Dolly Gilliland Obituary

Dolly June Ratliff Wright Gilliland went to be with Jesus on December 9th, 2022. Graveside service will be held on Thursday, December 22nd at 1:30 p.m. at Deerfield Cemetery in Deerfield, MO. The family will receive friends from 10:00a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on Thursday morning at Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada.

Dolly was born June 25, 1938, in Hardy, AR, to parents Powell & Annie (Stites) Ratliff, the youngest of 6 children. She was raised in rural Hardy & attended Hardy schools. Her family raised gardens, livestock & had an orchard. Dolly often reminisced about her childhood, laughing at how her pet squirrel, Sally Ann, would tear into her mom's organized kitchen cupboards or how she loved helping her dad with his sawmill.

Dolly married Claude Boise Wright on September 10, 1955, at the Courthouse in Sharp Co. AR. Together Dolly & Claude raised their 4 children. They divorced in February 1991, after 35 1/2 years of marriage. Claude passed away on June 28, 2014.

Dolly worked at Didde-Glasser, Emporia, KS, in the early 1970's, E & E Specialties, (1975-1980), Lawrence, KS, & 3M (1983-1998) Nevada, MO.

Dolly met Alfred Gilliland while working at the 3M Plant. They were married on December 3, 1994. Dolly & Al loved to travel and spending every loving minute together. They moved to Punta Gorda, FL, after their retirement from 3M. Unfortunately, Al received a cancer diagnosis a few years later, and they moved back to Nevada to be closer to family. Alfred passed away on March 14, 2005. She then had her loving feline companion, Mickey, from 2010 to 2022. She moved to Lawrence, KS, in 2005, where she was a member of the River City Church, then called Free Methodist, and served in several ministries there. She was also involved in the Lawrence Country Club for a number of years. She loved sewing and ironed everything in sight! Everyone loved her wonderful cooking. She moved to Rotonda West, FL, in March of 2022, where she enjoyed the sunny days, walks, drinking her coffee on her lanai with Mickey, and drives along the coastline.

Dolly is preceded in death by her parents, & sisters Hazel Stone, Christine Gibson and Ardona Adams, brothers LB and RJ Ratliff, sons Kenneth Dale Wright and Dennis "Neil" Wright.

Dolly is survived by her son, Raymond "Bruce" Wright (Jeanne) Lawrence, KS; daughter, Laura Rose Parker (Kimball) Rotonda West, FL, & daughters-in-law, Loretta Posch, Lawrence, KS, & Kathleen Wright, Wichita, KS. She had 13 grandchildren & 32 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Deerfield Cemetery in care of Ferry Funeral Home.

You may view obituary and send condolences at ferryfuneralhome.com