As had been her wish, she left us from the comfort of her home. Never a smoker, in July of 2019, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She was stoic and stubborn through and through.
Gladys was born in Joliet, Illinois, on July 1, 1929 to Hobart and Alice Lanphier Moody. She was named for her aunt Gladys Carlson who lived to be 105. In 1933, her family moved to 501 N. Glendale in Peoria. While attending Irving Grade School, on behalf of "The War" effort, she was the captain of teams that won for collecting the most tin cans. She was a member of the Woodruff High School graduating class of 1947. During her senior year, she ran an elevator at the Hotel Pere Marquette.
On June 5, 1948, she married Charles Joseph Trefzger, Jr. He preceded her in death on July 11, 2015.
Gladys is survived by her children Sharon (the late Michael) Corn, Joe (Connie) Trefzger, and Beth Trefzger; her grandchildren Amanda (Andy Terven) and Ronald Trefzger; her sisters Mary (the late Henry) Almasy and Rita Karns; her brother-in-law John (the late Marilyn) Trefzger; two first cousins; and several nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by her parents, her brother Bob (the late Patricia) Moody, her sister Billie (the late John) Kimball, and her brother-in-law Tom (the late Betty) Trefzger.
Beginning in 1961, one hundred years after Trefzger's Bakery was founded, Gladys helped in the transition to selling bakery goods exclusively through area Kroger Stores. In 1977, the bakery store at 3504 N. Prospect Road was reopened. Gladys ran the store and was in charge of quality control. She was literally and figuratively the President of the company. In days leading up to holidays, it was routine for Joe and Gladys to increase their 12 to 16-hour work day to 20 hours so that, along with the extra hard work of Tom and all the other loyal employees, as many orders as humanly possible could be filled.
In 1993, they sold the bakery and began a long and active retirement. Gladys loved it that she could "do something or nothing" every day. Some of her favorite things were caffeine pills; salt; politics; anticipating what she was going to eat tomorrow; checking the weekly print ads of every store in town; and spending hours, coupons in hand, roaming the aisles of Krogers and Walgreens. 11% off at Menards could not be missed! For family gatherings, it would have been a disaster to run out of anything; so there was always way too much food. She took great pride in shoveling her own snow, cutting her own grass, and tending to her large garden. Forty tomato plants were just right. She also thoroughly enjoyed feeding the backyard critters because "they don't have any money." Her squirrels took their peanut butter and crackers directly from her out-stretched hand at the back door.
Our family would like to thank Dr. Thomas Kouri and his nurses Lisa, Sarah, and Ariel for their wonderful, expert, and compassionate care, and Lysa, who always cheerfully greeted Mom by name at check-in. For almost 35 years, Gladys viewed Dr. Kouri as her trusted physician and friend. Thanks also to the entire staff of Harbor Light Hospice for their dedication and kindness in caring for our mother. Brooke's help and guidance was exceptional on our saddest day.
Long before the pandemic, Gladys had requested that there be no services. Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel in Peoria is handling cremation arrangements. Interment will be at the Parkview Cemetery Mausoleum at a later date.
If you would like to honor Gladys' memory, a donation in her name to Harbor Light Hospice at 3000 N. Main St., Unit C, East Peoria, Illinois 61611 will be gratefully received.
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