Sara Elizabeth (Huff) Gibson, 84, of Spickard, Missouri, died Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe, Missouri.
Born Nov. 23, 1941, in Tifton, Georgia, she was the daughter of Florence Goodman Huff and Dr. Harry Elkins Huff. She graduated from Tifton High School and went on to earn an Associate of Arts degree from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.
On June 18, 1961, she married Leland Dale (L.D.) Gibson Jr., with the couple celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary in 2026. Their early married life began at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where L.D. served as a second lieutenant in a U.S. Army Air Defense Missile Battery. After his military service, the couple relocated to a farm in Mercer County before moving to Grundy County, where they purchased a farm and raised Angus cattle.
Gibson pursued academic advancement at Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville, Missouri, where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Education degree as well as a master’s degree in guidance and counseling.
Her teaching career included a position at Newtown-Harris School, followed by a tenure as an art teacher and guidance counselor at Trenton High School, concluding with her retirement in 2004 after 28 years in education. Throughout her career, she also led several student tours to Europe.
Away from her professional career, she was an active member of Chapter A.D. P.E.O., the Dorcas Richardson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Heritage Club. An avid reader, she enjoyed attending antique shows, sewing, and painting. Alongside her husband and traveling companions Okie and Ron Rose, she traveled extensively to destinations including Alaska, New York, China, Egypt, Turkey, Paris, Rome, and Greece.
She also spent much of her time at her country home surrounded by her cats, her dog Trixie, and her collection of books and items gathered over the years. Each year, she looked forward to the blooming of her Casablanca lilies.
Survivors include her husband, L.D. Gibson; her children, Elizabeth Gibson and her friend Alan Buckner of Trenton, and Carolyn Gibson and her husband Samuel Indorante of DuQuoin, Illinois; her son, Leland Gibson III and his wife Jacqueline of College Station, Texas; her grandchildren, Winston Mackey and his wife Katelyn, Katie Indorante, Guy Indorante, and Madeline Gibson; her great-granddaughter, Addalyn Mackey; her sister, Harriet Kautzman and her husband Robert; her niece, Kimberly; and her grandniece, Madison, of Longview, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Memorial services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Slater-Neal Funeral Home in Trenton, with family visitation preceding the service from 10 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hope Lodge in Kansas City, Missouri; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; or the Hedrick Medical Center Foundation in Chillicothe, Missouri.
