Growing Up
January 14, 2022
Born
to Grover Cleveland and Pearl Lena Liesman, Gladys was one of 9
children in a busy farm household. When the family went anywhere,
everyone had a specific place to sit in the vehicle so they all would
fit. Nicknames were popular in the family, known as Boob (Alvin),
Fritz (Paul), Bud (Fern), Fizzle (Wesley), Fuzzy (Gladys), twins Fat
and Dorie (Dorothy and Doris), Bob (Robert), and Loie (Lois). The
family moved several times around central Illinois before relocating
to Missouri after Gladys was grown. Gladys talked about sometimes
leaving one house to go to school in the morning and going home to a
different house in the afternoon! She also recalled Fizzle driving
the younger kids to school in a buckboard wagon. Monopoly was a
favorite game, and no one was ever lonely.