.

Posted by:
Rodney Wilson

Posted on:
March 6, 2013

Larry Merseal: What a wonderful tribute you've written!

Posted by:
Larry Merseal

Posted on:
March 1, 2013

I'm proud to say that Earl was my Uncle Whether he knew it or not, he made a real positive impact on my life and the lives of many others. Like Jason, I too bonded with Earl while hunting and working with him. I started out washing tools and helping pour out the concrete. Whithin a year, he had taught me to finish concrete. Earl had a talent for pushing me to do my best without pushing too hard. He took pride in his work and cared about the extra details that made the customer happy. I paid attention to everything he did and his work ehic is still with me today. I learned that if I worked hard and tried to do my best, Earl rewarded me for it and I wanted to make him proud of me. I believe he was. Some of my favorite memories of Earl are of the coon hunts we shared together. Earl was good with animals. He taught his mules and hunting dogs with the same work ethic I spoke of earlier. He loved training animals and he loved listening to his hounds work a cold coon track or watching his mules jump a barbed wire fence. His animals worked hard for him and wanted to make him proud. In return, Earl gave them the respect and praise they deserved and cared for them like family. If Earl lost one of his dogs on a hunting trip, he would search for them for hours. And if he could not find his hound, he would spread out his coat on the ground next to where he parked because he knew that the dog would eventually come in and would be comforted by his coat until he came to get him the next morning. My most memorable hunt with Earl was a very tragic one, but could have been deadly if not for Earl's ability to stay calm under pressure and take the reins when everyone else panicked. The dogs treed a coon on top of a bluff and one of the dog owners got too close to the edge and fell about seventy feet to the river bank below. When we got down to the man, it was clear that he had several broken bones and was in severe pain, but he was conscious and responsive. Earl instructed all of us to take off our coats' while he started cutting down a couple of hickory saplings about 3 inches in diameter. We had no idea what he was doing, but we knew that Earl did. He ran the saplings through the arms of four coats and made a make shift stretcher that we used to carry the man out. The man indeed had suffered several broken bones and some internal injuries, but thanks to Earl's quick actions he lived to hunt another day. Tomorrow I will be helping to carry Earl out and I am honored to do so. And I know that the Lord took off his coat and spread it out on the ground to comfort Earl until he came to get him. I'm proud to say that Earl Gillam was my Uncle. Larry Merseal

Posted by:
Julie Husch

Posted on:
March 1, 2013

I know every member of the family loved Earl very much! My thoughts & prayers go out to each and every one of you. May God give you peace and comfort during this time of sorrow.

Posted by:
Julie Husch

Posted on:
March 1, 2013

Posted by:
Jason Fillam

Posted on:
February 28, 2013

Earl Gillam was the greatest person I've ever known. He was me and my Brother Daniel's hero. He taught us so much about life, hard work and making others smile. There was no one I would rather be around when I was a kid than him. Everywhere I would go with him people always approached him. They just knew he had something interesting to say, or had a new joke to tell. There was no better story teller than him. Those who knew him the best have probably heard a dozen stories by him at least 10 different times each. I remember the first time he took me coonhunting. I begged for 4 years. He kept telling me I had to be as tall as his belt buckle. So I always measured myself standing next to him. Finally the day came and I reminded him of his promise. He then proceeded to pull his pants up to his armpits, which made me run to Grandma crying. We went hunting the next night and I loved it!!! Me and Daniel started working for grandpa when I was 11 years old pouring concrete during summer break. We would be grading out a basement or garage, and late in the day when our energy was slowing down , Grandpa would always say "5 more wheelbarrows and we'll be done" So me and Daniel would shovel faster to get five more. Then he would say it again. He also used a similar line when coonhunting "half mile to the truck" we would pick up the pace of walking. I have so many stories that I will never forget about Grandpa. He made me and many others the men we are Today. He made so many people smile and touched a lot of lives!!! Grandpa's ability to make people smile was 2nd to none. That above all things is what I'm going to remember most. I'll finish with this about Grandpa's life "Don't cry because it's over, Smile because it happened" Love You Grandpa R.I.P, Jason

Posted by:
Sharon Pinson

Posted on:
February 28, 2013

So sorry to hear about Earl he is a wonderful man I had great times at Earl n Cookies house listen to Earl tell about the times he had in the woods hunting Coon's..My brother Wayne went with Earl many times.. U will be missed ...R.I.P Earl.... Sharon Pinson

Posted by:
Nancy Caruso

Posted on:
February 27, 2013

A thousand times they needed you. A thousand times they cried. If love alone could save you, you never would have died. A heart of gold stopped beating, two twinkling eyes closed to rest, God broke your hearts to prove he only takes the best. Never will a day go by that you're not in their heart and soul. R.I.P. Earl I only meet Earl a couple of times but heard wonderful things about him. I am so sorry he left your lives so early. Sending prayers to the family Nancy Caruso