Gloria Jean Richers

Gloria Jean Richers, known lovingly as Jean, passed away on June 6, 2026, at her home at Shawnee Hills Senior Living Center.

Born on April 26, 1941, in Greeley, Colorado, to Veda "Ruth" Glendenning and Harvey John Adolph. Jean spent much of her childhood on a farm alongside her brother Dick, her Uncle Chetty Moore, and Aunt Veda. She remained there through high school, and in many ways her life was beautifully bookended by farm life: beginning with teenage years in Levant, Kansas and returning to that same peaceful rhythm decades later with Kenny Richers, the love of her life.

Jean married Kenny on June 23, 2001, and they shared 13 wonderful years together until his untimely passing on August 2, 2014. Their life on the farm in St. Francis, Kansas, was full of simple joys, early mornings, and plenty of character. They had llamas, cattle, horses, and a donkey named Hector, who seemed convinced he was a rooster. Hector often began braying at daybreak, waking Jean far earlier than she may have planned. But she didn’t mind. Those early mornings meant another quiet "cuppa" with Kenny, something she treasured almost every day of their marriage.

Jean worked as a CPB for many years and took great pride in her work. Each year, she celebrated the end of tax season with an annual trip to Las Vegas. One year, she won $5,000 on the slot machines, and yes, there are even pictures to prove it. What a wonderful surprise that was!

Jean also believed deeply in helping families and children. She served as a board member of the Sherman County Daycare Center, an important part of her life. Having understood firsthand the need for reliable daycare while raising her own children, she cared about making sure working parents had support and that children had a healthy, wholesome place to learn and grow. She helped with fundraising plans and contributed to the center’s mission with practical wisdom and a generous heart.

Away from the farm and the ledgers, Jean was an artist. She especially loved working in charcoal and was genuinely gifted at it. Her drawings were something she did for herself, a quiet hobby that helped center her and gave her a peaceful place to create. It was one of the many ways Jean expressed the thoughtful, observant, and steady part of who she was.

Tradition mattered deeply to Jean. She loved the Fourth of July and fireworks, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. But perhaps her most beloved tradition was an Easter ritual she created for her children: a trip to the Dairy Queen to pick up chili dogs and slushies, followed by everyone gathering in the family room to watch The Wizard of Oz. Her children loved it. Jean knew it was special. And it became exactly the kind of simple, lasting tradition that tied her family together.

Jean is survived by her children, Alisa Gray and her husband Dan, Natalie Kalthoff and her husband Kevin, and Larry “Lynne” Saunders. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Belle Gray, Ava Gray, William Gray, Ariel Mull, Gabrielle Saunders, and Shai Kalthoff, as well as her sister, Shirley Soelberg.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Veda “Ruth” Young, her father, Harvey Adolph, her uncle Chet and aunt Veda Moore, her brothers Bill Young and Richard Adolph, her sister Ginger Corn, her nephew Kerry Adolph, and her beloved husband, Kenny Richers.

A graveside service will be held at 10:00 AM Friday, June 19, 2026, at the St. Francis Cemetery, St Francis, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, DSNWK, on behalf of Jean’s son, Larry “Lynne” Saunders: https://www.mydsnwk.org/Planned-Giving/donate-now

Jean will be remembered for her steady love, her devotion to family, her creative spirit, and her gift for finding joy in ordinary moments. Her love lives on in the stories, traditions, and memories her family will carry forward.