Gloria M. Wondra (1936 - 2015)
Obituary
Gloria Manka Wondra died May 6, 2015 at
Newton, Kansas after an extended illness.
Born April 15, 1936 to Robert M. Manka
and Jessie A. Lone in Miller, Missouri, she is preceded in death by
her parents and by an infant brother.
Toward the end of the Great Depression,
the Manka family moved from Missouri to Rozel, Kansas. Growing up on
the farm, Gloria learned to work with the family's horses. Her love
of horses would become a lifelong passion and would sustain her
through the family's lean years. During junior and high school, she
worked harvest alongside her siblings. Driving the truck to the
elevator to unload grain was her favorite task. Ever the daredevil,
she delighted in racing the custom cutting crews to the elevators.
After she graduated from Rozel High, she married Bernard Wondra. The
couple moved their family to Newton, Kansas in 1973. One of Gloria's
first jobs in Newton was as head bookkeeper for the Newton School
District and then as the Chief Hospital Administrator for Bethesda
Home and Hospital in Goessel, Kansas. During the 1980s, she became
known for property management as well as income tax preparation. As a
tax preparer, she was one of the first companies to be approved by
the IRS to file electronic returns. After 2005, she retired so that
she could focus on travel, rug making, and genealogy.
Survivors include her children: Kelli
Wondra, daughter (Chicago, Illinois); Kerry and Kris Wondra, sons,
(Newton, Kansas); daughter-in-laws, Jodi Wondra and Diane Frey
(Newton, Kansas); grandchildren Jordan and Austin Wondra (Newton,
Kansas); sister Kaye M. Barnes (Dodge City, Kansas) and brothers
Robert M. and Philip R. Manka (Pawnee Rock, Kansas).
The family has set up memorial funds in
Gloria's name at Caring Hands Humane Society of Newton and at Hope in
the Valley Equine Rescue and Sanctuary. Donations for Caring Hands
may be sent directly to Caring Hands Animal Shelter at 1400 SE 3rd
St, Newton, KS 67114. Donations to Hope in the Valley may be made
online at hopeinthevalleyequinerescue.org.
A private memorial service was held for
the family.
Published in The Kansan on May 8, 2015
