She leaves behind her son, Ron Johnson and his wife, Mary Sue (Bethesda, MD); daughter, Nancy Johnson and her husband, Bill Gordon (Cincinnati, OH); her grandchildren, Kara, Patrick, and Charlie Johnson, and David Gordon-Johnson; nieces and nephews and other relatives, and many friends.
Gladys was born in Norwich, KS on February 17, 1922, to Emery Cleveland Riley and Anna (Stephens) Riley. She was predeceased by her 7 brothers and 3 sisters.
Gladys graduated from Norwich High School, where she was on the varsity teams for softball, basketball, and tennis. She completed cosmetology school in Wichita and went to work at a barber and beauty shop in Lyons, KS. In 1942, she married Arnold (“Wes”) Westrup of Lyons, who was later fatally wounded in action in WWII. In 1946, Gladys married Maurice Johnson of Lyons, who had also served in combat in WWII. He preceded her in death in 1992.
In the early 1950’s, Gladys and Maurice moved to Wichita. Gladys operated her own beauty shop, Gladys’s Beauty Salon, for many years and became lifelong friends with many of her regular customers.
Gladys expertly made, repaired, and collected quilts and was a longtime member of the Prairie Quilt Guild. Gladys played bridge with the same group of friends for nearly 50 years. She loved to garden and watch birds. She was also an excellent cook, who loved to try new recipes. When she wasn’t quilting or gardening, she could often be found in front of her TV, watching professional tennis or college basketball (Wichita State, KU, and K-State). She read the Wichita Eagle every single day and kept up with current events by watching the 24/7 news channels. Gladys was an active member of her Methodist Sunday school class for many years. Most of all, she loved her family and friends. She was unfailingly kind and generous of spirit and had a great sense of humor. She was an inspiration to all who met her.
Funeral service at 11 AM on Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at Hillside Funeral Home West, 2929 W. 13th Street, Wichita, followed by a private burial at Upchurch Cemetery in Norwich. Visitation with family present on Monday from 5-7 PM and on Tuesday from 9-11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Gladys’ memory can be made to the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market St., Wichita, KS 67202, Attn: Diane Tinker Hurst or Woodland United Methodist Church, 1100 W. 15th Street North, Wichita, KS 67203.
