Gladys May Kimzey Whipple, 94, a resident of Elkins, and for the past three years a resident of 108 Henry Ave., Elkins, where she had made her home with her daughter, Kathlynn Urban, departed this life at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2002, in Davis Memorial Hospital. She had been in declining health for the past month and death was attributed to respiratory arrest.
She was born Saturday, Dec. 14, 1907, in LaSalle, Colo., a daughter of the late Walter Scott Kimzey Sr. and Emma C. Stone Kimzey.
During 1928, at Torrington, Wyo., she was married to Frank Willis Whipple, who preceded her in death.
Surviving are one son, Donald Whipple, Fremont, Calif.; three daughters, Merele Rogers, Cheney, Wash., Marjorie Anderson, Carlsbad, N.M., and Kathlynn Urban, Elkins; one brother, one sister, eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by five brothers.
Mrs. Whipple moved with her family, six brothers and one sister from LaSalle, Colo. to Torrington, Wyo. during the summer of 1922. She attended Torrington High School and Sterling College at Sterling, Kan. She had been a member and active in the United Presbyterian Church and then in later life the United Methodist Church with the Sunday school youth and the Women’s Society in Torrington, Wyo., Sandpoint, Idaho and Elkins. She was a Past Noble Grand of the Torrington Rebecca Lodge and President of of the Young Women’s Mission Society. In 1948, she moved with her children to Sandpoint, Idaho, to care for her parents. In 1965, she became a Sorority housemother for 11 years before retiring in 1976. She moved to Elkins to be near her daughter, Kathy Urban and her grandchildren, Ryan and Heather. After moving to Elkins, she taught Sunday School at the First United Methodist Church until she retired on her 90th birthday. She was an avid swimmer, swimming two or three times a week at the YMCA. At the time of her death, she was their oldest active member.
Cremation services were provided by Lohr & Barb Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held Friday at 4 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Dr. Ellis E. Conley will officiate and a graveside service will be held at a later date at Pines Cemetery in Spokane, Wash.
