In Memory of

Nelda

Gilreath

Obituary for Nelda Gilreath

Nelda Gilreath, age 78 years, 1 month, and 6 days, passed away Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky and was placed in the care of the Hickman-Strunk Funeral Home.

Private funeral services were held Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 11:00 am at the Pine Knot Southern Baptist Church with Bro. Donald Simmons, Bro. Braxton King, and Bro. Jack Fletcher officiating. Burial was in the Pine Knot Cemetery.

She was born September 28, 1942 in Pine Knot, Kentucky to Dewey Spradlin and Lola King Spradlin. She married the love of her life Vernon Gilreath November 10, 1966. Nelda was a member of the Pine Knot Southern Baptist Church and was very active there as long as she was able. A graduate of Cumberland College with a BA in education, Nelda loved teaching and taught in the McCreary County School system for 32 years. After retirement, she served on the school board for 12 years and was just re-elected to an unprecedented fourth term. In her spare time she loved making dolls, jewelry, sewing, and decorating for Christmas. She always enjoyed dressing as Mrs. Clause and Mother Goose to read to the children at school. She enjoyed listening to music, her animals at Vernsway farm, especially her baby goat, but her family time was her joy.

Preceding her in death were her parents, an infant daughter, Pamela, a brother, Chester Spradlin, two sisters, Kizzie Owens and her husband, Floyd, and Bessie Loyd and her husband, Don, and a brother-in-law, JD Meadows.

Survivors include her husband, two daughters, Jeanna Lynch and her husband, Scott, Lisa King and husband, Adam, all of Richmond. Three sisters, Geraldine Hankala of Atlanta, Betty Jones and husband, Cotton Jones, of Pine Knot, and Carolyn Meadows of Somerset, four grandchildren, Tylan and Max King, and Isaiah and Savannah Lynch, a sister in law, Lula Davis, several nieces and nephews, and numerous friends.

Hickman-Strunk Funeral Home was honored to serve the family of Nelda Gilreath.