Rhiannon "Annie" Dawn Gillett

Rhiannon Dawn Gillett was born May 8, 1977 at the Wray Community Hospital. She attended the Wray Schools until she graduated in 1995. After high school graduation she drifted from job to job to find her real passion. She finally worked at the hog farms around Yuma for a couple of years, until she settled on farm work, especially as a tractor operator. She worked for her father for a few years and then started work at Welp Farms. She particularly enjoyed beet and corn harvest. During this time, she met the lover of her life in Randel Dean Newton and to this union two daughters were born: Crystal Jade Newton born August 1, 2005 and Heather Rayne Newton born July 3, 2007. After Randy’s death in February 2, 2013, she continued to work for Welp Farms at least part time and concentrated on raising the girls.

She enjoyed may 4-H projects which included leather crafts, cake decorating, and market hogs. She was also a talented artist and made many amazing pencil drawings. Annie enjoyed going to concerts, sometimes taking her daughters, Crystal and Heather. She particularly enjoyed AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne. All three girls loved to fish and spent many happy hours at various local lakes.

She succumbed to the flu and pneumonia at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora December 27, 2018 at the age of 41. She is survived by her daughters Crystal and Heather, brothers Shawn Apodaca, Mike Gillett, and Aaron Gillett, sister Michelle Apodaca, parents Gary and Sally Gillett, mother Debra Gillett, parents-in-law Dean and Carol Newton as well as many aunts, uncles, nephews, and nieces. She was preceded in death by Randy Newton, her grandparents, Lester and Edna Gillett and Darrel and Martha Stults.

Funeral services will be held at the Wray United Methodist Church in Wray, Colorado on Friday, January 4, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Ben Wentworth officiating. Inurnment will be held in the Grandview Cemetery in Wray, Colorado. Cremation was requested after services. Memorials may be made to the Annie Gillett Memorial Fund for Annie’s Girls, c/o of the Yuma County Credit Union in Wray, Colorado.

Schmidt-Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.