Rowena Gilliam

Mrs. Rowena Cook Gilliam, age 74, a resident of McCandless Rd of Columbia passed away Thursday Oct. 16, at her residence.

Funeral services for Mrs. Gilliam will be conducted Saturday October 18, at 2:00 P.M. in the chapel of Williams Funeral Home in Columbia with Reverend Ezell Rose and Brother Eddie Rogers officiating. Burial will follow in the Rock Springs Cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Thursday from 5:00-8:00 and Friday from 4:00 – 8:00 P.M. at the funeral home.

The Maury Co. native was the daughter of the late Thomas Cook and Maxie Adams Cook. She was the wife of Joe Wayne Gilliam of Columbia. She was retired seamstress at Weather Tamer. Mrs. Gilliam was a special sweet loving wife, mother and grandmother. She loved sewing, vegetable garden and loved her farm animals and quilting. She always had an open door for all the children in the neighborhood and always had a forgiving heart. She was member of Fry Branch Church of Christ in Giles County.

In addition to her husband she is survived one daughter: Cathy Keeton of Columbia; a son-in-law: Ronnie Byrd of Columbia; one grandson: James Keeton of Columbia; a son: Jeffrey Keeton of Lawrence County; Brothers: James Peggy Cook of Livingston, LA; Warren Kaye Cook of Columbia and Bill Judy Cook of Mt. Pleasant; several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a nephew: James Thomas Cook.

Pallbearers will be James Keeton, Sam Andrews, Junior Pylant, Jeff Lancaster, Troy Briggs, Joe London, Jessie Lancaster and Jeremy Lancaster.

Honorary pallbearers will be Kimberly London, Mary Etta London, Jim and Pasty Johnson, David and Cathy Cates, Christine Pullen, Eunice Pullen, Ed and Elaine Keeton, Allen Lancaster, Hospice nurses of the Highland Rim: Margie Wade, Jeanette Mayberry and Susan Barnett, Dr. Robert Bain and Staff.

Memorials may be made to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Research for cancer or Hospice of the Highland Rim.