Gladys Kitty Holcomb

Kitty Gladys Williams Holcomb, was born on March 20, 1932, in Thomas, Oklahoma, and passed away peacefully on July 29, 2025. She was the daughter of Allen and Martha Williams and the 11th of twelve children. Gladys spoke often of her family and loved each of them deeply.

In 1947, she met and fell in love with 21-year-old Ruben Reid Holcomb. They married that September in Carson City, Nevada. Though their engagement was brief, Gladys always said she knew Reid was the one from the moment they met. Together, they raised four children and were a loving presence in the lives of countless nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. Their children were: Vernon Duane Holcomb, born in 1948 in Yuba City, California; Hamilton Reid Holcomb, born in 1950 in Marysville, California; Jena Rene Holcomb, born in 1953 in Sacramento, California; and Lonnie Delbert Holcomb, born in 1963 in Ontario, Oregon.

Gladys was preceded in death by her parents, all her siblings, her husband of 67 years, and her two oldest sons, Duane (Ruth) and “Little Reid,” who is survived by his wife, Betty. She is survived by her daughter, Jena Shadwick (Jim Shadwick); her youngest son, Lonnie Holcomb; as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

As a child of the Great Depression, Gladys understood the value of hard work and gratitude. She began working at the age of 13 and never stopped. Over the years, she worked as a carhop, a telephone operator, a server, a factory worker, and a custodian. In 1961, in search of a better life, she and Reid followed his sister to Idaho. While raising their children, Gladys also worked at Maudie Owens Café, Settelmeyer’s Drug Store, and the A&W. During this time, she developed a lifelong love of cooking, especially baking pies. Whether it was coconut cream, lemon meringue, pumpkin, or chocolate, she baked with joy and always had time to share the kitchen with her grandchildren.

In the early 1970s, the family moved to Nampa when Reid began working for the State of Idaho. It was there that Gladys discovered her true passion, dog grooming. At the age of 50, she proudly earned her GED and continued her education to become a professional pet groomer. She later opened her own grooming business on Gekeler Avenue in Boise, which she ran for ten years before briefly retiring. After traveling with Reid for a few months, Gladys realized she was not ready to slow down. She opened a second grooming shop out of their home in Nampa, where she and Reid worked side-by-side for another 15 years before retiring and returning to Payette County.

The family would love for all of her friends and family to come and share a story about Gladys (story telling was one of her favorite activities) at her Celebration of Life, which will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Clubhouse of Scotch Pines Golf Course. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to your local Meals on Wheels program, a cause close to Gladys’s heart.