Obituary: Shirley Elizabeth (Sego) Gilstrap

May 30, 1925 – March 29, 2022

Shirley Elizabeth (Sego) Gilstrap, 96, of Bedford, passed away at 5:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at White River Lodge.

Born May 30, 1925, in Bedford, she was the daughter of Jeremiah and Maude (Bennett) Sego. She married George A. Gilstrap on December 16, 1944, and he preceded her in death on March 7, 2013, after 68 years of marriage. In her younger years, she worked at RCA and the Fashion Beauty Salon in Bloomington but quit her job to stay home and care for her father-in-law.

She also made beautiful ceramic figurines that would pass as being done by a professional. She loved to sing and spent many hours singing to the staff at White River Lodge whom she loved dearly. She was a homemaker, a wonderful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, sister, and aunt.

Survivors include a daughter, Ruthie Gilstrap, of Mitchell; five grandchildren, Michele Lee Super (Tom), of Bedford, Thomas Scott Pinnick (Lana), of Bloomfield, Stephanie Ann Chastain (Jimmy), of Bedford, Bradley Dean Pinnick (Angye), of Mitchell, and Sharlyn Kay Redman (Brian), of Mitchell; fourteen great-grandchildren, Alayna Super, Alyssa (Super) Williams, Elizabeth (Chastain) Schmittou, Brady Chastain, Geordan (Smith) Harris, Cameron Smith, Britney Pinnick, Kayla-Pinnick, Marrissa Pinnick, Tommy Pinnick, Wesley Pinnick, Brooke Pinnick, Justin Bennett, and Kelsey (Redman) McComb; sons-in-law, Thomas Pinnick and Mike Tanksley; several great-great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, twin daughters, Sharon Lee Tanksley and Shirley Ann Pinnick, a sister, Alice M. (Sego) Fortner; six brothers, Arlie, Donald, Arthur, William, Charles, and Ray Sego and two (in infancy).

Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 2nd in the Elmwood Chapel of the Day & Carter Mortuary with Pastor Steve Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Cresthaven Memory Gardens.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service on Saturday at the Day & Carter Mortuary. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Mitchell Wesleyan Church, or Lawrence County Cancer Patient Services.

Family and friends may express condolences at www.daycarter.com.