Gayle R. Altom

Gayle R. Altom, 92, Blair, passed away on Sunday, November 14, 2010 at the Jackson County Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be 2:00 PM Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at the First Baptist Church, Blair, with Rev. Doug Altom and Rev. Randy Mitchell officiating. Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery under the direction of the Kincannon Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 7:00 PM Tuesday at the funeral home. Gayle R. Gallegly was born on August 17, 1918 in Sidon, Arkansas, one of seven siblings of sharecrop cotton farmers, to Walter Lee and Myrtle (Vaughan) Gallegly. She grew up in the North Central area of Arkansas. She graduated from Pangburn High School in 1936. She attended college in Batesville, Arkansas prior to marrying Cloyd Altom on August 20, 1940. Beginning in 1964 when her first grandchild was born, Gayle began to keep children in her home and for about the next twenty years she continued to keep children. Her passion and heart was her relationship with Jesus Christ. She has been a student of the Bible ever since she was a young lady. She had been a member of the First Baptist Church in Blair for over 50 years and taught Sunday School for many of those years. She was active in the Women’s Missionary Union and served various offices in the organization. She prayed for missionaries around the world, and for her family, and those she knew that needed someone to pray for them. Her parents, Walter Lee and Myrtle Vaughan Gallegly, her husband, Cloyd Altom, a grandson, Darren Wicker, a son-in-law, John Cargal, two sisters, Iris Wright and Nelda Griney, and three brothers, Reuel, Harrison and Joe Gallegly, preceded her in death. Survivors include her children, Rowan Wicker and husband, Dennis “Dink”, of Mangum, Navone Staggs and husband, Donald, of Blair, James “Bud” Altom and wife, Anne, of Blair, Judie Gallagher and husband, John, of Gould, Derrall Altom and wife, Fran of Antlers, Donald Altom and wife, Donna, of Tipton, Pat Warren and husband, James, of Sentinel, Doug Altom and wife, Jayme, of Mangum, Jean Cargal of Blair, Oklahoma and Mike Altom of Blair,; her grandchildren, Joy Remke and husband, Sean, Brad Wicker and wife, Michelle, Scott Staggs and wife, Robin, Buddy Altom, Valerie Reed, Ryan Gallagher and wife, Tatum, Amanda Burrell and husband, Ben, Heather and Amy Altom, Taos and Caleb Altom, D’Ann, Nicki, Danyle and Jonathan Altom, Bo Warren and wife, Amaris, Landon Warren, Ali, Jasper and Ethan Altom, Joe Bob Cargal, Lani Sanders and husband, David, and Laura Leigh Jackson and husband, Travis; her great-grandchildren, Brookelynn and Laurynn Remke, Brian, Megan, Brady and Brody Wicker, Cody and Skylar Staggs, Michealla, Regin and Kara Jo Reed, Cale, Luke and Emma Claire Gallagher, Madilyn Burrell, and Jaci and Joeli Cargal; a great-great-grandson, Gatlin Staggs; a sister, Grace Gray of Pangburn, Arkansas; two aunts, Zola Staggs and Geraldine Gentry, both of Searcy, Arkansas; two sisters-in-law, Louise Bullock of North Little Rock, Arkansas, and Geraldine Gallegly of Texas; along with numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Baptist Children’s Home of Oklahoma or to the Ladies Ministry of the First Baptist Church in Blair.