Gladys L. Petrak
October 10, 1905 — May 26, 2005
Gladys L. Petrak, age 99, formerly of Alburnett, died after an extended illness on Thursday, May 26, 2005, at Wesley Acres Retirement Center in Des Moines.
Gladys Loretta Naylor was born Oct. 10, 1905, in Alburnett to Charles and Eleatha Stirsky Naylor. She attended Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) and taught several years at Buck Creek Consolidated School.
She was united in marriage with Lewis Erwin Petrak on June 29, 1929, in Cedar Rapids. They had one son, Ronald Dean. The couple farmed near Alburnett for 45 years, retiring in 1973.
Gladys was a life-long leader in her church and community. She was a 4-H youth leader for 35 years and in 1954 was honored as an Iowa Master Farm Homemaker. She was a member of the Linn County Extension Council and belonged to the Alburnett Book Club and the Tuesday Club. A trained hospice volunteer, Gladys had served on the Area Council on Aging. She was a member of the Alburnett United Methodist Church.
She had traveled in the United States, in Europe, and in Korea.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis; her parents; her sister, Alice (Dolly) Tower; her brother, Kermit Naylor; and her grandson, John Petrak.
She is survived by her son Ronald (Ruth Anne) of Des Moines; three grandchildren, Mary (Javier) Petrak de Avila of Austin, TX; Keith (Patricia Gorham) Petrak, and Mark (Liz) Petrak, of Seattle, WA; four step-grandchildren, including Philip (Kris) Brown of Anamosa; three great-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren, and many extended family members and friends.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday June 3, 2005 at Murdoch Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Marion, Iowa. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday June 4, 2005, at the Alburnett United Methodist Church, by the Rev. Burr Bryant. Interment will be at Cedar Memorial Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.
Memorial gifts may be directed to the Alburnett United Methodist Church or the Iowa 4-H Foundation.
Gladys Loretta Naylor was born Oct. 10, 1905, in Alburnett to Charles and Eleatha Stirsky Naylor. She attended Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) and taught several years at Buck Creek Consolidated School.
She was united in marriage with Lewis Erwin Petrak on June 29, 1929, in Cedar Rapids. They had one son, Ronald Dean. The couple farmed near Alburnett for 45 years, retiring in 1973.
Gladys was a life-long leader in her church and community. She was a 4-H youth leader for 35 years and in 1954 was honored as an Iowa Master Farm Homemaker. She was a member of the Linn County Extension Council and belonged to the Alburnett Book Club and the Tuesday Club. A trained hospice volunteer, Gladys had served on the Area Council on Aging. She was a member of the Alburnett United Methodist Church.
She had traveled in the United States, in Europe, and in Korea.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis; her parents; her sister, Alice (Dolly) Tower; her brother, Kermit Naylor; and her grandson, John Petrak.
She is survived by her son Ronald (Ruth Anne) of Des Moines; three grandchildren, Mary (Javier) Petrak de Avila of Austin, TX; Keith (Patricia Gorham) Petrak, and Mark (Liz) Petrak, of Seattle, WA; four step-grandchildren, including Philip (Kris) Brown of Anamosa; three great-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren, and many extended family members and friends.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday June 3, 2005 at Murdoch Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Marion, Iowa. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday June 4, 2005, at the Alburnett United Methodist Church, by the Rev. Burr Bryant. Interment will be at Cedar Memorial Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.
Memorial gifts may be directed to the Alburnett United Methodist Church or the Iowa 4-H Foundation.
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