Gloria Sue Parton's Obituary
Gloria Sue Parton (Dodd), 72, passed away peacefully in her home on March 1, 2026, at 4:17 p.m.
Gloria was born on December 26, 1953, in Rockford, Illinois, to Norman Keith and Patricia Leona Dodd. She attended Warrensburg-Latham High School and was a member of the Class of 1972, but, through determination and hard work, graduated a year early with the Class of 1971. She attended Richland Community College. She married Harry Michael Parton on June 23, 1979.
Gloria was never afraid to speak her mind and never allowed the unknown to intimidate her. After the death of her father, she and her husband successfully operated Decatur Automatic Company, transforming part of the business into a thriving mini mall. During that time, Gloria even ran a bakery of her own, delighting many with her delicious cinnamon rolls.
In the 1980s, Gloria found great success with Home Interiors, where she enjoyed helping women transform their houses into homes. In the 1990s, she managed the NordicTrack kiosk at Hickory Point Mall, an experience she often spoke about fondly, especially the “NordicTrack kids” she worked alongside.
Gloria had a remarkable gift for seeing potential in dilapidated property where others saw none. She and her husband worked together to transform numerous properties over the years, adding value and beauty to their community.
Later in life, Gloria dedicated nearly twenty years to Decatur Memorial Hospital, serving in a variety of roles. Her favorite and longest-held position was as a telecommunications operator, where she formed close friendships. Her family is deeply grateful for the kindness and support her coworkers showed during her health battles.
Gloria was a lifelong member of Pilgrim Lutheran Church.
She loved visiting the Panama City Beach area to be close to the ocean. She loved perusing magazines for remodeling ideas. She cherished her JUG Girls and looked forward to all of their fun outings.
She is survived by her sister, Tamari Crosier; her sister-in-law, Linda Albert; her son, Shane Michael Parton of Panama City Beach, Florida; her daughter, Stephanie Hale (Warren) of Warrensburg, Illinois; her stepson, Tom Parton (Sue); and her stepdaughter, Angie Ames (Kevin). She also leaves behind her cherished grandchildren: Cole and Stella Parton; Boston and Carson Hale; Zach and Josh Parton (Savannah); Jacob and Meghan Osman; Ashley Holten (Zachary); and two great-grandsons, Z’ev Parton and Maxwell Holten.
She is further survived by her nieces, Stacey Wenskunas, Danniel Wentworth (Daniel), Melissa Lourash (Shane), Ann Ellis (Andy), and her nephews, Nick Dodd and Van Albert.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her in-laws, Harry and Waive Parton; her beloved husband, Harry Michael Parton; her infant daughter, Heather Dawn Martin; her brother, Larry Keith Dodd; her niece, Amber Renee Blackwell and her brother-in-law, George Albert.
Memorials may be made to the Barclay Public Library in Warrensburg.
Services are as follows: Visitation will be from 4pm to 6pm on Thursday, March 12, at Graceland Fairlawn Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at 10am on Friday, March 13, at Graceland Cemetery.
Graceland Fairlawn Funeral Home is providing cremation services for Gloria. Condolences may be shared with the family at https://www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
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