Gladys was born to Abigail Bernice Eversoll and Joe Lavern Young on Oct. 29, 1939, in Fresno. Her mother was born on a Mono reservation in Watts Valley, and Gladys’ Native American heritage was of great interest to her and her family.
Gladys moved to San Diego and subsequently met Richard Robert Edwards, who was in the Navy. They married in 1958 and settled in Salinas, where he found work in agriculture. They had three children together: Pamela, Matthew and Jacqueline. As a young mother, Gladys focused much of her energy and time on raising her kids while also teaching herself to cook and learning to garden. She spent endless hours encouraging her children’s hobbies and pastimes, whether they were scuba diving lessons, swimming at Lovers Point, Boy Scouts, PTA events or seemingly endless tennis matches.
Gladys frequently visited her siblings in Fresno over the years and eventually returned to her hometown after Richard passed away. There, she was able to afford a home, and she spent years decorating and landscaping to make it everything she wanted. She had a green thumb and a decorator’s eye that were the envy of many. She was strong, opinionated — and often difficult, she might even admit. She valued time alone and generally chose to keep to herself, but nothing mattered more to her than her family.
Her children taught her to text several years ago, and that became a lifeline to her family during Covid. Any time, day or night, she was willing to listen and would try her best to help. She always sought to be supportive instead of judging. As her health deteriorated, she wished to stay in her home until the end, which made it tough on her family at times but was also the source of many lively conversations. Always tough and determined, she managed to remain at home up until four months before her death.
Gladys was the kind of grandmother who let her grandkids collect frogs on a hot summer night, only to have them all end up hopping around inside her house. The kids could run everywhere they wanted — except into “the breakable room,” where she kept her treasures. She would host dance parties in her garage with five grandkids dancing to their favorite music, not hers.
The family photo albums don’t show a lot of individual photos of Gladys, but she was at every event and was always in the background doing her thing. She wasn’t big on having her picture taken, preferring to lavish in sharing her children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments.
She loved ’50s music, had a crush on Aaron Neville and sung along with Celine Dion. She loved everything Clint Eastwood, including all his westerns, and one of her prized possessions was the original album from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” which played constantly in her house in the late 1960s. Years later, her son-in-law managed to get it autographed for her.
A daughter born to Gladys in San Diego in 1957, Sherrie, was adopted but found her mother and family later in Gladys’ life.
Gladys is survived by son Matthew Edwards, daughters Jacqueline Miller and Sherrie Tyler; grandchildren Jennifer Edwards, Rachel Dalton, Ashley Edwards, Seth Martinez and Nico Martinez; and sisters Doris Moscatelli, Nancy Metzler and Debbie Rodriguez. She was predeceased by siblings Paul Young, Wayne Young, Warren Young, Walter Young and Kathy Pera.
Gladys’ sister, Nancy, was a saving grace, especially over the last several years as Gladys needed more and more help. The family would like to thank Miriam Solis for her constant care and friendship to Gladys — and for indulging her even when it wasn’t good for her! For all the days Miriam spent in the nursing home by her side, we can never thank her enough. Her son-in-law, Paul Miller, generously ensured Gladys could stay in her own home for as long as possible, allowing her to hold onto her dream until the end.
The family will have a private memorial at a later date.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.whitehurstsullivan.com for the Edwards family.
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