Funeral service for Carley Mae McDearmond Gilliland age 76 of Eva, Alabama will be Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 10:00am at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Bill Stone officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. A graveside service will be held at 2:00pm at Crestwood Memorial Cemetery in Gadsden, Alabama.
Visitation will be from 6:00pm until 8:00pm on Tuesday at the funeral home. Mrs. Gilliland, who was born on March 24, 1943 in Morgan County to Rembert Jesse McDearmond and Virgie Lee Davis McDearmond, died on Sunday, May 12, 2019 at Cullman Regional Medical Center. She was preceded in death by her parents and by her husband; James Allen Gilliland.
She had worked as a secretary for Brown Engineering, was a second mother to a niece and two nephews and would like to share her story about being a member of the Emma Sansom marching band where she was honored with many awards. May 31, 2006, Today, I felt compelled to write the history of my Cornet because in September 2006, this instrument will be 50 years old. This Cornet was purchased in September 1956 for $ 130.
00. Mother paid monthly payments of $ 10. 00 a month until it was paid for.
I played in the beginner’s band at Gulfsteel Junior High School (later renamed General Forest Junior High) in the 7th grade. At the end of the school year I was promoted to the 8th grade and was promoted to the junior band. At the end of the 8th grade, I was promoted to the 9th grade and to the senior band known as the Emma Sansom High School Rebel Band.
I played in the senior band for four years. In the year of 1957, the band was invited to the VFW National Championship in Miami, Florida where they won first place. The competition consisted on a marching competition on the football field, inspection of uniforms and instruments and a five mile marching parade.
In 1958, our band was invited back to the VFW Championship to defend our title and we won first place again. The competition was held in New York City, New York. In 1959, our band was invited to Los Angeles, California, to defend our title again and our band won first place again.
The Band director was Billy “Rip” Regan. The newspaper in this case will tell you some of his history and the competitions the band has won after I graduated in 1961. In May 2006, our High School was closed and was consolidated with Litchfield and Gadsden High to become Gadsden City High School.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my Cornet. Carley Mae McDearmond Gilliland. She is survived by a brother; Larry (Linda) McDearmond, nephews; Roger (Donna) McDearmond and Alan (Heather) McDearmond, a niece; Melinda (Brian) Fulford and by a host of great nieces and nephews.
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