Kenneth W. Gilliland, 54, of Gibbon NE Formerly of Lyons NE

Kenneth W. Gilliland, 54, of Gibbon, died Saturday, February 21, 2015, at the Kearney Regional Hospital. Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 24th, at the Spirit of Life Church in Kearney with the Rev. Greg Mast officiating. Burial will follow at Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7:00 p.m. Monday at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation. O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Kenneth Wayne Gilliland was born September 12, 1960 in Blair, Nebraska to Elvin and Opal (Pitts) Gilliland. He attended country school at District #33 in Cumings County. Ken graduated from Lyons High School in 1978. He went on to earn a degree in Production Agriculture at the University Of Nebraska Technical School Of Agriculture in Curtis, NE. While there, Ken met the love of his life, Vicki Miller. The couple married July 7, 1979 in Kearney, Nebraska. Ken drove truck, farmed and ran a dairy for many years. Ken’s family was very important to him. He will be remembered for his ability to tell stories and for always being there to lend a helping hand.
Ken is survived by his wife, Vicki Gilliland; sons, Justin and Jesse Gilliland; daughters, Kendra and Kassy Gilliland all of Gibbon; grandsons, Kyson Gilliland of Shelton and Gabriel Gilliland of Gibbon; daughter-in-law, Patty Wiehn of Shelton; parents, Elvin and Opal Gilliland of Lyons, NE; brother, Jeff and wife, Denise Gilliland of Oakland; sisters-in-law, Vangie Head of Kearney and Jeanne and husband, Les Christensen of Houston, TX; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his son, Kyle Gilliland and his grandparents, Lillie and Lloyd Gilliland and Edna and Oliver Pitts.

Kenneth Gilliland