Parthenia Chapman Gills

Gillis, Parthenia Chapman, age 96, formerly of Austin, passed away peacefully on the morning of July 28, 2016, in Jonesboro, Georgia. She was born on March 21, 1920, in Fort Worth, Texas to Elbert and Rubell Chambers Chapman. As a young child, she accepted Christ as her Savior and was baptized in the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas. She was a faithful member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church since 1934, and was a member of the Pastor’s Sunday School Class, Baptist Training Union, Flower Committee, Mission II, and was the last surviving member of the Elisabeth Circle. She was inducted into the “Regal” Honor Society at L. C. Anderson High, and was a member of the class of 1937. After high school, she was employed in private homes until she became a licensed cosmetologist in 1944. In 1947, she married Sgt. James Gillis and to their union was born one daughter, Ruby Sharon Gillis. After updating her clerical and accounting skills, she obtained employment as a school secretary. Upon successful mastery of the Federal Civil Service exam, she worked for the United States Treasury Department, during which time she received numerous service awards before retiring in 1986. Throughout her daughter’s school years, Mrs. Gillis was an active PTA member and was continuously selected homeroom mother. While her daughter attended college, she was appointed by the college president to the first Parents Advisory Committee and served as mistress of ceremonies for the second annual Parents Convocation. She was a member of the Mt. Olive Grand Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, and was crowned Queen of the 62nd Annual Grand Communication. She was active in her community as a founding member of the Blackshear Residents Organization that successfully prevented Urban Renewal from razing the neighborhood and displacing lifelong residents. For her efforts in preserving the community, she received a Distinguished Service Award from the Austin City Council in 2000. Mrs. Gillis was also an accomplished seamstress and cook and also embroidered, crocheted, upholstered furniture and could graph a set of house plans to scale. When her health began to fail, she and her daughter moved to Ellenwood, GA to be near family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Elbert and Rubell Chapman, brother Willie B., and sister Sarah. She leaves to celebrate her life and cherish her memories her loving daughter, Ruby Sharon Gillis of Ellenwood, GA; her devoted nephew and nieces, Willie B. Wyatt, Jr. (Sandra) of Stone Mountain, GA; Barbara Sippial of Stone Mountain, GA; Brenda Cheatham (Hugh) of Conyers, GA; Kimberly Haythe (Kenneth) of Lithonia, GA. sister-in-law, Thelma Wyatt of Stone Mountain, GA; special cousins, Deborah Washington of College Park, GA, Linda Young (Victor) of Desoto, TX and a host of great-nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends in Georgia, Texas and beyond. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at Gregory B. Levett & Sons, 4347 Flat Shoals Pkwy, Decatur, GA 30034.

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Parthenia Chapman Gills

July 28, 2016