Marie Ann Gilmore, age 89, died August 6, 2022, in Exeter, CA where she had lived for almost 2 years with her daughter and son-in-law.  She was born December 25, 1932 the 6 th child of Ford and Orpha Savage of Harrison, AR.

She was a 1950 graduate of Harrison High School and moved to Springfield to attend Draughn's Business College.  While there she was a carhop at Taylor's Drive In.  Her secretarial career included Fox Midwest Studios, KWTO Radio and Artists' Studios/American Photocolor. She received the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Secretary of the Year award while with KWTO.

Gifted with natural artistic ability her preferred medium was oil painting.  She sold a number of her paintings and many were gifted to family members.

Later in life she became a self-described "dog-a-holic" and spent many wonderful hours with her Bichon Frise "Shaun" and a Maltese mix she named "Tara."  She firmly believed and would tell anyone, even complete strangers, that "dogs love the way God intended for people to love" and "how wonderful the world would be if we did that."

She and her husband of 47 years were active members of South Haven Baptist Church in Springfield and Riverdale Baptist Church in Ozark following their 1987 move to Nixa.

She was preceded in death by her parents, 6 siblings and her husband Bobby Lee Gilmore.  She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Dieter and Michaela Reichmann of Exeter, CA, her son and daughter-in-law Brad and Rebecca Gilmore of Springfield, 5 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held Sunday, August 21, 2022 from 2-4:00 p.m. in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery.

Pallbearers are Brad Gilmore, Dieter Reichmann, Patrick Reichmann, Les Shaeffer, Jim Ludden and Richard Hebert.