Gladys Colley passed away peacefully at home on September 8, 2023, at the age of 87. A funeral service to celebrate her life will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, September 16, 2023, at the Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home Chapel in Waco, Texas, with Celebrant John DeGiorgio officiating. Interment will follow at Rosemound Cemetery in Waco. There will be a visitation for family and friends starting one hour prior to the service, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturday, September 16, at the Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home Chapel.
Gladys was born on May 14, 1936, in Fayetteville, Texas, to Joe & Frances Elsik. She was married to the love of her life Woodrow Colley in 1971 in Waco, Texas.
Gladys owned the Woodrow Colley Lumber Company in Waco, Texas. She retired at 65 and then went back to work in the lumber business at Metro Lumber Company in Waco until she was 85. She was a very hard-working successful businesswoman. She was a part of many different organizations throughout the years.
She enjoyed working, the beach, taking trips, fashion, going “out to eats” with loved ones and visits to the beauty salon each week. She loved eating cracker barrel every day for lunch.
Gladys was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Frances Elsik; her husband, Woodrow Colley; her daughter, Mary Frances; her brother, Jimmy Elsik; her sister, Lillie Kasparek; her brother-in-law, Percy Kasparek; brother-in-law, Elward Ruffin; and niece Melissa Hinton.
She is survived by her children, Fred and Debbie Matus of Frankston, Gwen Breedlove of Elm Mott, and Nelley Coble and her husband G.W. of Marble Falls; sisters, Millie Ruffin of Austin, and Nollie Odle of West; granddaughters, Victoria Matus of Frankston, Francine Matus of Los Colinas, Savannah Breedlove and husband Joe of Elm Mott; her grandsons, Dalton Coble of College Station, and Hunter Coble of Marble Falls; great granddaughters, Joleigh Guthrie, Madalie and Maislyn Martinez; great-grandsons Logan Fuller and Manny Gardner; nieces, Analise Panter, Lynette Rauschhuber, Wanona Posas and Lacinda Kasparek; as well as many great nieces and nephews.
We would like to send a special thank you to all who helped her in these last years of her life. Texas. Gladys will be remembered as a successful Businesswoman, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend who will be missed by all who knew her.
Pallbearers include; Dalton Coble, Hunter Coble, Logan Fuller, John Rauschhuber, Joe Martinez, G.W. Coble. Honorary pallbearer is Fred Matus.
To all of my grandkids, “You be sweet now, ‘ya hear.”
The family invites you to leave a message or memory of Gladys on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.
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