Gladys Emma Coobs

Gladys Coobs ELKADER, Iowa #45;- Gladys Emma Coobs, 88, Elkader, died Tuesday, May 27, 2003, at the Elkader Care Center following a brief illness. Services were held Friday at Peace United Church of Christ, Elkader. The Rev. Shane Estes officiated. Burial was at East Side Cemetery, Elkader. Visitation was held Thursday at the Leonard Funeral Home, Elkader. Mrs. Coobs was born Jan. 2, 1915, in St. Olaf, the daughter of Albert and Lucinda Gottschalk Glawe. She married William John Coobs Oct. 1, 1935, at her parent's home in rural St. Olaf. He preceded her in death Sept. 4, 1961. She was baptized Jan. 15, 1915, at her home in Read Township and confirmed at Peace Church, Elkader, March 24, 1929, by Rev. C.H. Franke. She attended grade school in St. Olaf, after which she worked as hired help in many households. She was a farm wife until the death of her husband. She lived in Elkader for a short time, moving to Iowa City in 1962, where she was a cook at the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority house for 20 years. Her summers during most of this time were spent cooking at Camp Wipigaki in northern Wisconsin. In 1982, she retired and moved back to Elkader. She became involved ...[more]

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the community, holding offices in various organizations and doing volunteer work. She was also an active member of Peace Church and the Mary Circle in Elkader. She enjoyed playing cards, visiting friends and was an avid quilter, spending many hours quilting for family and friends. She also enjoyed traveling and did so while her health permitted. In July 2001, she moved to the Elkader Care Center due to complications of a broken hip. Survivors include two sons, Edward Coobs and his wife, Sandra, of Elkader and Donald Coobs and his wife, Rebecca, of Dixon; two daughters, Shirley Marmann and his husband, Donald, of Farmersburg and Dorothy Thompson of Muscatine; 11 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; a great-great-granddaughter; a brother, Bernelle Glawe and his wife, Wilma, of Elkader; three sisters, Vera Palas and Betty Leuchtenmacher, both of Elkader and Bonnie Jeffery of Arlington, Texas; and many nieces, nephews and other family and friends. She was preceded in death was her husband; her parents; a grandson, Michael James Thompson; a son-in-law, Verdean Thompson; a stepgrandson, Sean Lamphier; brothers, Harvey, Lloyd, Verdine and Raymond; sisters, Lucille O'Neal and Darlene in infancy.