Gladys Quilter

Gladys Ann Morris Quilter (“Aunt Glada”), age 92, of West, passed away early Sunday morning, June 20, 2021 at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Hospital in Waco. A rosary will be recited and Mass of Christian Burial celebrated 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 28, 2021 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Assumption in West, with the Rev. Ed Karasek as celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Gladys was born March 10, 1929 in West, the fourth daughter of August Joseph and Mary Lillian (Peters) Morris. Her father, August, was an immigrant from Czechoslovakia and a self-made man in Texas. As editor and publisher of the West News, and one of the owners of the Famous Dry Goods in West, August and his wife instilled a strong work-ethic and entrepreneurial spirit in their daughters, and Gladys was no exception. Gladys was a 1946 graduate of West High School prior to attending Baylor University. On October 8, 1971 she was united in marriage to James Quilter in Dallas. In 1973, Gladys, along with her sisters Lucille Price and Georgia Montgomery, purchased the old Famous in West and renamed it The Village Shoppe. They owned and operated the women’s and children’s clothing shop for over 40 years. Gladys was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Assumption in West. She was also a member of Catholic Daughters of America Court #829, St. Anne’s Altar Society, St. Mary’s School Alumni Association, and taught Sokol in West. Gladys loved gardening, crossword puzzles, Texas Rangers baseball, shopping with her sisters at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and playing piano. She was a hard-worker well into her 80s, and still drove to market in Dallas. She continued her mother’s tradition of hosting the family Christmas Eve gathering in her home, a tradition that spanned almost 90 years in the same house. She delighted in animals, and was particularly fond of her special kitty cats. She doted on her nieces Patti, Mimi, and Suzy and nephew John when they were young, was very fond of her great niece and great nephews, and their little ones brought her great joy in her elder years. Gladys was preceded in death by her husband Jimmy, who passed away June 18, 2013. She was also preceded in death by her parents; sisters Lillian J. Brewington, Georgia Montgomery, and Lucille Price; a niece, Mimi Montgomery Irwin; and nephew, John Morris Price. Survivors include her nieces, Patricia Price Arms and husband Geoff of Houston, and Mary Suzanne Price of Santa Fe, New Mexico; niece-in-law Brenda Price of West, great niece and nephews, Lauren Arms Beck and husband Chris, John Thomas Price and wife Rachel, and Austin Price; great great nephews and nieces, Christopher Beck, Lillian J. Beck, John Geoffrey Beck, Sadie Price, Sophia Price, and John Thomas Price, Jr.; her loving cats, Lacy, Grady, Little Pumpkin, and Socks; and many other relatives and friends. Pallbearers are Geoff Arms, Chris Beck, John T. Price, Austin Price, and Christopher L. Beck. The family would like to thank her caregiver, Ella Morgan, and also Mary, Floyd, Coleman and Cameron Wolf, Heidi Hills, and Gladys’s beloved neighbor, Stacy Slone for all their love, care, and help during her recent illness. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Mary's School Endowment Fund, West Volunteer Ambulance Association or West Senior Center.