Good-bye Gigi

Growing up in Columbia Falls has been a good thing for lots of kids, me included. Parents are involved in children’s baseball, swim team, school events and using the surrounding area as a huge playground not found in many areas.

One of those parents I remember as a youth is my friend’s mom, Gladys Shay. She could hold one kid on her hip while stirring dinner on the stove and answering the phone for the local taxi they ran.

As a Brownie Scout leader, she taught us the finer points of making a project without using so much glue it dripped off the table. She led Eastern Star while many of us went through Rainbow Girls. Her service to our community has been lifelong and too long to list here, just as her column has been a treasure weekly in the Horse.

I was sorry to hear last week that “Gigi” has stopped writing her column. Gladys is one of the multitasking senior women in town who has many more projects to complete, so I don’t see her slowing down in the future. I’m sure there’s a book or two in the works, with all the local knowledge inside that brain.

Thanks for all the years, columns and community service, Gladys. We all know you’ll never stop, just change directions and do something else. Have a great summer with family.

Dee Brown

Coram