Gail Helen Mitchell Trail

HIGGINS — Gail Helen Mitchell Trail, 86, went to be with the Lord peacefully at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday (Dec. 2, 2025) at her home in Higgins. She died of a sarcoma (cancer) of the sinus cavity after a battle of several months.

She was born Aug. 27, 1939, in Cuba, to Kenneth and Thelma Scott Mitchell. Her father Kenneth was killed in a work accident when Gail was about two years old. She was raised by her mother and stepfather, Ralph E. Robinson. On June 20, 1959, she was married to Ronald Lee Trail of Olean.

They became members of the Wycliffe Bible Translators of Orlando, Fla., and served in Bible translation for 53 years in Asia — India, Nepal, Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan. She studied at Nyack Missionary College, Nyack, for two years starting in 1957 and later graduated from Houghton College with a B.S. degree in music in 1980. Together they translated several books of the Bible for the Lamani people of India and the Kalasha people of Northern Pakistan.

Gail loved music and was pianist for the Wesleyan Church of Higgins for several years. She loved to read. She designed a retirement house while in Pakistan on an Atari or similar computer. Later she modified the design of their present post-and-beam home in Higgins. She was also trained as a Bible translation consultant and as such consulted on several translations in Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Surviving in addition to her husband are their five sons, Daniel Scott, Stephen Francis, Nathan Lee, Bradley Eugene and Joel Kenneth Lall-Trail; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and her siblings, Elaine Robinson Ingram, Thomas Robinson, Timothy Robinson, Theodore Robinson, Janet Robinson Allen, Angela Robinson Thomson and Brenda Robinson Hollingsworth.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by a sister, Dawn Mitchell Anderson.

Family and friends may gather from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday (Dec. 8, 2025) at the Higgins Wesleyan Church, 8222 Higgins Road, where a funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Rev. Bruce Smith will officiate. Burial will be in Allegany Cemetery, Allegany.

Memorials if desired may be made to Wycliffe Bible Translators, P.O. Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Kopler-Williams Funeral Home, 21 N. Genesee St., Fillmore.

Online condolences may be made at: www.koplerwilliamsfuneralhome.com.