Services
service
April 21, 2004
Wednesday
11:00 AM
First Lutheran Church - Britt
Obituary
Gladys Marker, 84, of Britt, passed away Saturday, April 17, 2004, at Westview Care Center in Britt.
Gladys Elnora Draves was born on November 6, 1919, at Waltham, Minnesota. The daughter of Edward and Emma (Jorges) Draves, she attended country schools and graduated from Dows, Iowa, High School. She was united in marriage to Carl Marker, on February 19, 1939, in Hampton, Iowa the start of a union of 64 years.
They farmed in the Dows-Galt, Iowa area until moving to a farm north of Britt in 1948. She was a farm wife and homemaker as well as being employed as a seamstress at Stitchcraft Corporation of Forest City, Iowa, and as school cook for Woden-Crystal Lake Schools.
She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church of Woden, and First Lutheran Church of Britt upon retirement. She was a member of the Women of the Church, Bandmothers, PTA, and served as officer and on various committees.
She and Carl were members of the Silver Stars seniors group. She was an advocate for health and social concerns for seniors. Her work led to her nomination and receipt of an "Outstanding Senior Citizen Award" from then Governor Terry Branstad.
She loved cooking, gardening, sewing, camping, and traveling, youth activities, and was always a welcoming hostess to neighbors, friends and family.
Gladys was preceded in death by her parents; husband Carl; son Arnold; grandsons Aaron and Eric Kipp; brothers Arthur, Carl, Clarence, Harry and Anton Draves, and sister Edna Eccles.
Gladys is survived by her daughter Janet (Greg) Kipp of New Richmond, Wisconsin; son Douglas of Rochester, Minnesota; daughter-in-law Dorothy Marker of Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Grandchildren Timothy (Laura) Marker of Jackson, Minnesota; Thomas (Colleen) Marker of Mason, Illinois; Andrea Jo (Jon) Green of New Richmond, Wisconsin; and Kathryne Marker of Rochester, Minnesota and great-grandchildren Emily and John Marker of Jackson, Minnesota and Danielle and Rebecca Marker of Mason, Illinois. She is also survived by a brother Emil Draves of Webster City, Iowa and sister Hilda Jury of Ankeny, Iowa and Estella State of Belmond, Iowa. Also many relatives and friends.