Gladys Ruth Trcalek Hejl

1933 - 2022

Gladys Ruth (Masar) Trcalek Hejl

May 6, 1933 - February 9, 2022

Gladys Ruth (Masar) Trcalek Hejl, 88, passed away peacefully Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at Burleson St. Joseph Hospital. Gladys was born May 6, 1933 in New Tabor, the daughter of John and Annie (Mrnustik) Masar. A public visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, February 11 at Phillips and Luckey Funeral Home in Caldwell. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Phillips and Luckey Funeral home in Caldwell with Brother David Johnson of New Tabor Brethren Church officiating. Burial will follow at New Tabor Cemetery.

Gladys was a child of the depression and grew up knowing how to stretch a dollar. She attended New Tabor country school until the eighth grade and graduated in 1950 from Caldwell High School. The same year, on April 8, she married Willie Trcalek and to this union four daughters were born. They were married 28 years. After his untimely death, she married Daniel (Rusty) Hejl on November 16, 1979. They were married until his death in 2003.

After marriage, Gladys spent her time caring for her growing family, milking cows, gardening, cooking and canning and sewing for her four girls. In 1968, she and Willie bought New Tabor Store and she worked the store until 1980. She lived her entire life in the New Tabor Community.

Gladys was extremely proud of her Czech heritage. She was baptized and confirmed in the Czech language at New Tabor Brethren Church where she maintained her membership until her passing. She was also a member of the Christian Sisters. Gladys was instrumental in organizing the New Tabor Lodge #17 SPJST youth club in 1964 and made a lasting impression on many of our youth in the area. She was a lifetime member of the SPJST serving as hall manager, a delegate to the SPJST Convention and a member of the Board of Trustees. She loved attending SPJST domino and Tarok tournaments. Gladys was also a member of CSA Fraternal Life, taking her first train ride then later her first airplane ride to attend the CSA Convention in Chicago. She visited the Czech Republic in 2004 and met some of her Masar relatives in the village her father grew up in. She enjoyed speaking the Czech language with a few special friends that can still speak the language. She was a regular at the Annual Kolache Festival and always liked it when she was introduced as the Mayor of New Tabor.

In her later years, she enjoyed scratching lottery tickets, doing word search puzzles, watching Aggie football and the game show network, listening to polka music and playing Bingo, especially on Christmas Eve. She also enjoyed going to Louisiana and Vegas. Her last two trips to Vegas were with all four of her girls.

Gladys was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Willie Trcalek, and second husband, Daniel "Rusty" Hejl; son-in-law, Bud Petty; brother, Johnnie Masar; and nephew, Ben Trcalek, Jr.

She is survived by her four daughters, Betty (Donnie) Suehs, Carol Petty, Susan (Gary) Skrabanek and Donna (Bruce) Jones, all of Caldwell.

She is also survived by nine grandchildren, Holly (Ralph) Narro, Mindy (Mike) Bammel, Mica (Michael) McFarlane, Marshall (Roxanne) Petty, Mabrey Petty, Kyle (Mikaela) Skrabanek, Lacy Jones, Lindsey Collins and Logan Jones; great-grandchildren, Tyler (Mariah) Sandner, Dillon (Savanna) Narro, Macy Narro, Madelynn Bammel, Hunter Petty, Joshawa Petty, Tabor Dowell, Maylee Dowell, Millison Dowell and Thatcher Dowell; and one great-great-granddaughter, Sawyer Sandner. "Granny" was very proud of her five generations.

Also surviving her are brother-in-law, Monroe Hejl; sisters-in-law, Joyce (Bill) Walker and Betty (Frank) Fields; nieces, Beatrice Landolt and Patsy Story; and nephew, George Zavodny, Jr.; a host of other family and many friends.

Memorial donations may be made to New Tabor SPJST Youth Club or New Tabor Brethren Church.

Express condolences at PhillipsandLuckey.com.