Gladys Clara Tolbert

She was the first of three children born to Clara Betrand and Homer Fisher in Arcata, California. She was especially close to her sister Audrey and her brother Leonard, both of whom preceded her to heaven. During her childhood years she lived on a dairy farm in Siskiyou County and on another dairy farm near Bayside, California.

After high school, Gladys enrolled in Humboldt College then in the St. Luke's Nursing School in San Francisco. She was unable

to finish nursing school for medical reasons. After St. Lukes she met Navy photographer Tom Woolley. They married in 1948, and she was blessed with five children. They later divorced. In 1967 she found love again and married Korean War Veteran Jack Tolbert. They celebrated 50 years of marriage before he passed away in 2017. Together, they operated a small farm in south Redding raising cows, horses, Jerusalem donkeys, chickens, and ducks. They also raised a huge garden and shared produce with the neighbors.

Gladys is survived by her children Randy Woolley, Shelda Kralick, Leona Thompson, Beverly Ely, Rosalie Johnson and stepchildren Tom Tolbert, Mary Beebe and Viola Hensley as well as 17 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the music fund at the First United Methodist Church in Redding (ReddingUMC.org), where Gladys sang in the choir for 45 years or to the Heifer International foundation (Heifer.org).

Viewing will be at McDonalds Chapel from 9-11 am on April 14 with the Celebration of Life Service at the First United Methodist Church in Redding at noon with a light luncheon to follow. Interment will be at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo on April 15 at 11 am.