Gloria Hissong

Gloria Thurston Hissong, 80, of Hillsboro, passed away Sunday, September 27, 2015, at Medical City in Dallas. Visitation will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, October 1, 2015, at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors in Hillsboro. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 2, 2015, at Central Baptist Church in Hillsboro with Rev. Darrel Beggs officiating. Burial will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery.

Gloria was born April 9, 1935 in Custar, Ohio, to Charles Gilbert and Mary Pearl (Seiler) Thurston. As salutatorian of the 1953 graduating class of Deshler High School, she went on to receive her Bachelor’s degrees in education and business from Bowling Green State University in 1957. In 1974, Gloria received her Master’s degree in reading from the University of Louisville and was also certified in math. She held Merit Teacher status with the Fairfax County, Virginia school system, retiring in 2000.

On September 7, 1957, she was united in marriage to her college sweetheart, Jerry Hissong. They were soon transferred by the Army to Bamberg, Germany, where they lived for 18 months. In their younger years, the couple trained and owned pleasure horses while living in Kentucky for 13 years. Before moving to Hillsboro in 2007, Gloria and Jerry resided in Vienna, Virginia, where they were active members of Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church. They enjoyed traveling in their RV to all 50 states and visited most of the Canadian provinces and a dozen other countries. Gloria was well known for her big smile, hardy laugh, and cooking skills. She was also a skilled bridge player. She was a member of Delta Gamma Sorority and the Wally Byam Airstream Caravan Club. Gloria was a dedicated Christian from childhood; her spiritual gifts were her hospitality and children’s ministry. She was a member of Central Baptist Church in Hillsboro.

Gloria suffered from Parkinson’s disease and a traumatic brain injury later in life. For the past two years, she has been a patient at Signature Pointe on the Lake nursing home in Dallas. To ensure that she received quality care, Jerry lived with her in her room. Gloria’s family appreciates the loving attention she received from the staff.

Preceding her in death were her parents; sister, Laurane Walther; and infant granddaughter, Mercedes Luz Wilson.

Survivors include her husband of 58 years, Jerry Hissong of Hillsboro; five children, Robin Hissong and husband, Alejandro Mosquera, of Fairfax, Virginia, Andrea Rupert of Salem, Massachusetts, Stephanie Gillette and husband, Steven, of Driftwood, Texas, Mark Hissong and wife Christal, of Kingsport, Tennessee, and Courtney Wilson and husband Joshua, of San Marcos on the Lake, Guatemala; three brothers, Dale Thurston of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carroll Thurston of Cheboygan, Michigan, and Lowell Thurston of Marion, Ohio; and nine grandchildren, Jack, Holden, Lucie, Samuel, Lincoln, Althea, Ethan, Mirabai, and Sandino.

Memorials may be made to Central Baptist Church, P.O. Box 263, Hillsboro, TX 76645 or Parkinson Voice Project, 646 N. Coit Rd., Suite 2250, Richardson, TX 75080.

Visitation

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM ,Thursday, October 1, 2015
Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors in Hillsboro
2495 Corsicana Highway Hillsboro, TX 76645

Funeral Service

10:30 AM ,Friday, October 2, 2015
Central Baptist Church
1100 Old Bynum Rd. Hillsboro, TX 76645

Burial

2:00 PM ,Friday, October 2, 2015
Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery
2191 Mountain Creek Pkwy Dallas, TX 75211