Gloria Dean Foster Wintjen was born Aug. 11, 1926, in Dallas, TX to Earl A. Foster and Marie Tridle Foster. She moved to McCune, Kansas at the age of 4 and went all 12 grades at McCune Rural grade school and High School. (And loved every minute of it.) She was active in all the high school plays and was a cheerleader all 4 years of high school.
During her teen years she worked after school at the Mullings Cafe and Lou Nelsons grocery store. She loved dancing and having fun with all her school chums, and she really loved growing up in McCune. She was always supported by two sets of grandparents and many aunts, uncles, and cousins (all in McCune). She dearly loved her grandma Carrie and grandpa Erve who used to do all the Irish jigs for her and many more beautiful memories.
She graduated from high school during W.W.II and she tried really hard to join the Air Force. She wanted to be the one who helped transport planes close to the frontlines, but you had to be a certain height. Although she did all kinds of exercises, she never was tall enough. So, then she decided she’d be a Secret Service Agent, but then thought she wasn’t very good at keeping secrets. She was a member of the U.S.O and helped entertain the troops with a group of singers and tap dancers.
Gloria has been writing to a pen pal “Mary” in Nottingham, England since 1940. Both went through all the heartaches of World War II. She always said it is like having that one person that meant so much, like a sister neither of them had. Gloria was a Secretary for Union L.P Das for 45 years. Gloria loved her family very much. She once wrote in her school class alumni paper that her greatest accomplishment was having 4 great kids who tell her she’s been a good mom. That says it all.
The kids were always happy when mom made homemade noodles. When Clay (her youngest) graduated from high school, she came home and made the remark “Well I can finally throw that old thing away” meaning her white purse that she carried to all 4 children’s graduations. Inside were 4 graduation programs.
Gloria was preceded in death by her husband Dwayne Wintjen, whom she married in October of 1945 in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Gloria is survived by her 4 children Mike and wife Gloria of Glassboro, New Jersey, Connie and husband Mike of Webb City, Missouri, Gary and wife Sandy of Waco, Missouri and Clay of Webb City, Mo, 10 grandchildren: Karen, Jill, Chris, Cari, Taylor, Garrick, Drew, Brandon, Briana and Bryce. great grandchildren: Jonny, Gabriel, Samantha, Kimberly, Kyle, Cale, Caden, Cooper, Brylee, Gentry, Blake, Courtney.