Gladys Lucille Berry

Gladys Lucille Berry

July 20, 1926 - June 26, 2015

GERING, Neb. -- Gladys Lucille Berry, 88, passed away peacefully Friday evening, June 26, 2015, at Heritage Estates in Gering. Her Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, July 1 at 10 a.m. at All Souls Catholic Church at Bridgeport with Father David Rykwalder officiating. Interment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery at Broadwater. A Rosary will be recited at 7 pm., Tuesday, June 30 at the church. Friends may call at the church on Tuesday from 5 p.m. until the Rosary at 7 p.m. Memorials have been established for All Souls Catholic Church and Rose Hill Cemetery. Friends and family are invited to attend a farewell memorial gathering after each service.

Jolliffe Funeral Home at Bridgeport is in charge of the arrangements. Her obituary may be viewed at www.jolliffefuneralhome.com, where condolences may be left for family.

Gladys was born July 20, 1926, at a farm home north of Gurley, Nebraska, the third child of Jessie (Day) Reiners and Otto Reiners. At the age of three, she moved with her family to rural Broadwater. Growing up on a farm in Nebraska during the Depression, she did not have much in the way of possessions, but she had a loving and spiritual family that instilled in her the qualities of commitment, honesty and integrity that she carried with her throughout her life. She attended St. Patrick's Catholic School in Sidney, rural schools, and graduated in 1944 from Broadwater High School. In the earlier years of her life, she was a rural school teacher. She married Clay Berry on Dec. 4, 1948, at Saint Mary's Church in Dalton, Nebraska. Three children were born to this union, Dennis, Pamela and Karen.

She was a faithful wife of 60 years, a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was a successful homemaker and taught religious classes at St. Mary's for many years. Gladys was both a scout and 4-H leader. She helped with many PTA and school projects during her lifetime. She was a member of extension, bible and social clubs. She is a member of the Diocesan Counsel of Catholic Women. When her children became more independent she attended beauty school and worked as a cosmetologist for several years.

Gladys enjoyed nature, sunsets in particular, flowers, gardening, traveling, bowling, dancing, playing cards, and family gatherings. Granny demonstrated the same loving enthusiasm for grand-motherhood to her four grandchildren, Jesse, Carly, Susan, and Kodi. In recent years, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren's activities filled her life and time. Gladys has a large loving family that also includes in-laws, adopted and step-great grand children. She was loved and appreciated for her incredible inner strength despite her long suffering struggle with polio, arthritis, and other serious illnesses. She willingly gave of herself to others. Her positive influence has and will affect generations.

She is survived by her children, Dennis (Cora) Berry, Pamela (Paul) Logan, and Karen (Dave) Young; grandchildren, Jesse (Elizabeth) Logan, Carly (Lowell) Shutt, Susan Berry-Swanson, and Kodi Gerhold; sister, Margaret Kesseler; sisters-in-law, Gussie Fanning and Neoma Simpson; great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends

Gladys was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Clay; sisters, Marian and Jessie; and her great-grandson and great-granddaughter.

May God be kind to our Granny. Dear God, let your perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.