HUCKINS, Gladys Lourine (1914-2009)

HUCKINS, SCHLICHTING, LUDEKE, BOHLMANN, LASSAHN, SCHLAGEL

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 7/10/2013 at 00:48:43

Gladys Lourine Huckins

MASON CITY - Gladys Lourine (Schlichting) Huckins, 95, died on Sunday (Nov. 8, 2009) at the I.O.O.F. Home, Mason City.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, at Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. Clyde Harvey officiating.

Gladys was born on April 25, 1914, in Hancock County, the first of the two daughters of Fredrick and Clara (Ludeke) Schlichting.

As a child, Gladys lived on a farm near Klemme. She attended Klemme schools through the ninth grade. In eighth grade, Gladys won The Des Moines Register spelling bee and advanced to the county competition. In ninth grade, she again won and was Hancock's representative to the state competition. Later in 1955, Gladys would complete her high school degree through a correspondence course with American School in Chicago, Ill. She also partially completed a correspondence course in commercial law.

Gladys married Edwin Harry Huckins on Nov. 9, 1949, at Radio Chapel in Mason City. She and Edwin made their home at 703 S. Pierce Ave., Mason City. Their only daughter, Sheri Evelyn, was born March 27, 1957.

After Edwin passed away on Sept. 17, 1963, Gladys raised Sheri on her own. Gladys enjoyed playing music throughout her life and she took piano and accordion lessons. She and Edwin often played music together. Gladys was very devoted to the several dogs that she adopted throughout her life.

As a young woman, Gladys worked for various people doing housekeeping chores. After her marriage in 1949, she went to work at the Iowa Odd Fellows and Orphans Home in Mason City, Iowa. She completed nurses aide training and worked at the home steadily from Dec. 27, 1949, first as a nurses' aide and then becoming a supervisor in 1974. Gladys retired April 14, 1986.

Gladys became a grandmother when Sheri and her husband, Art Bohlmann, had their son Aaron in 1980. Sadly, Sheri died in 2000. Gladys lived on her own until she moved to the I.O.O.F. Home in 2006.

Gladys always took her religion very seriously and was a member of Klemme Methodist Church as a child. As an adult, she attended several different churches in the Mason City area.

She is survived by her grandson, Aaron, of California and her nephew, Gordon (Pam) Lassahn, of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Gladys was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her daughter; her sister, Mable Viola Lassahn; her niece, Joyce Lassahn Schlagel; and her nephew, Terry Lassahn.