GLADYS CATO WHITAKER

POPLAR BLUFF -- Gladys Cato Whitaker, 91, of Poplar Bluff died Friday, Sept. 24, 1999, at Doctors Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff.

She was born Jan. 16, 1908, the daughter of Phillip and Lula Ann Calder Deckard. She married Dolph Cato on March 17, 1924. He died Dec. 5, 1965. She also married Raymond Whitaker, who preceded her in death on Oct. 13, 1978.

She resided in Kinder until moving to Poplar Bluff in 1953. She owned the Tin Shack Restaurant in Poplar Bluff for many years. She was a former member of the Oak Grove General Baptist Church near Kinder.

She is survived by three sons, Arzie Cato of Puxico, Earl Cato of Radcliff, Ky., and Sanford Cato of Dexter; three daughters, Florence Green of Elsinore, Wanda Brinker of Madison, Wis., and Shirley Peek of Owensville; a brother, Everett Decker of Fredericktown; a sister, Florence Ambrose of St. Louis; 15 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren.

She also was preceded in death by her parents and a son.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Watkins & Sons Chapel with the Rev. Everett Decker of Fredericktown officiating.

Burial will be at the Berong Cemetery near Zalma.