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We are sad to share the news that Dr. Gladys Caines Coggswell, a longtime friend and participant in Missouri Folk Arts projects, died at home in Hannibal on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Her former apprentice and adopted daughter, Angela J. Williams, shared the news. We join Gladys’s families and friends in mourning the loss of such a dynamic woman and artist.
“The Three-eyed Cat from Hannibal, Missouri”
at Mizzou’s Museum of Art & Archaeology in 2012.
Photo credit: A.W. Barker
In the Foreword to Stories from the Heart: Missouri’s African American Heritage, Missouri Folk Arts Director Lisa L. Higgins wrote: “A true griot, [Gladys] does not simply access a catalogue of stories for performances. She has that unerring knack for picking the most relevant piece for any occasion. She excels when she uses stories to teach, to heal, and to enlighten. She is now one of the foremost storytellers, teaching artists, and community scholars. She has worked tirelessly to preserve, document, teach, and present the artistic, historical, and contemporary cultural significance of the African American story in Missouri.”
Those words, written in 2008, held true, while Gladys continued to grow in her vocation and the love of her adopted state and its people. For Missouri Folk Arts, Gladys participated in the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, Missouri Traditions touring project, Folk Arts in Schools Curriculum Guide and Residencies, and the Community Scholars Network.
The scope of her work went beyond that, of course. She participated in projects with the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, The Story Center at MCPL, the National Association of Black Storytellers, and the St. Louis Storytelling Festival—to name but a few. She was recognized often with well-deserved awards and nominations, and our staff was happy to support her successful nomination for the 2005 Individual Artist Award for the Missouri Arts Council.
We were honored to know Gladys Caines Coggswell and to call her “friend.” We will miss her praise, encouragement, and love in action.
To cheer ourselves up, we are remembering her stories and her songs (she had an incredible voice).
Sing along with us . . . “There was a three-eyed cat from Hannibal, Missouri . . . “
An obituary is posted at the James O’Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. The family will host a celebration of her life in the future.
Deb Bailey & Lisa Higgins
November 9, 2026