Obituary of Cressie Frazier Gill

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I kept the faith.” II Timothy 4:7

Morning calm was welcomed into the lives of the late Reverend Maud Sr. and Mrs. Ola Frazier on August 25, 1917.  Their third child and second daughter, Cressie, joined their family in the Dies Community, Tyler County, Texas.  Cressie, ever the consummate and peacemaker,  gave meaning to sunlit days and happy trails for the Frazier household.

On January 23, 2018 at 2:45 pm, an anointed warrior on the battlefield of life passed away through Glory’s Morning Gate as she put down her sword in the sands of time and quietly slipped away into blessed peace to be with her God.

Cressie accepted Christ the Lord and Savior at an early age and united with the Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church under the Pastoral ship of her father, the late Reverend Maud Frazier.  She was taught divine precepts and given spiritual guidance by her parents.  She served as the president of the choir, deaconess, mission president and later as the secretary of the church.

On December 22, 1934, Sister Cressie was united in holy matrimony to the late Deacon Hiawatha Gill, Sr. and God blessed this union with eight children.  This young couple lived in he Dies Community where they reared their eight children.  They were blessed to learn to read a little and with their limited education they encouraged their children to love and trust God, stay in school and work hard to make a life for themselves.  Cressie assisted on the farm and was the baby sister for two of her sister’s children until they were old enough to go to school.  She was proud of her sisters and brothers and did all she could to help them with family as most of them went about their careers as teachers.  Her children were shown the love she had for them each special day as she prepared the bountiful meals.  She knew that all of her children would be home for the holidays and special occasion as she trained them.  She’d make the calls. “Joe (Jonathan), Man (Matthew), Howard, Pumpkin (Hiawatha, Jr.), Tite (Titus) and Lou bring meat and me and Woman (Ollie) will do the rest”, she’d say.  She lived a good life filled with God’s blessings.

As her health began to fail her, she moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana in January 2007 to live with her daughter.  She united with the New Emmanuel Baptist Church where she continued her church membership until another home was chosen for her.

While she awaits the rapture, sweet memories will be cherished by her four sons; Author Gill, Matthew Gill (Allie Maud), Howard Gil (Lottie), Hiawatha Gill, Jr. (LaVergne) all of Houston, Texas; one daughter, Ollie D. Gill Johnson (Joseph) of Lake Charles, LA; two daughters-in-law, Serena Gill of Lafayette, LA and Aretha Gill of Houston; one brother, Maud Frazier, Jr. (Essie Mae) of Trinity, Texas; eleven grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends that will surely miss her.

Cressie’s rainbows were trails marked by others who preceded her in death; husband, Hiawatha Gill, Sr.; three sons, Lou, Titus and Jonathan Gill; her parents, Reverend Maud Sr. and Mrs. Ola Frazier; three brothers, Fred, David and Franklin Frazier; four sisters, Alice Franks  Ola V. Shaw, Dora Mae Barlow and Merle Williams.

Funeral service will be held Monday, January 29, 2018, at 11 am at the True Vine Missionary Baptist Church in Doucette, Texas.  Burial will follow at the Pine Grove #2 cemetery in Doucette, Texas.  Visitation will begin Monday at 9 am until 10:45 am at the church.