Gladys Pearl Oliver, age 67, of Vestaburg, Michigan, passed away late Wednesday evening, October 1, 2025 at home under the loving care of her family and Heartland Hospice. The daughter of Earl Edward & Katherine Mae (Johnston) Smith, she was born on December 19, 1957 in Alma, Michigan. Gladys worked at Electrolux in Greenville until the plant closed, and then retired from AGA Marvel. On April 5, 2003, she married Steve Wayne Oliver and together they enjoyed over twenty-two years of marriage.
Gladys had a giving heart and her favorite thing to do was take care of others and help wherever she could. Whether it was her annual Easter Egg hunt or various other special occasions, if her kids, grandkids or any of their friends were involved, Gladys was guaranteed to make it special, memorable, and likely, over the top!! Her family, and seeing them happy was her life’s mission.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl & Katherine Smith; an infant brother, Leonard Smith; a special family friend, William “Bill” Miller; and her beloved fur-friend, Gidget.
Surviving are her husband, Steve Oliver; four children, Rusty & Lisa Jerome, Kathy & Josh Fair, Mike & Rebecca Oliver, and Brian Oliver; thirteen grandchildren, Roy III (Maryna); Athena, Brookelyn (Hunter), Ashlyn (Cameron), Caden, Kaitlyn, Hannah, Kaitlynn, Ethan, J.R., Cole (Hattie), Janet, and Addelyn; one precious great-grandson, Roy “IV”; one sister, Colene & Allen Ryckman; three brothers, Billy & Dawn Smith, Montie & Dian Smith, and Lyman Smith; Steve’s siblings, Marion Foster, Stanley & Patty Oliver, Mark & Annette Oliver, and Sharon Gunther; numerous nieces and nephews; the family of Bill Miller; and her loyal “gremlin,” Gizmo.
A casual, come as you are, visitation is from 6 – 8 p.m. on Monday, October 6, 2025 at Christiansen’s Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, 511 S. Franklin Street, Greenville. Burial will take place privately at McBride Cemetery.
To send a message of sympathy to the family, sign Gladys’s online guest book, or to share a favorite memory, please visit: www.MichiganCremation.com
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Christiansen's Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, Greenville, 616-754-5638.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
511 S. Franklin Street, Greenville, MI 48838

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