Wayne Gladden (Bolivar)'s Obituary
Wayne Allen Gladden passed away on April 30, 2025, from complications of a stroke.
Wayne was born to Dean and Mary Lou Gladden on December 5, 1956, at a clinic in Buffalo, Missouri. He was welcomed by two sisters, Louise and Helen, and a Goodson store full of customers and old men, “loafers” as they were called. He grew up hearing stories, along with some salty language, from these men. He also grew up spending many nights sitting around campfires with some of these men listening to his foxhounds hunt in the dark.
Wayne was one of 13 saved by grace and joined the church at a revival at Lindley Creek Missionary Baptist Church when he was 11 years old. He later joined Halfway Missionary Baptist Church where he was a member until his death.
After high school, Wayne attended Southwest Baptist College where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He started working part-time for his sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Mike Stephens, in college and continued to work as a Pharmacy Tech for 47 years when he retired in 2022.
Wayne started dating Jane in high school and they married on November 22, 1975. To this union were born two children Phillip and Susan.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents Dean and Mary Lou (Fisher) Gladden, a sister Helen Stephens, a niece Kim Williams, and their daughter Susan Gladden.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years Jane (Stewart) Gladden of the home, a son Phillip Gladden of Springfield, one sister Louise Williams of Fair Play, three brothers-in-law and their wives, Steve and Teresa Stewart of Lebanon, Sid and Trudy Stewart of Halfway, L.R. and Debi Stewart of Springfield, along with many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, friends and a special “niece and nephew” Klarissa and Kaleb McClelland and River Walters.
He was a lover of fun, whether it was a joke or a prank on a friend (or even better yet, getting someone else to carry out his prank so he didn’t get the blame). He would often allow some of his coworkers to take funny photos for Snapchat with him and in general loved to have a good time.
He will be missed by all who got to know him.
A visitation will be held from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Butler Funeral Home in Bolivar.
Funeral services will take place at 2:00 PM on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at the funeral home.
Burial will follow at Lindley Creek Cemetery
Memorial contributions can be made to Lindley Creek Cemetery.
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