Obituary of Gladys VanHousen

Gladys (Keech) Johnson VanHousen, age 91, of Phelps, and Penn Yan, NY, flew peacefully away on the wings of a snow-white dove on Saturday, September 14, 2024 during her short stay at Geneva Living Center due to illness.

Gladys was born April 2, 1933 to the late Guy and Frances (Conley) Keech and graduated from Middlesex Valley Central School in Rushville, class of '51. She grew up on a remote farm outside of Potter which did not have electricity or indoor plumbing thus making her strong, humble and determined. She did farm work including cultivating farmland, baling hay, picking and tying grapes, picking apples and berries. As a young wife and mother she learned how to be a projectionist at the Elmwood Theatre in Penn Yan, built a business giving guitar lessons and opened Johnson's Guitar Studio in her home that she helped design and build. She performed in bands and later started her own band that was well known throughout the area in the 60's and 70's as Dolly and the Westerners (she was Dolly) and her all-girl band, The Eaglettes who performed regularly at the Blue Eagle. She worked many jobs until she was 73 years old, finally retiring to live a quiet life at Vienna Gardens Independent Living in Phelps. She was always eager for family events and has been an exceptional role model to her loving family and will be greatly missed for her quiet nature and kind disposition.

She enjoyed fishing and staying on Keuka Lake at Campbell's Beach in Branchport which she helped the Johnson family run, motorcycle rides, going to the Adirondacks listening for loons, going for rides in Italy Hill for the fall foliage and she loved the sound of old John Deere tractors and the smell of the fields being turned over or mowed. She enjoyed camping in the Finger Lakes throughout the summers and being a snow bird camping in Yuma, AZ in the winters where she and Richard worked for the Bureau of Land Management for the U.S. Dept. of the Interior.

She is survived by her daughter Cynthia (Michael) French of Waterloo, son Dan (Laurie) Johnson of Newark, stepson Daniel (Donna) VanHousen of Webster; grandchildren Michelle (Michael) Grillone, Christina (James) Guererri, Dominic (Rachael) French, Amanda Lesterhuis, Ben Johnson, Cole Johnson, David VanHousen, Deena (Tyler) Fairchild; 10 great grandchildren: Hudson, Vincenzo, Giovanni Grillone, Charlotte, Sienna, Hannah French, Zeke, Asher Lesterhuis, Teddy, Tori Fairchild.

Gladys was predeceased by her parents Guy and Frances (Conley) Keech; husbands Donald Johnson of Penn Yan whom she was married to for 23 years and Richard VanHousen of Penn Yan for 24 years; brothers Kenneth, Robert, Stanley Keech and twin brother Gordon Keech; sisters Doris Dunton and Dorothy McLoud.

Calling hours will be held from 1:00-3:00 pm Thursday, September 26, 2024 with a memorial service immediately following at Townsend-Wood & Zinger Funeral Home, 201 E. Elm St, Penn Yan. Burial will be held at Lakeview Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

Special thanks to the staff at Vienna Gardens for the love she received for over 20 years of residency and for the dear friends that she made there. And thanks also to Geneva Living Centers for the special care and attention that she received during her short stay.

Memorial contributions may be made to Camp Good Days and Special Times at PO Box 665, Mendon, NY 14506 campgooddays.org or The Friends of the Outlet, Inc PO box 65, Dresden, NY 14441 keukaoutlettrail.org.