Our Mother, Gladys R. Pierce, (affectionately known as "Grammie and Gram") was born on a farm in Mt. Pleasant, NC on February 11, 1928, the 5th of 11 children to John and Sarah Rice.  Her faith became sight on May 11, 2025, when at the age of 97, she heard the call to come home from her Heavenly Father. She left this life, loved beyond measure, well cared for and in the full assurance of a simple deep Christian faith that she will now enjoy for eternity.

Mom was preceded in death by our dad, Keith S. Pierce, all her brothers, sisters and all her brother and sister in laws except for Dewala Pierce Parker.

A funeral service to celebrate the life of Gladys will be 11 AM Friday, May 16, 2025, at Faulks Baptist Church with burial to follow in the church cemetery.  The family will receive friends Thursday from 5-7 PM at Morgan & Son Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials made to Faulks Baptist Church cemetery fund, 2234 Faulks Church Road, Marshville, NC  28103.

From mom's earliest years, she embodied resilience, tenacity and had a zest for life that was instilled by her parents during The Great Depression.  Her strong sense of family and the determination to never give up came from the unbreakable bond she shared with her siblings as they worked together through the trials of life. These qualities continued to bear themselves out in every area of her life. After high school she went to Kings Business College and had a successful 40-year career in textiles with Dupont Corporation. Mom's intelligence, integrity and tenacity led management within the company to place her in a marketing representative position that prior to taking the position had been occupied only by her male counterparts. Mom always put others ahead of herself exemplified in her using her first paycheck from Dupont to purchase a washer for her parents.

After retirement she volunteered with several organizations like Health Quest; because she had a heart bent toward helping others. She had a second career working at Marshville Auto Service, the family car lot.  Customers would experience her kindness through a warm greeting and conversation while she performed notarizations and gave candy to their children. These encounters often afforded her the opportunity to share her faith in Jesus Christ. She and Daddy enjoyed the opportunity to work with each other during their latter years together.  Mom ran the office while dad entertained everyone around town and paid her for her hard work with a Frosty from Wendy's or a Bojangles biscuit.

In March 1948, on a blind date she met Keith Pierce, who had just gotten out of the Army and would become the love of her life for over 53 years prior to his death in 2003. They married in August 1949 and lived several years in Monroe until they built their permanent home in the countryside of Marshville in 1956. Mom was truly the woman behind the man as her resilience and never give up attitude as she supported dad in their business ventures, his leadership positions and involvement in many community projects. Faulks Baptist Church was their place of worship where mom served in numerous roles throughout the years. One of those roles proved to be especially meaningful to her. She was given the opportunity to start a class for adults with special needs.  The class was named "The Gospel Star". She loved teaching them about Jesus and helping them to see how they could shine for God's glory even with difficulties. Even in the later years you would find mama proudly wearing her Gospel Star shirt.

She continues to shine brightly through those she leaves behind a son, Kerry Pierce, (Henrietta); daughter, Keitha Eddins (Steve); Grammie's legacy flourishes in the lives of her grandchildren and great grandchildren whom she loved dearly. Grandchildren, Patsy Doster, Julie Randall (Kelly), Tommy Wooten and Garrett Gaddy (Ashlea); great grandchildren, Regan  Moore (Casey), MacKenzie Staton, Carson Staton, Justin Randall,  Ben Randall, Marcus Ross, Emerson Gaddy, Wesley Randall, Wyatt Randall and Theodore Randall; Gladys also was so blessed to have many wonderful nieces and nephews that she loved dearly and who were so good to her over all the years.

She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She was always there when we or anyone needed her, offering support, wisdom, and love in abundance. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. While gone from her earthly home we will continue as her children and family to rise up and Praise The Lord for allowing us the privilege of sharing in a life well lived.