Gladys Marie Kongs, 97, of Seneca, Kansas died on, May 20, 2021 at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital.

Gladys was born in Baileyville on December 12, 1923, to Joseph and Rose Dick Hunninghake; and grew up on a farm north of Baileyville. Gladys attended school in Baileyville, graduating from high school. Gladys continued to pursue her education at business school in Topeka and then was employed for the County Clerk’s Office in Lawrence.

On August 13, 1949 Gladys married John Robert Kongs at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. After their marriage, she was a homemaker and a “stay at home” Mom for their two daughters, while they lived in Kansas City and Michigan.

After 1973, John and Gladys moved back to Seneca to helped John’s mother operate the movie theater, which had been in their family since 1920 — the Royal Theater. In 1991, John and Gladys sold the theater to Ray Hunninghake and retired. On August 13, 2009, Gladys and John moved to Topeka to be closer to their daughter, Laura. Gladys returned to Seneca after John’s death, on October 26, 2018, and made her home at Crestview Nursing & Residential Living.

Gladys enjoyed playing bridge, baking, cooking, playing scratch tickets, politics and loved taking her granddaughter to play bingo when they visited.

Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Lester Hunninghake on May 21, 2013, Henry Hunninghake on July 10, 1994 and Elmer Hunninghake on October 4, 2012.

Gladys was a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca.

Gladys is survived by her two daughters, Janet (Andy) Hickman of Bellaire, Michigan and Laura (Phyllis Sanderholm) of Omaha; two granddaughters; and 3 great-grandchildren.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Gladys will be at 2 PM on Monday, May 24, 2021 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Baileyville. A rosary will be prayed at 1:30 PM prior to the Mass. Burial was in the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Baileyville.

Memorials for Gladys will be designated at a later date.