Gladys Winters

Gladys Winters, 81, of Charles City, died Monday, June 23, 2008, at Cedar Health in Charles City.

Funeral services for Gladys Winters will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City. Pastor Gary Van Wert will officiate. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Charles City.

Friends may call at the Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Visitation will continue Friday at the church an hour prior to the service.

Gladys Irene Darrow Winters, was born May 8, 1927, at Deerfield, the daughter, of Delbert and Vera (Strickler) Darrow. She grew up on a farm where at a young age she took a great interest in cooking and by the age of ten cooked and served entire family meals. Gladys graduated from the Colwell High School as valedictorian. She married James Webb in 1944. From this union a son, Stanley, was born. They later divorced. On October 26, 1958, she was united in marriage to Forest "Louie" Winters. They farmed near Charles City. Gladys was employed as a telephone operator for Northwestern Bell for 31 years. She was a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church where she served as president, secretary and treasurer several times over the years for the Trinity United Methodist Church Women's Clubs and Midi's group. Gladys loved cooking. She had a collection of over 200 cookbooks and 20 plus boxes of clipped recipes as she was always ready to try something new. Many of her favorite recipes can be found in locally published cookbooks. She made cookies many years for the Red Cross Blood Bank each month, averaging up to 12 dozen a month. Gladys loved to garden and plant flowers. Flowers surrounded their home. She was a member of the Cowbelles, Beef Producers, Cattlemen's Club, Senior Club and several other organizations.

Living family members include her three children, Carol Anne (Larry Schriever of Floyd, Stanley (Cheryl) Webb of Cannon Falls, Minn. and Michael (Sherry) Winters of Osage; eight grandchildren, Eric, Letti, Lauri, Troy, Tamara, Eric, Heidi, Stephen and their spouses; 26 great grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren; two sisters, Carol Litterer of Charles City and Judy (Don) Bluhm of Charles City; three brothers, Dean (Anita) Darrow of Charles City, Keith (Alydth) Darrow of Cedar Falls and Paul (Sharon) Darrow of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; great grandson, Ethan Gates; sister, Karen Darrow; a brother, Kenneth Darrow; a sister-in-law, Esther Darrow; and a nephew, David Darrow. The Hauser Funeral Home, (641) 228-2323, www.hauserfh.com, in Charles City, is in charge of arrangements.