Glenn Jessie Underwood, 99, Ottawa, KS died October 14, 2013 at Ottawa Retirement Village, surrounded by friends and family members. Funeral services are planned for 10:00 A.M. Thursday, October 17, 2013 at the First United Methodist Church, 203 E 4th Street, Ottawa. Visitation for friends and family is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16, from 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. at the United Methodist Church. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery, Ottawa. The family suggests memorial contributions to First United Methodist Church or Prairie Paws c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067. An online Guest Book is available at www.dengelmortuary.com. Glenn was born September 28, 1914 in Pittsburg, KS. He was the oldest of three sons born to Harve and Bessie Underwood. January 20, 1921 Glenn’s mother died as a complication of child birth leaving Glenn age 6, Morris Hunk age 3, and Charles two weeks. Later that year, Harve moved him and his sons to Lomax, a train depot close to Quenemo, where Harve’s parents ran a restaurant at the train stop. During the frontier years, the little family moved from Lomax to a new house Harve and other family members built for them on Underwood Street in Ottawa. Later, during the worst of the depression, they moved to a farm southwest of Baldwin City, and finally to a farm southwest of Pomona. During those years, Glenn was the cook, with pancakes being his specialty. Glenn graduated from Pomona High School in 1933 after riding a horse to school 5 miles each way on most days. That year, the county had a terrible drought. It didn’t rain and with no feed for the livestock, and no money to buy feed, Glenn’s dad was forced to sell livestock except for horses. They moved to northeast Williamsburg. After high school, Glenn started stripping coal, (a brief career). He also worked for Dan Fogle building portable rock crushers. In 1936 at the age of 22, Glenn started his business career, running a service station in Williamsburg, KS. With $12.00, he assumed an existing loan for $350.00 for equipment and then borrowed money from his dad for his first load of gas. On June 30, 1937, Glenn married Hazel Dora Everman. They lived for a year in a converted apartment in the back of the service station. In the winter, it was so cold; snow leaking from the tin roof froze on the floor. It was 1937 when the couple bought their first house, a former Dr’s home in Williamsburg. “It was the nicest place either of them had ever lived”, Glenn said. In 1942, Glenn took over the Sinclair Station at 2nd and Hickory in Ottawa; it became Glenn’s Super Service. November 24, 1943, son Gary Lee Underwood was born. Glenn built the first drive-in theatre in Franklin County and it opened for business August 28, 1949. Douglas Keith Underwood was born August 12, 1950. December 15, 1954, Glenn made a three-way trade; sold the drive-in to Mrs. Stucker for the John Deere Dealership. And she sold the drive-in to Mr. Bill Bancroft. Glenn remarked, “she saved taxes and so did I”. Thus, began a multi-decade career as a farm equipment dealer in Franklin County. In 1969, his company also became a GMC truck dealership. In 1971, Hazel Underwood died of cancer. On December 23, 1978 Glenn married Viola Virginia Gossett. She preceded him in death in 2004. Also preceding him in death were his brothers, Charles and Morris. He is survived by his sons, Gary and wife Chris, Baldwin City; Doug and wife Marty, Lake Ozark, MO; stepson, Bill Gossett and wife Nancy, Aiken, SC; six grandchildren, Barb Wells, Lawrence; Kristin Allan, Ottawa; Kyle Underwood, Denver, CO; Jane Dubbs, Lake Ozark, MO; Tami Erikson, King George, VA; and Melissa Rimando, Washington DC; nine great grandchildren, Jackson Allan, Adrienne and Robert Dubbs, Vaughn and Keira Wells, Andy and Greg Erikson, and Ryan and Craig Rimando; and one great-great grandson, Brody Ericson.
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