Laura Emily (Swindler) Gill
Laura Emily (Swindler) Gill, 77, of Mission, Kansas, died on January 19, 2012, at Kansas City Hospice House.
Laura was born April 22, 1934, in Independence, Missouri, the youngest of Wilhelmina (Steffens) and George W. Swindler’s four children. During childhood she also lived in Washington County, Kansas, Nebraska, and El Dorado Springs, Missouri, but most of Laura’s life was spent in the metro Kansas City area.
Laura graduated from Westport High School in 1951 and attended Kansas City Junior College. She married fellow Westport High alum Gerald (Jerry) G.H. Gill in 1955, moved to the fast-developing suburb of Overland Park, and had three children. Laura was primarily a homemaker and whatever hobby or project she took up she did with great passion, be it teaching school children about art as a volunteer “picture lady”, cooking, researching the history of the city of Overland Park, completing her business administration degree at Washburn University in 1986, astrology, sewing baby quilts, or genealogy, at which she excelled.
Jerry died in 2007; Laura is also predeceased by a sister, Ruth E. (Swindler) Wichman. She is survived by daughter Katherine Gill Castle (Dave), Lenexa, Kansas; son Thomas E. Gill (Silvia), Kansas City, Missouri; son John W. Gill (Sherry), Birmingham, Alabama; grandchildren Carlynn Castle and Nolan Castle, Lenexa, Kansas; sister Katherine M. (Swindler) Hawthorne; brother William A Swindler, a niece and three nephews.
The family thanks Celitha Nevels for being such a great aide and companion to Laura for the last four-plus years, and the superb staff of Kansas City Hospice House for their love and care.
Services
Cremation entrusted to Amos Family Funeral Home, private inurnment at Antioch Pioneer Cemetery in Merriam, Kansas.
Memorial Contributions
Memorial contributions may be made to Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care, 12000 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, Missouri, 64145.
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My thoughts and prayers are with the family right now. I will miss our research, our tid-bits of “how’s life treating you” and the jokes we shared. I remember, when Jerry died, telling her I wished I lived closer so I could be of some real use instead of just an email pal. Thinking of you all…………..
To Katie and the Gill family. I am saden for the lost of your mother. She was a great woman and I was very blessed to have known her. My prayers are with each of you.
Carolyn Collier
Our shared interest in genealogy led us to discover that we were
related through George W. Swindler, my grandfather, Laura’s father.
She will be missed by many.
I am very sorry to learn of Laura’s passing. Although we never met, we corresponded over the years about the Gill family tree. She was always eager to share any new tidbits of Gill genealogy. She will be missed.
I am sorry to hear of the loss of Laura. Please extend my condolences to the family. I regret that I never met her, but we talked a few times on the phone and had emailed several times about Swindler genealogy. I am starting to write a book on the Swindler family and her input was invaluable. May God bless your family. Larry Bowling