Marion Gilliland

Marion Elmer Gilliland, 88, of Lehigh, Iowa, passed away early Tuesday morning, February 28, 2012, at the Stratford Nursing & Rehab Center.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the Christian Church in Lehigh. Pastor Richard Laird will officiate. Visitation will be Friday, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Carson - Stapp Funeral Home in Dayton. Burial will be at West Lawn Cemetery in Lehigh.

Marion is survived by his wife Helene, sons Charles (Carol), George (Margie), David (Deb), and Brian; sister Shirley (Harlie) Gunther of Moscow, Idaho; Grandchildren Lisa (Andrew) Lillie, Amy (Tim) McDowell, Jeremy Gilliland, Teresa Gilliland, Karen Gilliland, Wendy Gilliland, Holly Warrington, Dan Gilliland, Wade Gilliland, Benjamin Gilliland, Sarah Harvey, Bradley Gilliland; great grandchildren Alex & Lauren Lillie, Chase & Cassandra McDowell, Karma & Uriah Harvey, Alexius & Tyler Gilliland.

He was preceded in death by his parents George S. Gilliland and Marian Simpson Gilliland; brother George S. Gilliland, sisters Georgia Robb, Leota White, Lolita Spores, step mother Lola Miller Gilliland; granddaughter Paula Helene Gillliland.

Marion was born on January 3, 1924, in Wallace, Idaho. He was raised in the Washington and Idaho area. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942. He married Helene Irene Slawson on August 4, 1945, in San Antonio, Texas. He was Honorably discharged in 1946.

He graduated BSEE from the University of Idaho in 1951. He moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana and then Schenectady, New York, working for the General Electric Corp. In 1958, he moved to North Syracuse, New York working for Control Data Corp, and then IBM. In 1965 still with IBM he moved to Rockville, Maryland and then Derwood, Maryland. In 1970 he moved to Chester, New Jersey, still with IBM. He moved to Lehigh, Iowa in 1972 and started Gilliland & Sons Construction Company. He later was Plant Engineer at Webster City Products and then Plant Manager at USG in Fort Dodge until his retirement in 1986.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, building and flying model airplanes, and was also a rock hound. He was a member of the Lehigh Christian Church.