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Gladys Pearl Hodge

Gladys Williams was born December 9, 1922, on Blair’s Creek, MO in Shannon County, the firstborn daughter of Everett R Williams and Clara (Goforth) Wiggers. She entered into eternal rest on December 31, 2020, where she is reunited with loved ones gone before. She lived her 98 years and 12 days to the fullest– loving life’s blessings and trusting the Lord through all of life’s trials and heartaches, also.

As a young child, Gladys was cared for and raised by her maternal grandparents, Thomas “Doc” and Malissia (Mooney) Goforth who lived on Blair’s Creek. At the age of about 9 years, she went to Colorado with her mother and step-father, Harrison Thomas, and her little brother Douglas “Dougie” Thomas. While living in Colorado, Gladys began working alongside adults in the bean fields, chopping weeds and helping her parents make ends meet.  Her love of working outdoors remained strong to a very old age. She loved having many kinds of beautiful potted flowers on her porch in the summer months and was still using a riding lawnmower to cut the grass when she was 96 years of age.

When her parents returned to the Ozarks, Gladys was a teenager and was soon to meet the love of her life, Elmer Edward Johnson. She and Elmer were united in marriage on February 24, 1940, and were blessed with the arrival of the first of two daughters– Charlene Sue and Clara Sharon. The many hardships of wartime and the struggles of life caused Elmer and Gladys to separate and divorce– but the love she had for Elmer never faded away.

As a young child, Gladys had faith in the One true and living God, and though she strayed away for a time, she learned that the way of God was where the source of real, lasting peace and happiness were to be found.

In 1969 Gladys married James D. “Jim” Hodge and many happy years passed as she enjoyed and shared life with Jim. One of the reasons for her happiness with Jim was being “mother and grandma” to his family from his first marriage, as well as being reunited with her daughter Charlene. She has said on many occasions her marriage to Jim was one of the best things that had ever happened to her.  The memories she held most dear were the holiday feasts when all the family was present.

Gladys was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Elmer and Jim; her friend and “sidekick” Eual Atchison (whom she spent many happy adventures with, riding the back roads, fishing, and enjoying their golden old years together); her baby daughter, Clara Sharon; her younger half-brother, Douglas and infant half-sister, Lena; her step-sons and their wives Edward and Betty Hodge and Lloyd and Maye Hodge; her son-in-law Melvin B. Tweet; as well as many other family members and loved ones.

Gladys is survived by her daughter, Charlene; her beloved grandchildren, Lareva (David) Berkshire and Sharon Tweet, Lana Cypret, Lorna (Gary) Garrison, Kathy Hodge, Timothy Osborne (her grandchildren’s father); her GREAT grandchildren, Tasheena (Delray) Kaut, Larissa Osborne, Shantae Osborne (Nathan Bennett), David, Matthew and Timothy Cypret; her GREAT, GREAT, grandchildren Layne Scott, Chloe Rae, Sophia Bre and Olivia Pearl Kaut,  Adyn and Kane Bennett; her aunt, Pauline (Raymond, deceased) Goforth; her cousin and beloved friend Loudean (Willard) Knuckles and their children, Wilbur and Wade; Duane (Brenda) Goforth and their children, Ryan, Rodney, and Brianna; Reva (Gene, deceased) Davis; Howard Ferguson; Kathy (Michael) Amanti, Phillip Amanti; as well as many other family members, friends and loved ones who are left here to grieve.

Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, January 4, 2021, at Bethany Chapel Cemetery, Eminence, Missouri with Pastor Randy Ferguson officiating under the direction of Yarber Mortuary, Eminence, Missouri.  Condolences may be expressed at www.yarbermortuary.com.