Gladys Brunner

Brunner, Gladys (Dassow)

Gladys Brunner died at home in the company of her husband and children, in the evening on Saturday, March 10, 2012, at the age of 88.

Visitation will be Sunday, March 18 from 3-5 pm, and from 10 am Monday until the 11 am celebration of life service on Monday March 19, all at Zoar Community Church on highway 17, two miles northeast of Reddick, IL. Interment will be at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elmwood, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are encouraged to Hospice of Kankakee Valley, 482 Main Street NW, Bourbonnais, IL 60914. Gladys and Eldon were volunteers there for 27 years, and then received excellent compassionate care for the last months of her life.

Gladys was born on the Dassow farm in Chatsworth, Illinois, on May 13, 1923. She was active there in 4-H, basketball and church activities. She graduated from North Central College in Naperville, IL in 1945 with a Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics. GladysmarriedLt. Eldon Brunner on July 9, 1945, and they lived in Europe in Linz, Austria, soon after World War II and had the time of their lives travelling with other Army pilots and their wives. Eldon and Gladys later had two children, and lived in Champaign, Illinois; Ft. Worth, Texas; Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Glen Ellen, Illinois; Matawan, New Jersey; Berwyn, Pennsylvania; and Reddick, Illinois.

Gladys was adored by her husband Eldon, son Roger (and Niesje) of Fairbanks, Alaska; daughter Betty Roza (and Joe) of Santa Rosa, California; three granddaughters, Laura, Jill, and Stephanie; and great-granddaughter Anna.

Gladys was active in church activities, women’s societies, was a Cub Scout den mother, Sunday School teacher, swim instructor, PTA mom, and a 2 pin life member of the United Methodist Women’s Society. She loved stamp collecting, bridge playing, gardening, canning, travel, mystery novels, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and taking care of her family. Gladysalways packed a swimsuit for trips “in case there is a swimming pool” and she liked to hitch a ride in the combine during fall harvest. Gladys was a master seamstress who made her own wedding gown, suits of clothes, and over four dozen quilts, including small ones for youngsters in the Cunningham children’s home to have something of their own.

Gladys lived a full and active life. Her strong faith in God was life long, and continued after she learned that she had only 6-12 months to go. She was not afraid of death. Gladys was determined to live fully while she was here, and to “do the best she could with what she had.” She did.