Walter “Gene” Eugene Gleaves, the son of Walter Neal Gleaves and Flora Cordelia (Carley) Gleaves, was born May 9, 1930, on a farm east of Treynor, IA. He died September 9, 2022, at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, IA, at the age of 92 years and 4 months.
Gene attended 1st through 5th grades in Carson, IA, 6th through 8th grades at Box Elder County School west of Henderson, IA, 9th through 11th grades at Henderson High School, and completed 11th grade and graduated from Carson with the class of 1947.
On December 26, 1951, Gene was united in marriage to Gloria Ardelle Miller in Hiawatha, KS. Three sons were born to this union: Mike, Jeff, and Terry.
Gene and Gloria lived and farmed west of Henderson, east of Oakland, west of Oakland, south and east of Oakland until the fall of 2005 when they moved to town. Gene continued to be involved with the farming until 2020 because somebody has to keep an eye on those young guys.
Gene enjoyed horses, reading westerns, watching westerns, playing cards, his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was a member of the Oakland United Methodist Church, had previously served on the Oakland school board and had been Center Township trustee.
Gene is preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 65 years; his sisters: Irene Merk and Olive Keast; his brothers-in-law: William Merk, Oscar Keast, Donald Eyler, and Maurice “Buz” Miller; his sisters-in-law: Hazel Miller and Barbara Birdi; his grandson Daniel Gleaves; and his granddaughter-in-law Samantha Gleaves.
Gene is survived by his three sons: Mike Gleaves of Avoca, IA, Jeff Gleaves and wife Jean of Kelseyville, CA and Terry Gleaves and wife Amy of Oakland, IA; his daughter-in-law Leslie Gleaves of Harlan, IA; his sister-in-law Doris Eyler of Council Bluffs, IA; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Delford “Jeep” and Ruth Miller; his grandchildren: Dana, Megan, Timothy, Evan and wife Kassie, Alex and wife Emerald and Grace; his great-grandchildren: Cash, Wyatt, Vanessa, Ashton, Everett and Kallen plus AJ. Gene is also survived by many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
Funeral services will be on Friday, September 16, 2022, at 10:30 AM, at the Oakland United Methodist Church. Visitation with the family will take place Thursday evening from 5-7 PM, at the Oakland United Methodist Church. Interment will be in the Oaklawn Cemetery. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is assisting the family.
