HAYS — Lila Lee Gilpin, 84, died June 11, 2015, at the Hays Medical Center. Born March 2, 1931, on the family farm in Barton County, she was the daughter of Chester A. and Florence Helen (Thorpe) Smith. On Jan. 13, 1951, she married her husband of 57 years, Carl G. Gilpin in Great Bend. He died on Dec. 24, 2008. She was a homemaker. She attended business college in Denver, loved to play bridge and dominoes, and enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family. She enjoyed attending church meetings and volunteering at Hays Medical Center.  
Mrs. Gilpin was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Hays, the Methodist Women’s Circle, and Suppers Eight.  
Survivors include two daughters, Gayle L. Ernst and husband Greg of Ellis, and Carla K. Stiles and husband Mike of Hill City; a brother Peter Dale “Bob” Smith and wife Fritzie of Great Bend; 10 grandchildren, Shane Buchholz (Aimee Erhart) of Glendale, Ariz., Charles Martin (Tan Yi) of Phoeniz, Ariz., Lucas Ernst of Ellis, Tyler (Chasity) Watson of Ellis, Shannon Denning and Zachary Bird of Glendale, Cortnie Bird of Brooklyn, N.Y., Jessie (Dylan) Pohlman of Maize, Missy (Justin) Balthazor of Plainville, and Tabitha (Jason) Haskett of Eudora; 14 great-grandchildren, Jordyn (David) Berry of Wakeeney, Andria Buchholz of Hays, Trinten Houser and Matthew Ernst of Ellis, Haven Watson of Ellis, Ryann and Teagan Redinger and Finnley and Abrahm Pohlman of Maize, Tate Balthazor of Plainville, and Kimble, Kaitlyn, Karter, and Kora Haskett of Eudora; two great-great-grandchildren, Wyatt and Roe Berry of Wakeeney; and daughter Linda’s significant other, Tom Kasanek. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a daughter Linda L. Bird in 2008; and a brother Chester L. Smith and his wife Willa.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday at the First United Methodist Church, 305 W. 7th Street in Hays. Inurnment will be at a later date at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Ellis. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until service time on Monday at the church. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Hays Medical Center, in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com

Funeral arrangements provided by
Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home*
1906 Pine Street    
Hays, KS  67601
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, June 14, 2015