Gladys Louise (Kinghorn) Becker, 85 of Arkansas City, Kansas, passed away Sunday April 16, 2023 at William Newton Memorial Hospital in Winfield, Kansas.
Gladys was born August 12, 1937 in Pawnee City, Nebraska to Chester and Marie Kinghorn. She was a farm girl raised and educated in Dawson, Nebraska and Sabetha, Kansas graduating from Sabetha High School in 1954. On October 20, 1956 Gladys married Bruce Becker in Sabetha, Kansas.
Their first 10 years of marriage were spent living in Wichita, Kansas where Gladys graduated from Wichita Business College and worked at WSU.
In 1967 Gladys and her family moved to Arkansas City and Gladys started her career at CONOCO in Ponca City, Oklahoma. She retired in 1985 as a Microfiche operator for CONOCO. Gladys then worked at Hillcrest Lanes Bowling Alley until her husband Bruce retired. Upon her husband’s retirement Gladys and Bruce took to the road. She spent 20 years as a full time RV’er spending most of her time in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Gladys had a passion for sewing, quilting, crocheting, knitting, crafts and camping. Gladys was a proud owner of a CCW permit and she was a crack shot with a pistol. She stressed the importance of family fellowship and for years she stayed involved with keeping her extended family updated on everyone’s addresses. She loved going to Ponca City Gospel Jubilee and Gladys was a well-known patron of Daisy Mae’s and Apco East.
Gladys is survived by her husband Bruce, her daughter Vicki and husband Terry Flauding of Arkansas City, her brother Robert Kinghorn of Lincoln, Nebraska; grandchildren Terry Flauding Jr. and Niki and husband Jesse Murray; great-grandchildren Trever Flauding, Tyler Flauding, Zoey Murray, and Maya Murray.
Honorable Mentions survivors are her beloved son Dale (Duke) Picht and wife Sharon of Hoffman MN, and daughter Monica Morton Kakhki and husband Sam of Marietta, GA.
She was preceded in death by her parents and daughter Diana Byrd.
A service is scheduled at Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home Chapel in Arkansas City on Friday April 28 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a graveside service in Parker Cemetery.
