When you marry someone, you make a commitment. That commitment is to stay with your loved one through thick and thin, for richer or for poorer, and for Fred Gilland – ‘til death do us part.
When Fred Giland married his wife Janice Gilland some 5 decades ago, he made a vow and a commitment that he would be with her until the very end. That promise is one that Fred intends to seriously keep, every single day for the rest of his life.
Fred is from Knoxville, Tennessee. He wants to keep his promise to his beloved, even if she already left him and passed on. Every single day, he would drive out to theLynnhurst Cemetery to sit at his wife’s gravesite where she has been buried for the last 7 years. Gillian is a 78-year old man who is determined to not let life slip by without spending a day with his one true love – Janice.
Fred shared: “I just loved her the first time I seen her. She was always beautiful.”
Fred has spent almost a decade showing up to his wife’s grave site every single day, come rain or shine. He would spend his time near her recalling memories from their sweet past and how strong of a woman she is that he once loved. He can even still remember the singing voice of Janice which sends fondest memories of her.
Fred’s daily routine of honoring Janice’s memory is a man’s way of keeping his promise and affection for her alive. His example of consistent and strong love is a kind of ‘deep’ love and commitment that every married couple must emulate. Gilliand tells us to remember, that even when times are hard, it is very well worth that we spend every second with that one person that we truly love.
