Gladys W. (Grosz) Horton was born January 8, 1931, in Bismarck, North Dakota and passed away on February 19, 2024, in Carbonado, Washington at the age of 93 years old. Gladys was preceded in death by her parents, Emil & Susan Grosz, her brother Duane Grosz, her husband J. Dean Horton, her sisters, Arlene Humphrey, Luanne Metrokas, and her sister Helen Hunter. She is survived by her daughter Vicky (Lee) Atkinson of Buckley, WA; her son Lee (Cindy) Horton of Mount Vernon, WA; son Lonny (Helen) Horton of Carbonado, WA; her brother Delmar Grosz, her sister Jerene (Nick) Metrokas; her grandchildren: Jason, Kevin, Staci, Nichole, Shelton, Rachel, Cristy, Isaiah and Jeremiah; her Great grandchildren: Kohlton, Aurora, Liv, Logan, Austin,
Andrew, Cole, Wesley, Clara, Jack, Jaxon, Emery, and Raeleigh. Gladys was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. Gladys was a cherished member of her community and touched the lives of many with her kindness, generosity, and unwavering faith. She was a devoted mother, loving grandmother, industrious housewife, dedicated preschool teacher nurturing the minds and spirits of young children for many years. She served her churches in several capacities such as church treasurer, Sunday School teacher, Girls club leader, VBS leader, and hospitality team member. She videotaped countless hours of her grandchildren’s sporting events and other activities. Her commitment to her faith in the Lord was evident through her participation at Carbonado Community Church for several decades and later Calvary Community Church when she moved to live in senior apartments in that community. She also volunteered at the Sumner Food Bank. Having grown up on a farm in North Dakota, Gladys had a deep appreciation for strong family, hard work, and enjoyed the simple things in life. She had fond memories of her favorite horse, Doris, and prided herself in being frugal toward her own needs and generous towards her family and friends needs. Gladys was adamant that her faith was fully built on the finished work of Jesus Christ sacrifice for sin to purchase her salvation. She insisted that her good works would never make her good enough to merit salvation but that they were merely evidence of her love for God and people. She will be remembered for her strong spirit, compassionate and generous heart, and her unwavering faith in God. May she rest in Her Lord’s eternal peace, reunited with her loved ones in the embrace of God’s love. Gladys will be interned at Tahoma National Cemetery in Covington, WA at her husband, J. Dean Horton’s grave. A Celebration of Life will be held in Gladys’ honor on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at 11:00am at Carbonado Community Church located at 150 3rd St. NW, Carbonado, WA 98323. There will be a reception following the service at the CCC Multipurpose Building, located at 100 Church Ave., Carbonado, WA.
