Rosa Owenby Gillis

Fairview – Rosa Owenby Gillis, 70, of Garren Creek Road, went to be with her Lord, Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at her residence. A native of Buncombe County, she was the daughter of the late Francis and Beulah Holtzclaw Owenby and wife of the late Kermit Gillis, who died in 2005. She also was preceded in death by a brother, Ernest Owenby of Asheville. Mrs. Gillis had many, many friends and family that loved her and is survived by two daughters, Donna Ferguson and her husband, Lucian T. "Junior", of Inman, SC and Wanda Suttles of Fletcher; two sons, Kermit Douglas Gillis and his wife, Ninon, of Milwaukee, WI and Randy Gillis and his wife, Kris, of Lexington, SC; four grandchildren, Lisa Bean, Jennifer Robertson, Allison Gillis and Kyle Gillis; four step-grandchildren, Tisha Nichols, Desiree Nichols, Mark McGraw and Karla McGraw and two great-grandchildren, Zachary "Ty" Bean and Brayden Anthony Ziarek. Also surviving are three sisters, Joyce Dotson and her husband, Donnie, of Fairview, Sarah Whitaker of Vancouver, WA, Luci Ratcliff of Daytona, FL and three brothers, Francis Owenby, Jr. and his wife, Jean, of Sevierville, TN, Chester Owenby and his wife, Clara, of Fairview, Walter Owenby and his wife, Florinda, of Fletcher; a sister-in-law, Betty Owenby of Asheville and a very dear life-long friend, Mozella Searcy of Fletcher. The family will receive friends Saturday from 1 until 2 p.m. at the Groce Funeral Home on Long Shoals Road with the funeral service following at 2:00 pm in the chapel conducted by the Rev. Lucian T. Ferguson. Burial will follow in Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. Family members and friends will serve as pallbearers.