Gladys Ellen Whitaker

SERVICES: 11:00 a.m. Monday August 4, 2014 at Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home GRAVESIDE BURIAL RITES: 1:00 p.m. Monday at the Dupont Cemetery VISITATION: 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Hartsville Fire Department Gladys Ellen Whitaker, age 92, residing at Keepsake Village of Columbus, passed away at 11:35 a.m. Thursday, July 31, 2014. She was born October 7, 1921 in Topinabee, Michigan to the late Clyde and Lola Shenaman. There she grew up and went to school in the lake country of Northern Michigan. When her father passed away in 1937, she and her mother moved to Whitesburg, Kentucky where her mother was originally from. There Gladys was an accountant for a coal mining company. She also met and married her husband of 57 years, Steve Whitaker who was a veteran of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. They were married on November 17, 1945 and he preceded her in death on June 13, 2002. They moved to Dupont, Indiana in 1947 not long after their daughter Sue was born. Sue just recently passed away July 29, 2014 in Greenwood, Indiana. A son was born in January 1950 while they were living in Dupont, Stephen James Whitaker. At this time, Gladys was a homemaker and also worked at the Dupont State Bank and her husband Steve worked at Jefferson Proving Ground. In 1956, the family moved from the farm to the Columbus area. Here Gladys worked for the ASC office and at the Bartholomew County Public Library. Her husband Steve began his 42 year career in education as a principal at Petersville School. When McDowell Elementary School opened, Gladys became the school secretary and remained there until it closed. Gladys enjoyed cooking, traveling and spending time with her family, grandchildren and great grand children. She is survived by a son, Stephen J. (Nancy) Whitaker of Columbus; grandsons, Brandon and Matthew Whitaker, both of Columbus; a granddaughter, Sarah Jones of Greenwood; and great-grand triplets, Isaiah, Hanna and Jaylin Jones.