Mae Mary L. Gladney's Obituary
Mae Mary Gladney claimed her Heavenly crown Friday, December 22, 2006. Mary Gladney was born September 29, 1951, in Brownsville, Tennessee. The daughter of Roger and Daisy Bond and the eldest of seven children, she moved to Decatur, Illinois with her family at the age of 15. Mary was a graduate of Eisenhower High School class of 1969. No stranger to hard work, she went from the cotton fields of the south to the factories of the north. Mary worked 18 years as a machine operator at Caterpillar Tractor Company. While laid off in the early 1980's, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a licensed cosmetologist. After being called back to Caterpillar, Mary continued to work part-time as a licensed stylist and full time in the factory. In 1989 she took a leap of faith by walking away from her secure union job with great pay and better benefits into the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. She opened the doors of Mary's Beauty Salon and never looked back.
Mary Gladney was a selfless public servant whose passions included education, entrepreneurship, and economic empowerment for minorities. She often said her business which she appropriately changed to New Vision Hair Care Center in 2003 was her ministry. To every customer, every employee, every child passing through she was a mentor, a mother, a counselor, and a friend. She provided jobs for newly licensed stylists. She invested her time and money into inner-city schools with the hopes of making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. She served on countless professional boards and dedicated much of her free time to any and all efforts to increase awareness about small business ownership and the importance of using those businesses to create jobs. She truly loved Decatur and believed each and every citizen had an obligation to make it a better place to live and work. Her only wish was to inspire others to get involved and make a difference by being proactive rather than reactive. Mary never asked for attention. She preferred the background roles. Her light simply shined too brightly for people not to notice. Even now, she will continue to shine brightly around every life she ever touched.
The celebration of her spirit-filled life will take place on her wedding anniversary, January 1, 2007, at 12:00 pm at the Church of the Living God CWFF Temple #46, located at 400 S. Franklin Street in Decatur, Illinois, with visitation one hour before the service. In lieu of flowers and cards, the family requests that donations be made in her name to the Bishop E.A. Morgan Scholarship Fund or other local programs supporting quality education.
Special thanks to Isaiah and Karen of the Visiting Nurses Association, the doctors and staff of Decatur Memorial Hospital, the clergy and congregation of the Church of the Living God CWFF Temple #46, the Millikin University chapter of SCORE, Latisha Scott who was a loyal friend and co-worker to the end, and every single aspiring stylist who worked for and/or with Mary Gladney during her twenty-year career.
She leaves-not to mourn-but to celebrate her life, her devoted husband, Glenwood Gladney of Decatur, IL; four biological children, Tammy Bond of Urbana, IL, Nathan Bond of Glendale, CA, Sharon Bond and Tia White of Decatur, IL; four step-children, Gwendolyn Townes John, Joyce Gladney, and Yolanda Burkins of Champaign, IL, and Michelle Hill Willie of Decatur, IL; siblings, Jimmy Bond of Ogden, KS, Helen Bond Allen of Jackson, TN, Linda Taylor Henry of Lexington, KY, Larry Bond Dionne of Groton, Connecticut, Melvin Bond and Michael Bond Arlene of Toledo, OH, and Johnnie Bond of Detroit, MI; a special niece she raised as her own, Latasha Bond of Dallas, TX; twelve grand-children and innumerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Mary was preceded in death by her infant brother, mother, father, and grandparents.
The family of Mae Mary Gladney is being served by the Moran & Goebel Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 2801 N. Monroe St. Decatur, IL.
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