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Majors Raymond and Virginia Gilman have retired from active duty as Salvation Army officers, after 86 combined years of service.
Virginia Lowman was born in Portsmouth, N.H. to Eastern Territory officers, Brigadiers Clair and Ella Lowman. Ella, now age 98, lives in Manchester, N.H. Ray was born in Oxford, Mass. His mother, age 88, is a Salvationist living in Alton, N.H.
The Gilmans entered training in 1960 in the Bronx, N.Y. as cadets in the Soldiers of Christ Session, the first two-year session.
In 1961, while still cadets, they were assigned in charge of the Boston Hyde Park, Mass. corps.
Subsequent appointments included Fitchburg, Fall River (a 10-year appointment) and Lawrence, Mass., and Warren and Lorain , Ohio. While in Lorain, they felt called to serve in alaska and requested a transfer there.
In 1986 they transferred to the Western Territory, to Medford, Ore., and in 1990 they were appointed to Juneau, Alaska as corps officers.
After four years in Juneau and a total of 33 years each as corps officers, they were assigned to Alaska Divisional Headquarters (DHQ). Four years after that they were sent