Carolyn Gilbert

Letha Carolyn Gilbert, 85, of Pampa, passed away on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 in Amarillo. 

Funeral services will be 2:00 PM Thursday, August 1, 2024, at Gruver Methodist Church in Gruver with Rev. Donald Ward, pastor, officiating. Graveside will be 10:30 AM Friday, August 2, 2024, at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Pampa under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors and Crematory. 

The family will receive friends from 6:00 - 7:30 PM Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at the funeral home. 

Letha Carolyn Gilbert. Letha? Her first name was Letha? Yes, Letha Carolyn Gilbert was born in Lydia, TX, to Malcolm Haskell and Ola Mae Grigg Meeks on July 25, 1938. Her father was a construction manager for petroleum refinery and other industrial type plants. Her formative years were therefore spent a couple of years in this oil patch and a couple of years in that oil patch mostly in New Mexico. She attended high school in Eunice, NM. While working the concession stand at the local theater, in walks the most handsome young man that soon would become the love of her life! Troves spent a lot of time at Carolyn’s home. His current oil field job was coming to a close and he would be moved to Farmington, NM. New Mexico is not a big state but that is a long way to carry on a courtship. Troves and Carolyn married on July 4, 1955, just twenty-on days short of her 17th birthday. The story goes… Ola Mae to her husband Malcolm: “Malcolm, Troves and Carolyn want to get married.” Malcolm: “Who is Troves?” Ola Mae: “Well, Malcolm! He’s the young man who has been sitting in your living room every evening.” Malcolm: “I didn’t know what his name was. He never had much to say.” They stayed in Farmington, NM until the US Army informed them differently. Off they went, to Chestertown, MD, pulling their 22’ Cozy Coach Trailer. They were discharged in May of ’58 and would return home with more than a trailer in tow. First son, Troves Bain Gilbert, Jr. was born while residing in Maryland. Daughter, Jacque and son Marc would follow in time. 

They purchased their first home in November of ’62 in Pampa 1004 E. Fisher St., the kind of neighborhood full of kids and porch sitting neighbors and right around the corner from the Meeks. Friends were always welcome with many showing right at dinner time! There was always plenty for everyone. Boiled Potatoes? Turnips? What’s the difference? Only a priceless expression and several minutes of uncontrolled laughter. 

Carolyn went to work at The Speed Queen Laundry in the neighborhood. She did laundry and Troves worked on the equipment in the evenings after putting in a full day as a natural gas field operator. They must have made a good impression and a good team. They would soon own the establishment and would eventually buy one other and then build a third on their own. They have washed a lot of dirty clothes! When the Celanese Plant explosion occurred in 1987 there would be nights that they would lock up and do laundry all night so that the contract laborers that were there rebuilding the plant could pick up their laundry the next day. 

Troves and Carolyn made the decision to purchase a beauty salon from a friend getting a divorce. The only way to make this work would be for her to get her license. The next nine months schedule would be: Get the kids off to school, pick up the dirty towels from the shop, drop towels off at the laundry, make sure everyone had change, attend class, do laundry until closing time, dinner, hopefully, bedtime before midnight. Start again the next day. One day she was in such a hurry that during the great towel exchange, she parked in the alley behind the shop, ran in and did what she needed to do. As she exited the building she noticed a car patiently waiting for her to move on. She opened the car door and jumped inside. As the door was slamming shut she realized she was sitting in the back seat. She didn’t want the person behind her to know her mistake so she crawled over the seat and sped off. The next day at beauty school they awarded her with a backseat steering wheel. They were a hard working team. Every need was satisfied and then some. Vehicles. College educations. The Mountain House. After a decade of camping by the river, in Red River, NM, for two weeks every summer, they determined to branch out and purchase a cabin, a vacation home. It was much undeveloped. As a team, the labor of love came together complete with a winding railroad tie staircase to the creek. 

Troves passed in 1993 at the age of 59. This was an unexpected pivot but pivot she did. The businesses were sold. The house was updated. Her attention turned to church, friends, community volunteering, and caring for her aging mother, not to mention the grandchildren that were the greatest joy in her life. She always said, “If she had known that having grandchildren would be so much fun, she would have had them first!” 

Carolyn volunteered for Meals on Wheels of Pampa for many years. She would deliver meals, transitioned into packaging and sorting meals, and eventually began serving on the board. She played a crucial part in locating property and planning for the stand alone building that is now Pampa Meals on Wheels, Inc. Carolyn was an active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Pampa serving in many capacities. She loved playing chicken foot and greed with her close group of friends after their weekly dinner out. The laughter at these tables was great! 

Her mother, Ola Mae Meeks, passed in 2010 at the age of 101. She was still living at home, just around the corner. This pivot brought her to Gruver. She was afforded the opportunity to design and build a new home. She settled into her new community, her new Sunday school class, and her new church. She loved the ladies of her Sunday school class. She loved the ladies she often had lunch with. And yes, she loved those friends who sneezed down her neck. Gruver was good to her and good for her. 

She is survived by son, Troves Gilbert, Jr. and wife Shelly of San Antonio; daughter, Jacque Olson and husband Walt of Gruver; son, Marc Gilbert and wife Juli of Driftwood; sister, Margaret Bain of Pittsburg; brother, John Meeks and wife Molly of San Antonio; grandchildren, Hayden Olson and wife Megan of Wolfforth, Maggie Chaney and husband Steve of McPherson, KS, Troves Gilbert III of San Antonio, Austin Gilbert and wife Tina, currently, missionaries to Asia, Katie Begnoche and husband Justin of Cypress, Braden Gilbert and wife Stefani of Georgetown, Maddie Gilbert of Driftwood; great grandchildren, Kylee Chaney, Kynlee Chaney, Grant Olson, Theo Olson, Audra, Olson, Caleb Olson, Poema Gilbert, Hezekiah Gilbert, and Asher Gilbert. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider your local meals on wheels organization, your local children’s organizations, or a favorite charity of your choice.