Gladys was born in Kearney, Nebraska on Jan. 18, 1925. She just celebrated her 90 birthday prior to her passing away in her sleep on February 5. She lived in Kearney with her siblings for her formative years and completed most of her schooling there. She later moved to Casper, Wyoming with her family and secured a job working for MountainBell Telephone of which she worked for many years. She married Marshall Funkey in 1954 and they added a son, Lyman, to their already existing blended family of four little girls. In 1962 they moved their family to Ridgecrest, Ca. where Marshall was an Electrical Engineer with Continental Telephone Co. Gladys also secured a position as a telephone operator with the same company. With the transition from hand plug operators to switching rooms done electronically her position changed and she also became a Union Steward for some years until her retirement. In middle age she ventured out and experienced riding motorcycles and flying sail-planes. She was also active with the American Legion Auxiliary for many decades. In 1974 she divorced and in September 1976 she married Robert 'Bob' Udell of Ridgecrest. Gladys and Bob both retired in 1984 and moved to Vinita, Oklahoma to care for his ailing mother. Gladys became a nanny for a young family with two children shortly after moving to Vinita. She also did care-taking for older adults into her 70's. She worked for the school district in her early 80's in the school cafeteria and had to 'retire' because the food prep trays were getting heavy for her! She finally retired for good and spent her days volunteering and playing Bingo, one of her favorite past-times with friends. Bob and Gladys resided in Vinita for 30 years until his death in June of 2013 and her recent passing. She is preceded in death by her sister Alvina Carpenter of Arkansas. Her younger brother, James Cole, resides in Alabama with his wife Ollie. She is survived by her five children: Vivian Steinhardt of Illinois, Cathy Morgan of Florida, Gwen Carmichael of Texas, Barbara Whitney of California and Lyman Funkey of California also her step-son Bobby Udell of Oregon. She also has six grand-children and a scattering of nieces and nephews. The family would especially like to thank Heartsworth Center in Vinita for their very caring and attentive staff that are devoted to their residents quality of life. Long distance care-taking on our part for mom could not have been done without their excellent Administration staff as well. Angels in her midst for sure.....thank you. The family will be having a private memorial at a later date. Remembrances and prayers may be offered on the guestbook on this page.