Glendora Mahnken

M. Glendora (Stapp) Mahnken, 91, passed away in Springfield, Missouri, on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

She was born January 19, 1935, to James Lacey and Mable Mildred (Marshall) Stapp, on the family farm near South Greenfield, Missouri. 

She was married to Donald Mahnken on July 14, 1957. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; her parents; her sister, Nancy Grace McMillin; and nephew, Steve McMillin.

She was named Mildred Glendora after her mother and an orange crate (Glendora oranges from Glendora, California).

She graduated high school in Greenfield, then attended Draughon Business College (with a scholarship). After taking a typing test one day, the composing room foreman from Springfield Newspapers came to class and spoke to the teacher wanting to interview her two best typists. She was offered a trial job as a teletypist. Despite being only 17, she was hired at $1.00 an hour and allowed to work when she turned 18. It was at the newspaper that she met her husband, Donald.

One of her first purchases (on layaway) was a Singer sewing machine. She loved sewing, and as her daughters came, she would make special matching dresses for holidays and first days of school. She also loved quilting, and she made remarkable cross stitch projects.

Glendora and Donald loved traveling and took numerous vacations with their daughters. They traveled to Europe twice and were able to visit their grandsons (and their parents) who lived in Germany. Through the years, she traveled to all 50 states.

She was involved in school programs as a PTA officer, a room mother, and Girl Scouts leader.

She was deeply involved at Schweitzer United Methodist Church, beginning in 1958. She taught Sunday and Bible School; was the church secretary; worked in the church nursery for two generations; was a charter member of the United Methodist Women and received a special membership pin for service; was Schweitzer’s first director of Crosslines, and delivered food for several years.

She was a long-time member of Eastern Star.

She experienced so many memorable adventures that she wrote about them in her book, “My Journey Through Life”. 

She is survived by her three daughters and their husbands: Susan and Bill Prince of Springfield; April and Ben Rooffener of Macks Creek; and Julie and Craig Harris of Freeburg, Illinois; seven grandchildren:, Katie Rooffener Danek and husband, Scott; Tyler Harris; James Rooffener and wife, Kelsey; Matthew Prince and wife, Nora; Samuel Roffener and wife, Theresa; Sean Harris; and Jacob Prince and wife, Amy; three great-grandchildren: Sean Roberts, Elliette Danek, and Emerson Danek; a nephew, Steve Mahnken of Shawnee, Kansas; three nieces: Carol Marshall of Grand Junction, Colorado; Sherri Mahnken of Grand Junction, Colorado; and Cheryl Bowers of Bolivar, Missouri.

Services were held Wednesday, June 17, 2026, with visitation from 10 a.m. with the funeral following, at Gorman Scharpf Funeral Home, 1947 E. Seminole. Burial followed in the Pennsboro Cemetery, south of Greenfield, Missouri. 

Memorial Contributions are suggested to Crosslines of a charity of your choosing.