Jean Gilreath of Dimmitt, Texas, passed away on September 10, 2025, in Dimmitt, Texas, at the age of 90 years.

A Memorial Service honoring Jean will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 1:30 PM at the First Baptist Church of Dimmitt, with Dr. Johnathan Sullivan and Pastor Cody Neinast officiating. Arrangements and services have been entrusted to Colonial Funeral Home of Dimmitt. A family and friend visitation will be on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at the funeral home.

Jean (Onstead) Gilreath was born April 28, 1935, in Amherst, Texas. She graduated from Littlefield High School. Jean helped at her parents' furniture store on Main Street until she met the love of her life, Donald Lee Gilreath. They were married in Clovis, NM, in 1952.

They farmed north of Dimmitt before moving to the Bethel community to raise their family. During those years, Jean was a faithful farm wife; she never missed driving a truck during harvest and having food ready for everyone helping. When she wasn't doing things around the farm, she enjoyed being active with the home demonstration club, band boosters, and even survived several band trips.

When Jean and Donald got a break from the fields, she liked going to the lake for water skiing and picnics, and going to her favorite place, Red River, NM.  She loved the Old Pass coming into town but was ok with the new highway when it got completed. She said her Daddy had fly-fished every mile of Cimmaron Canyon. Every time Jean and Donald would come around that corner and see the butterfly on the mountain, they would hold hands and say, "One More Time." Donald and Jean were called by name by all the locals.

In all their trips, they covered every jeep trail, hidden lake, and old mines there were to find in Colfax and Taos County. Jean left the snow skiing to Donald and the girls, and later the grandkids. They always came in wet and cold from the mountain, but hot stew would be waiting. She loved to watch Don ski in the torchlight parade on Saturday night, and they would finish the night dancing and hoping Michael Hearne and his band, South By Southwest, were in town. Fall was a favorite, but it didn't matter what season it was; Jean was always ready to run to the hills.

Those left to cherish her memories are her daughter Judy Pierce of Littlefield, Texas; four grandchildren, Amanda Lambert, Beau Lambert and wife Angel and their children; Madison Owens and her fiance, David, and thier daughter Nyx; Nathan Owens; Octavia Owens and her fiance Larry Lowe, and their daughter, Emory; Peyton Owens; Giselle Owens; Blazin Davis; and Tristan Lee Lambert;  grandchildren, Aimee Vertreese, and Ashley Vertreese and fiancé Garrick Lawson; two step-grandchildren, Stormi and Skylar Pierce; eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, I.D. and Ollie (Bench) Onstead; husband Donald Gilreath; daughter Donna Vertreese; and two brothers, Norris Onstead and Ronnie Onstead.