Gladys Irene Vannote Canham, 1921

I lived with my grandmother from the time I was 6 weeks old. She was an amazing, strong woman. She passed onto me the information about her family and grandfather's family, Gladys Irene Van Note was born on May 3, 1900 in Steamboat, Iowa to David Charles Van Note and Lucinda Josephine Oden Van Note. She was the eldest child of four girls. In 1909 her mother died. In 1912 she and her sisters were removed from their father's custody. Gladys became the foster child of Jake and Allie Starr of rural Steamboat Rock. She had three younger foster sisters, Ardis, IvaMae and Margaret. Gladys graduated from rural Hardin county school and went to the Iowa Teacher's college in Iowa Falls, IA. There she met Alva Edward Canham, They married in 1921 in Iowa Falls. In 1925 she had her only daughter, Frances Irene. In 1942, she and Alva took jobs with the social security administration and moved to Baltimore, MD. In 1961, they moved to Kansas City. Alva passed away in December 1962 and Gladys retired from the SSA and moved back to Iowa Falls with her granddaughter, Jacqueline Wicks. In 1984, Gladys moved to Denver, CO to be near her daughter, Frances. After Frances passed away, she remained, in the care of her neice, Mildred Dunn. Gladys passed away on August 3, 1993 from complications from Alzheimer's. She was brought back to Iowa Falls and buried next to her husband, Alva.