Florence C. Gillman

Florence C. Gillman, 100, formerly of Berrien Springs, died Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, at Riveridge Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Niles.

Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, in the Youth Chapel of Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University, where she was a member. Inurnment will be at the Rose Hill Cemetery Columbarium. Messages and memories may be shared online at www.allredfuneralhome.com.

Florence was born Sept. 25, 1918, in Chicago, the daughter of Charles and Cordelia (Cook) Anderson. She received her Master of Arts degree in vocal performance and a degree in Music Education from Chicago Musical College at Roosevelt University. She taught elementary music in the La Porte, Ind., public school system before moving to Berrien Springs in 1970, and continued her teaching career in elementary music at the New Buffalo, Mich., area schools until retiring. She worked for a number of years as a secretary at Pioneer Memorial Church, helped with the popular PMC Tours, and will also be remembered there for playing the piano in the Kindergarten Sabbath School well into her 90s. Florence’s interests were centered in music education and performance, especially sacred choral music, having served all her life in the music programs of her own church and in others.

She is survived by her son, Christopher (Carol) Gillman of Sun Prairie, Wisc.; two grandchildren, Katherine (Tyler) Judd and Wesley (Lauden) Gillman; and two great-grandchildren, Madeline and Samuel Judd. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Dorothy Pappas.

Posted On: Thursday, March 7, 2019 3:48 PM