Gladys Benz, 81, of 521 N. Date St., Toppenish, died Tuesday in Central Memorial Hospital. She was born Oct. 19, 1901, in Ellensburg to Oscar and Ella McEwen. Mrs. Benz was raised by Lou and Martha Evans and lived in the Toppenish area 72 years.
She married Paul Benz in Seattle April 4, 1923, and they recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Mrs. Benz had been a manager for Wheeler Electric Co. for 30 years.
Survivors include her husband, Paul Benz of Toppenish; a daughter, Patricia Ann Aaker of Boulder, Colo; two sons, Paul Benz Jr. of Yakima and Lou Benz of Portland, Ore.; two brothers, Mack McEwen of Maple Valley and Ralph McEwen of Toppenish; a sister, Cora Miller of Eugene, Ore.; eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Gladys died April 4, 1923. Her father, Oscar, remarried after Ella divorced him. According to the obit, she moved to Toppenish about 1910. Either Gladys did not like her stepmother or the stepmother did not want her. I assume this is why Gladys was raised by her Aunt Mattie in Toppenish.