Danny Eugene Gillum was born in Kirksville, MO, on December 26, 1944, to Hobert and Durea Gillum. He joined brother Marvis who was six years older. He lived on a farm in Putnam County MO during his childhood and joined Hartford Baptist Church at the age of eight. He was a good student and graduated from Unionville High School in 1962. He moved to Columbia, MO, to attend the University of Missouri and received his mechanical/aerospace engineering degree in 1967. He spent his university years in ROTC and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army upon graduation. He married Eleanor (Elli) Thompson on June 4, 1967. He was ordained to the gospel ministry on June 11, 1967, at Hartford Baptist Church.
Danny attended Southwestern Baptist Seminary and graduated in 1971 from Midwestern Seminary. During the time and after seminary, Danny worked as an engineer at General Dynamics, Central Soya, American Air Filter and Midwest Carbide. In 1983 he went to work for the Department of Defense as an environmental engineer at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, TX, and later at the Marine Logistics Center in Albany, GA.
During the years of moving with his work, he served small country churches in Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and Georgia. At retirement, he and his wife moved to Kentucky to serve for seven years as assistant professors at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. Danny taught courses in Systematic Theology, Ethics, Music in Worship and Old Testament. During that time, they led mission teams to Scotland and Turkey.
Danny and Elli moved to Florida in 2012 where he served another seven years as a senior adult Sunday School teacher and Forever Young choir member at First Baptist Church, Winter Haven. He leaves his wife Elli, two daughters: Dr. Heather Gillum (David Hutson) and Heidi Dillenbeck; grandchildren: Tristan Dillenbeck, Andrew, Sophie and Colin Hutson.
Danny passed away on June 20, 2023, at the age of 78.
