Nellie Lucille Gibson

Nellie Lucille Gibson, 86, of Frederick, Maryland, died on Thursday, Nov. 6th, 2008 at Frederick Memorial Hospital.

She was born on Oct 4, 1922 in Williamsport, Maryland and was the 6th of 15 children born to Harvey Cleason Wills and Nellie May Wittington Wills of Frederick.

Lucille graduated from Frederick High School in 1939, and thereafter moved to Schenectady, N.Y. with her brother, Woody and his wife, Pearl.

She worked for the General Electric Company and attended young people's meetings called Ambassadors, where she accepted Christ as her Saviour. In 1943, she enlisted in the Navy and spent 26 months in the service. Following her discharge, she attended Bob Jones University under the G.I. Bill and graduated with a degree in Business Education. She briefly worked as a secretary in Frederick before securing a teaching position at a Christian school in Essex Fells, N.J. in 1950 and began to work on her Masters degree. In 1952 she returned to Frederick to support her widowed mother and three youngest siblings and taught at Brunswick High School for two years. In 1954 she returned to N.J. to work for the Women's Union Missionary Society for 5 years and received her Masters Degree from Montclair State Teachers College in August 1955. She met Edward Gibson of London, England, in September 1958 and they were married in December that year. Mrs. Gibson taught at Paramus High School in N.J. for 8 years and when they moved to Frederick in 1968 she began a long career with Frederick County Public Schools, teaching at Gov. Thomas Johnson High, Linganore High and Walkersville High. After building stables on their farm on Ford Road, Mrs. Gibson and her husband began the Frederick Riding School in 1971. She retired from FCPS in 1985, but continued teaching as a substitute at the Vo Tec Center.

Mrs. Gibson was a diabetic and a breast cancer survivor. During her chemo treatments in 1986, Mrs. Gibson learned to quilt and later joined the senior citizen's quilting group. She was also a member of the senior citizen's exercise class and a member of Calvary United Methodist Church.

Lucille is survived by her husband of 49 years, Edward Charles Gibson and by her siblings, Florence Nusz, Frances Federline, Barbara Stone and husband Joe, and Betty Chase of Frederick, Delores Urey and husband Don, of Colorado and by a brother, Jim Wills and wife Christine, of Altoona, P.A., as well as sisters-in-law, Iris Gibson and Betty Gibson of Frederick, Pearl Wills of Pennsylvania, Clara Dorrington and Irene Gibson of England and a very special sister-in-law, Mary Wills of Frederick. There are also many nieces and nephews in the USA, as well as in England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

She was predeceased by sisters, Julia Ridenour, Mary Dorton, Edna Myers and Ethel Ernest and by brothers, Woodrow Wills, Robert Wills, John Wills and Roger Wills. Lucille will be fondly remembered by her family, including grandniece, Bridget & her husband, Nigel Stone and their three sons, Aaron, David & Joshua, who emigrated from South Africa with the help of Ed & Lucille; her long time tenant and caregiver of almost 3 years, Lorraine Ramsburg; as well as by many friends both locally and abroad, and by many past pupils.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mrs. Gibson, can be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.

Visitation: Friends may call on Monday November 10, 2008 from 7-9pm at the Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick.

Services: Services will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday November 11, 2008 at 11:00am. Rev. Kenneth Dunnington of Calvary United Methodist Church will officiate. Interment will follow in Clustered Spires Cemetery, Frederick.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mrs. Gibson, can be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.