Gladys D. Gnagey, 95, of Kalona, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Pleasantview Home in Kalona. Her life will be celebrated Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, at 10 a.m. at Kalona Mennonite Church with Pastor Don Patterson officiating. A burial will be held prior to the service at West Union Cemetery in rural Parnell. The family will greet friends Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, from 5 – 7 p.m. at Peterseim Funeral Home in Kalona. A memorial fund has been established for the Kalona Mennonite Church sewing group.
Gladys Darlene Gnagey was born Jan.17, 1929, in rural Parnell, the daughter of Jonas and Gertrude (Bender) Gnagey. She attended Greene Center rural school and was a student at Hesston College. Gladys worked at the University of Iowa Hospital, retiring from the Pathology Lab in 1991, where she was a runner, taking specimens and lab results throughout the hospital. She has been a member of the Kalona Mennonite Church since 1970. Gladys enjoyed volunteering at Pleasantview, helping take residents to activities and church services. After moving onto the Pleasantview campus she enjoyed playing Rummikub and Shanghai. She also enjoyed spending time with and helping her family, especially her nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
Survivors include her sister: Delores Leichty of Kalona; seven nieces: Donna (James) Yoder, Karen Gnagey, Deb (Lynn) Hochstetler, Carla (Keith) Yoder, Bev (Jeff) Swartzentruber, Sheryl (Randy) Hoyt, and Julia (Larry) Miller; two nephews: Allen (Merridy) Leichty, and Monte Widmer; and 29 great-nieces and nephews: Brandi, William, Christine, Brandon, Bret, Jordan, Justin, Alyssa, Brooke, Erica, Christian, Mariah, Jensen, Simon, Reid, Avery, Autumn, Kesha, Josiah, Jesse, Caleb, Elijah, Hannah, Hope, Trudi, Violet, Ruby, Allison and Conner; and several great-great-nieces and nephews.
Preceding Gladys in death were her parents; her brother: Russell (Lydia) Gnagey; her sister: Geraldine “Gerry” (Dale) Widmer; brother-in-law: Mahlon Leichty; her niece: Vivian Ockenfels; and nephew: Jeff Schlabach.
