Billie Lorraine Gibbs

July 2, 1931 - December 14, 2021

Billie Lorraine (Burnham) Gibbs was born in Jetmore, Kansas, July 2, 1931, to Ralph “Shorty” and Esther (Sinclair) Burnham. She was the youngest of four children.

Billie attended school in Jetmore, and, on January 5, 1949, she married Joe Paul Gibbs. To this union there were six children. In the fall of 1959, the family moved to Colorado. 

Billie wore many hats throughout her life. She was a homemaker and, at times, took on 21 children that she babysat while raising her own.

Between the years of 1970 to 1998, she tried many occupations, from ironing wedding dresses at Vera’s Bridal Shop, to ironing uniforms for the local military men. She also worked in retail at Walter Drakes and then found her calling as a computer assembly technician at Ampex, Hewlett Packard and CSI.

In October of 1999, she lost her husband of 50 years, and shortly after, she decided to move to Cheyenne Wells to enjoy retirement and be closer to her family.

She found that retirement was not for her, so she opened another daycare. After a few years of babysitting great grandchildren and other children in the community, Billie decided that wasn’t for her. She then went to work for the Keefe Memorial Hospital as a courier and volunteered at the Cheyenne Manor calling bingo. She enjoyed volunteering so much at the Manor they hired her part time to assist with laundry; she worked there until December 13, 2021.

Billie enjoyed sewing and making her famous baby blankets that everyone loved.  She also enjoyed fishing and working in her garden and yard. She loved going to her kids and grandkids sporting events. Mostly she loved having everyone come home during tumbleweed and spending time with her and Molly. One of Billie’s favorite things to do on Memorial Weekend was to go back to her hometown and visits old friends and family.

Billie passed away unexpectedly at Keefe Memorial Hospital December 14, 2021.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Shorty and Esther Burnham; brother, Gene Rynerson; sisters, Phyllis Webster and Pauline Bowie; husband, Joe Gibbs; and two children, Stephen Gibbs and Peggy Hoffman. 

She leaves to mourn in her passing her daughters Connie (John) Brown of Twelve Mile, Indiana, Tonda (George) Wiley of Platte City, Missouri, and Elizabeth (David) Ross of Cheyenne Wells; son, Sidney (Linda) Gibbs of Cheyenne Wells, 17 grandchildren, 38 great grandchildren, four great great grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins, and friends too numerous to name. She was the happiest when her family was around.

Graveside funeral services were held Monday, December 20, 2021, at the Jetmore Cemetery in Jetmore, Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cheyenne Manor Nursing Home in Cheyenne Wells. Mrs. Gibbs passed away unexpectedly at Keefe Memorial Hospital.

Arrangements were under the direction of Brown Funeral Home.