Glennon Alva Decker

Glennon Alva Decker, born August 14, 1933, quietly passed away in Phoenix, Arizona on October 14, 2025, at the age of 92.

Glennon was born and raised on a small farm in Hillsboro, Kansas, with his parents, Alva and Frances Decker, and his three siblings; Lola, Brian, and Gylmer. The family lived in a two-bedroom farmhouse with no running water, a reliance on homegrown resources, and an emphasis on faith in God and family. Farm life taught Glennon grit, resilience, gratitude, and determination.

Glennon attended a one-room schoolhouse with a class of two before moving on to Roxbury High School, and later to Newton High School. High school for Glennon meant racing fast cars, running a newspaper route, and working at Berry's Hatchery building boxes to ship baby chicks.

He graduated in 1951 (though he would joke that he wondered how) and with no funds for college, he went to work. In his memoir, "It's All in a Lifetime", Glennon called 1952 and 1953 the defining years of his life because he met his future wife and best friend, Julia, as well as received his papers for military service. Glennon and Julia met on a blind date and quickly became inseparable, and were married on April 25, 1953 in Newton, Kansas.

Shortly after getting married, Glennon was drafted into the Army on July 9th, 1953, becoming the first Decker to serve. After the Korean War truce, his overseas orders were canceled, and he spent the remainder of his service at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant.

Back in Newton, he joined Graber Hardware and later Newton Aircraft before finding his professional home at Hesston Corporation. Glennon started as a sales clerk and eventually became a Branch Manager, developing a forecasting system later known as FARMS. His career took him to seven different branch locations with two locations he particularly loved, Colorado and London. Colorado for the skiing, hiking and camping, and exploring Europe while in London. He loved the work, the people, and the adventure of it all.

Over the course of their life together, Glennon and Julia lived in eleven homes. Each new city brought new friends, memories, and a few good stories. Along the way, they raised five children: Michael, Bradley, Janna, Terry, and Dea Anna. Glennon retired in 1996, and their final move took them to Sun City West, Arizona. When Julia was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Glennon devoted himself to her care, tending to her with quiet faith and unwavering devotion. They filled their Arizona years with dancing (he had quite the swagger on the waltz and two-step), morning walks, card games, and citrus fruit from their own trees. One of their favorite spots was Harold's Cave Creek Corral, where the spirit of the Old West lives on and where the family still loves to gather today.

After Julia's passing, Glennon found strength in faith and service, helping others in the same group home that had cared for her. His deep faith carried him through loss and gave him peace in knowing they would meet again.

Glennon loved his country, his family, and God above all else. His life was a beautiful patchwork quilt, stitched with hard work, love, laughter, and faith. He lived fully, was deeply loved, and will be greatly missed.

Glennon leaves behind his sister, Lola; brother, Brian; sons, Michael and Bradley; daughter Dea Anna; thirteen grandchildren; and seventeen great-grandchildren.

A visitation for Glennon will be held on Friday, October 24, 2025 from 5:00-7:00 PM at Petersen Family Funeral Home, 215 N. Main Street, Newton, Kansas. Graveside committal will be Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Restlawn Garden of Memory Cemetery in Newton, Kansas, with a memorial service following at 1:00 PM at the Newton Bible Church. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, and left in the care of Peterson Family Funeral Service.

We will close with one of his favorite Bible verses: "These three things continue forever: Faith, Hope, and Love, and the greatest of these is Love." 1 Corinthians 13:13