Family is very important to almost-centenarian Gladys Grossinger. She had six children within a short period of time: Jerry, Joyce, Kenneth, Melvin, Morris, and Wanda. She now has 18 grandchildren, and 40-some great-grandchildren; she has a great-great-granddaughter, and a great-great-grandson on the way.
Born in 1923 – the year Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as President after the sudden death of Pres. Warren G. Harding, the year when dinosaur eggs were first discovered (in Mongolia), and the year the “Hollywoodland” sign went up in Los Angeles – Gladys has seen and lived a lot of history.
Gladys grew up on her Grandfather Looman’s farm until she was about 16 or 17. She graduated from Kimball High School in 1942, having been in quarantine for 23 weeks because of diphtheria in their household. Her 13-year-old sister died of diphtheria when Gladys was 15, and the whole house was quarantined. There was no treatment, no medication, “you just died, or you didn’t” Gladys said. Groceries were dropped off at the end of the driveway for the family.
One of her classmates, Maymie Ecker, will turn 100 in July. She’s not aware of any other classmates who are still around.
Gladys has always enjoyed sewing. As a girl, she started sewing her own clothing. Taller than most girls, everything store-bought was too short. She says she has hemmed pants or prom dresses for many who now work at Hilltop Health Care Center where she has lived for five years now. Growing up, her mom paid her 25¢ a week for doing housework; she saved it up to order fabric from the Sears or Montgomery Ward catalogue
Her first job was for Holz Webway; she drove 25 miles to earn $1/hour, and was happy to get it. She worked there 23 years. She retired about a year and a half after her husband died. She started going to senior dances then, every week. Whatever town was having a senior dance, the same group would show up, and it was a lot of fun.
She has always been an avid card-player. At Hilltop she plays 4-5 games a week, as well as Bingo, “unless the guys go fishing,” she adds. Her games are Solo and 500. “It’s fun and aggravating,” she says; aggravating when you don’t get the right cards.
Macular degeneration is gradually taking her eyesight, she doesn’t hear so well, and her legs are bad. She watches the world news every day, and gets in her card games every week.
“I hold my own pretty much,” though, she says.
The Grossinger family is hosting a 100th birthday party for Gladys