Gladys Faye Gardner

Gladys F. Gardner, 90, of Hartford, passed away, Friday, March 1, 2024, at the Coffey County Hospital in Burlington.

Gladys Faye Bigler was born February 6, 1934, in Rural Lyon County, Kansas, the daughter of John Jesse and Virgil Alma (Perry) Bigler. She graduated from Hartford High School in 1952.

She worked various jobs in Emporia and Hartford. She worked for Emporia Floral, IBP and had worked at the Hartford Library.

Gladys Faye was a member of the United Hartford Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women. She was active in her community serving as treasurer on the Elmendaro Township Library board, as well as the North Central Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging and the Hartford Senior Citizens. She belonged to 4-H as a child growing up on her family’s farm and joined EHU (Extension Homemaker Units) as an adult. Gladys Faye was also active in the Kansas Rural Letter Carriers Association Auxiliary and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association Auxiliary.

Her hobbies varied from participating in sports, mainly basketball and slow-pitch softball, to researching relatives’ ancestry, along with citizens of Hartford.

Gladys Faye is survived by her daughter, Carolyn K. (Danny) Boyd of Olathe; three sons, Gilbert W. (Kathy) Gardner of Hartford and Daryl D. (Nancy) Gardner of Dexter, Kansas and Nolan J. Gardner of Neosho Rapids; ten grandchildren, Robby (Andrea) Gardner, Dana (Kyle) Cole, Haley (David) Rhoads, Nicholas (Mindy) Boyd, Nathan Boyd, John Gardner, Justin Gardner, Patrick Gardner, Scott (Tacy) Gardner, and Colby (Miranda) Gardner; and eighteen great-grandchildren, Jed, Brody and Taitlyn Cole, Lane and Brinley Gardner, Parker and Cason Rhoads, Isaac Gardner, Tenley and Jarett Gardner, Nayeli, Austin, and Gus Gardner, Harper, Colt and Maesyn Gardner, Lincoln and Lucas Boyd.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Billy Dean Bigler and a sister, Alma Juanita Newton.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, March 11, 2024, at Hartford Cemetery Patio. Memorial contributions may be made to the Elmendaro Township Library and sent in care of Jones VanArsdale Funeral Home, P.O. Box 43, Lebo, Kansas 66856. Condolences may be expressed at Vanarsdalefs.com.