BOONE, Iowa—Gladys Jane (Irvine) Cacek, 100, a former resident of Sutherland, Iowa, died peacefully on March 3, 2024 at the Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone, Iowa.
A funeral service held be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Eastern Star Masonic Home Chapel, 715 West 3rd Street, Boone, IA 50036. Burial will be at the Calvary Cemetery in Sutherland, Iowa on Friday, March 8th at 11:00 a.m. Memorials can be sent in Gladys’ name to the non-profit of your choice.
Gladys was born on Dec 22, 1923 in Pleasant Valley township near Otho, Iowa, to Fred and Esther Elizabeth (Devlin) Irvine. She grew up nearby with three siblings. Gladys played basketball in high school and had always kept a photo of her and her team. She graduated from Otho High School in 1941, and then went on to receive a two-year teaching degree from Fort Dodge Junior College in 1943. She taught school for several years at country schools near Fort Dodge.
She was married to Vernon Cacek at Sacred Heart Church in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on January 31, 1948. After living a short time in Beatrice, Nebraska, she and Vernon soon moved to Paullina, Iowa, for Vernon’s job at Northern Natural Gas Co. In 1957, they moved to Sutherland, Iowa, where she was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Gladys and Vernon had five children. As the children grew older, she started teaching again at Hartley, Iowa. While teaching, she went back to college and earned her four-year bachelor’s degree from Westmar College in 1972. She continued teaching second grade for 19 years until her retirement.
Gladys was known to everyone as a kind, caring and grateful person. Gladys loved her family and was very active with her children as they were growing. She would often be outside pitching a softball to a willing batter. Fishing was a Cacek tradition and each summer the family made a trip to Minnesota for a fishing vacation. She followed the children’s progress in school and their other activities. She was very interested in the well-being of her second-grade students and could be seen late in the evening looking over their work at the kitchen table. She would often scour the newspaper and check the sports pages. Gladys was also known for her fish-frying and pie-making skills and she and Vernon often had friends over after Friday night games or for card club.
As time went on, she and Vernon enjoyed traveling to see grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Iowa, Colorado and Minnesota. In retirement she and Vernon traveled to Arizona for more adventures and friendships. After moving with Vernon in August of 2013 to the Eastern Star Home in Boone Iowa, Gladys made very meaningful connections with the staff and their children.
She is survived by her children, Mary Gilley, Theresa “Terri” Watson, Edward (Therese) Cacek, Philip (Jill) Cacek and David Cacek; grandchildren, Christopher (Molly) Cacek, Andrea Cacek (Matt) Winbigler, Molly Watson, Joshua (Juli) Blythe, and Nicholas Cacek; great grandchildren, Aspen Winbigler, Elsa Winbigler, Ian Cacek, Anthony Blythe; and nieces and nephews.
Gladys was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Esther Irvine; siblings, Neal (Yalon) Irvine, Dale (Lois) Irvine, Bernice (Ken) Henderson; husband, Vernon Cacek; daughter-in-law, Carol Cacek; step-grandson, Nathan Blythe; and Terri’s long-time partner, Chuck Pyle.
Gladys’ family would like to offer a very special thanks to the nurses and staff of the Boone Eastern Star Masonic Home for their generous care and loving support of Gladys. We also thank the people of Sacred Heart Church in Boone for your kindness. We are forever grateful.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Gladys’ family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com.
