EULA CLAIRE GIBSON MILNER
Eula Claire Gibson Milner, a native of the Spring Hill Community in Greenville and a lifelong member of Spring Hill United Methodist Church, died Thursday, July 30 after a two year long battle with pancreatic cancer, she was 78.
Born Nov. 1, 1941, Eula graduated Greenville High School in 1960 and attended Massey Draughn Business College in Montgomery.
After graduation she started her career with the State of Alabama. Her career with the State spanned working with the Dept. of Education, Dept. of Health and Dept. of Revenue. She retired from the State in1999 after 38 years.
She then went to work for the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association, a division of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, as Dr. Ken Blankenship’s secretary who she previously worked for during her term in the Dept. of Education.
As an avid sports fan, this was a fun, exciting job she enjoyed in the world of high school championship sports, playoff games and banquets across the state.
She retired from AHSAA after 17 years, thus having served 55 years total in service to the State of Alabama.
A former co-worker laughingly said when she retired three people were hired to do her job.
Eula was also very much involved with planning and coordinating reunions for the Greenville H.S. class of 1960.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Eunice Cox Gibson; her beloved and favorite Aunt Ida Mae Gibson; her brothers, Raymond Harold “Sonny” Gibson and Richard Gerald “Jerry” Gibson; sister Marianne Gibson Callen; her husband, Jack Crum Callen Sr., brother-in-law Charles “Charlie” Gregory; nephews, James Raymond Callen, William Scott Callen, Richard Kendall “Ken” Gibson, and Christopher Wade Gibson; and her former husband William Kent Milner.
She is survived by her maternal aunt, Lucy Cox Sanders of Pace Fla.; sisters, Faye Hale (Gene) of Boston Mass., Cora Jane Gregory (Charlie) of Greenville, and Cheryl Smith (Larry) of Douglasville Ga.; sister-in-law, Donna Gibson (Jerry) of Scottsdale Ariz. and Blue Mountain Beach Fla.; nine nieces and nephews; thirty-seven great nieces and nephews; twelve great-great nieces and nephews; and lovingly dedicated sitters Ruby Nell Bennet and Gloria Means.
The family would like to thank Encompass Health Hospice of Greenville and the health care professionals for their care and compassion during her illness.
Due to Covid-19, burial will be a private family affair at Springhill United Methodist Church Cemetery where Eula will rest with her loved ones in the family plot.
Mason Halacker will officiate the grave side service on Friday, August 7, at 9 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Springhill United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, 127 Gibson Ln., Greenville Ala., 36037.