Gladys Marie Conover

Born November 30, 1932, in Pekin to Cecil Page and Ethel May (Boyer) McCue, she married Richard Barton Brock, Sr. on December 15, 1950, in Pekin. He died August 26, 1990. She later married Leo Willard Conover, Jr. on March 23, 1955 in Springfield. He died February 13, 2012. She was also preceded in death by her grandparents, John and Nellie Boyer, and James Thomas (Tom) and Alice May (Alsie) McCue; her parents; two sisters, Thelma Lorene Childers and Sharon Faye Tucker; three brothers, Delbert Wayne McCue, Gerald Lester McCue and Harold Duane McCue; one brother-in-law, Ronald Eugene Childers; and one sister-in-law, Rosa (Rosie) Lee McCue.

Surviving are one son, Richard Barton Brock, Jr. (Frances Kay) of Pekin; two daughters, Christina Lynne Clark (Jonathan L.) of Belleville, Wisconsin and Kathryn (Kitty) Marie Koetter (Kevin Ray) of Pekin; one brother-in-law, Donovan Leroy Tucker of Galesburg; one sister-in-law, Brenda J McCue of Pekin; seven grandchildren, Richard Barton Brock, III (Melissa Ann) of Green Valley, Michelle Frances Brock of Normal, Sarah Marie Brock of Pekin, Brooke Marie Laufenberg (Brandon Lee) and Ian Robert Clark (Katherine Linnea) both of Belleville, Wisconsin, Kacey Marie Piro (Justin Dean) of Hopedale, Karson Ray Koetter (Samantha Marie) of Manito; fourteen great grandchildren, Kendra Golden Brock of Green Valley, Whitney Michelle Brock of Bloomington, Andrew Kennon Brock of Peoria, Taylor Marie Hayes of Sunnyland, Gwendolyn Ivy Mae McCurdy and Hunter James McCurdy, both of Pekin, Autumn Olivia Laufenberg, Lillianna Marie Laufenberg, Ryder Bradley Laufenberg, Jonathan Joseph (JJ) Clark and Anders Robert Clark, all of Belleville, Wisconsin, and Austin Dean Piro, Annaston Marie Piro and Axyl Ray Piro, all of Hopedale; two great-great-grandchildren, Mason Jo’Kristopher Boone of Bloomington and a little girl due in December; thirteen nieces and nephews, Michael Childers of Naples, Florida, Kathleen Allen of Littleton, Colorado, Connie Baumann of Aurora, Colorado, David Childers of Manito, Janet Kay Knackmuhs of Pekin, Terry Wayne McCue of Forest City, Gerrilynne Hollie Hester of Edelstein, Cheryl Lynn Byrd of Farmington, Iowa; Gerald Lee McCue of Ft. Myers, Florida, Debra Jo Williams of Pekin, Lorie Ann Brown of East Troy, Wisconsin, Mark Donovan Tucker of Lewisville, Texas and Eric Bradley Tucker of Galesburg.

Mrs. Conover had been employed in the credit office of Pekin Hospital as a student co-op clerk (1949-1950), a receptionist/secretary at the Tazewell County Public Aid office (1951), a secretary at Faber Industries Inc. (1952-1959), an executive secretary at P. A. Bergner & Co. (1960-1961), and as a stenographer, secretary, clerk and administrative clerical supervisor for Caterpillar Inc. in the Legal Services Division for 46 years (1962-2008), last retiring in 2008.

She was a member of Grace Baptist Church of Pekin, the YWCA of Pekin, and the Encore Group of the Hult Health Education Center of Peoria. She was also a member of the National Rifle Association and the Illinois State Rifle Association.

She was a firm believer in life-long education and took many classes at Illinois Central College and Bradley University during her adult years. She became a Certified Professional Secretary in 1963. She was awarded an Associate in Arts and Science degree in December 1982, was on the President’s Honor List, and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Academic Honors Society in 2010.

A visitation will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin, where her memorial service will follow at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Randy Justus will officiate. Graveside services will then be held at Glendale Memorial Gardens in the Garden of the Last Supper in Pekin.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Gladys Conover Memorial Fund at Grace Baptist Church, 1301 South 14th Street, Pekin, IL 61554; the YWCA of Pekin, Aquatics Department, 334 Buena Vista, Pekin, IL 61554; or the Tazewell Animal Protective Society, 100 Taps Lane, Pekin, IL 61554.

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