Gladys Hickman

Gladys Grace Hickman, age 100, of Paola, passed away Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008. Graveside Services, Friday June 6, at 11:00 AM at the Miami Memorial Gardens in Miami County. Visitation will be Thursday, June 5, from 6 to 7:30 PM at the Penwell-Gabel Paola Chapel. Memorials may be made to the Paola VFW women"s Auxillary. (cremation). "To leave a special message for the family, please visit our website at www.PenwellGabel.com". Gladys was born November 29, 1907 in Lenexa, Kansas to George Nelson and Lida Bell Sims Hoyle. She was the first of seven children and was a tom boy and her fathers shadow and right hand as he worked on the family farm, plowing, milking cows, feeding the hogs, shucking corn, cutting wheat and oats. She loved the country life and all the animals, enjoyed reading love stories while in the fields, and riding horses, and working the mules. Gladys hauled grain with her team and wagon for her dad and neighbors from the threshing machine to the Hillsdale elevator. She graduated from Pleasant Ridge District 67 in 1924 and Paola High School in 1928 with a normal training certificate and taught two terms at the McNelly School District 39. On May 21st 1929, she was united in marriage to Harley Gideon Hickman in Mt Ayr, Iowa. They came back to the Paola, Osawatomie area where they farmed and raised their children. When the kids were grown she worked at the Goldie Peaks Rest Home, Lakemary Center, live in home health care , and then back to her own home where she had a baby sitting service. In the early years she and her family attended the Paola Christian Church, Plum Creek Methodist Church and the Community Full Gospel Church of Paola. Gladys loved people young and old and her doors were always open to lend a helping hand in any way she could. She enjoyed bingo, traveling, canning, baking, horse back riding, and being on the go. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Harley, in August of 1976, daughter, Lorrene Wright, 2 sisters, Ruth Barrett, and Hazel Rentz, one brother, Loren Hoyle and 3 grandchildren. Survivors are her son Kenneth DeWayne Hickman, of Coffeville, daughter, Eleanor L. Rhoades of Paola, son Clifford Dean Hickman of Spring Hill, son George E. Hickman of Paola, two sisters Edna Mae Frye of Paola, Marge Russelo of Gardner, one brother Charles Hoyle of Emporia, 22 grandchildren, 54 great grand children, and 3 great great grand children. She will be missed by family and friends. Miami Memorial Gardens, Miami Co. Kansas Service: Graveside Service Friday, June 06, 2008 11:00 AM Visitation: Thursday, June 05, 2008 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM