Marquette–– Gladys K. “Goodness Sakes Gladys” Blank, 69, a resident of the Norlite Nursing Center, and lifelong Marquette area resident, entered eternal life early Saturday morning, January 6, 2007, shortly after admittance to Marquette General Hospital.
Gladys was born February 1, 1937, in Marquette, a daughter of Leonard and Wanda (Hurtley) Quilliam, and was a 1954 graduate of the Graveraet High School. She worked for a time as a teller at the former Liberty Loan office and the First National Bank and Trust Company, before being employed by Northern Michigan University as one of their first computer programmers. In 1966, Gladys suffered a stroke. Determined, and with a will to “do things her way,” Gladys fought to regain control of her life. For over 15 years, she was employed as a custodian at the Sheltered Workshop. She enjoyed handcrafts, needlepoint, and ceramics, which she made for family and friends, and also enjoyed playing cards, and a good game of BINGO. Gladys was a participant at the Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay for many years. She often used the expression, “Goodness Sakes Gladys” and the slogan became her nickname. She was a member of St. Peter Cathedral.
Survivors include two daughters, Dana Blank of Ovid and Beth Chard of Ceresco; her granddaughters, Alyssa and Katrina Tefft; three sisters, Sheila (Jim) Blaubach of Madison, WI, Lennea Bressette of Marquette, and Rosemarie Hall of Escanaba; five nieces and two nephews. In addition to her parents, Gladys was preceded in death by her brother-in-law, Raymond Bressette; and a nephew, Michael Lewke.
Friends may call at the Fassbender Funeral Home on Monday from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, where a parish prayer service will be held at 7:45 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Peter Cathedral on Tuesday morning, January 9, at 10:00 am with Rev. Francis Ricca as celebrant. Friends may also call at the cathedral just prior to the mass.
Inurnment will be made in the Holy Cross Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the Bay Cliff Health Camp, 310 W. Washington Street, Marquette, MI 49855.