Gladys M. Gloede, 89, of Wilton entered her heavenly rest Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse.
She was born May 31, 1927, to August and May (Kopenhafer) Preuss in the town of Plymouth in Elroy. She was baptized and confirmed in Peace Lutheran Church at Elroy. She was a member of the Elroy Senior High School graduating class of 1945. Gladys was an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wilton and served for many years with the women’s ELCA group.
Gladys was united in marriage to Raymond Gloede in Elroy on Oct. 25, 1947. Together they raised a family and farmed on Dorset Ridge near Wilton. Ray and Gladys enjoyed spending their leisure time visiting with family and friends. They loved polka dancing and had many happy turns around dance floors throughout the state. Her family and friends knew her as kind, loving and deeply thoughtful, always looking for ways to lighten someone else’s load. Gladys was a wonderful homemaker and cook and an excellent seamstress. Her hands were never idle. She was always busy on the farm, caring for her family or doing things for others. From a young age, she found a special home in the church and serving the Lord. She was an optimist and had a wonderful sense of humor that she carried to her final days. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
She is survived by her children, Larry (Linda) of La Crosse, Diane Gloede of Cashton, and Howard (Kay) of Winona, Minn.; a brother, Herman (Nadine) of Elroy; her grandchildren, Chris (Jennifer) Gloede, Matt (Tami), Marc (Jenny), Eric Gloede, Nicole (Justin) Piller, and Ashley Myers; 13 great-grandchildren; numerous foster grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her brothers, Eldon Preuss and George Preuss; her sister, Adeline Boeder; her brother-in-law, Norbert Boeder; and her sisters-in-law, Carol Preuss and Margaret Gloede.
A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, March 3, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 401 Mill St., Wilton. Pastor Kristin Wendland will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Tomah. Relatives and friends are invited to call from 10 a.m. until the time of the service Friday at the church. The Smith-Nelson Funeral Home in Wilton is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.sonnenburgfamilyfh.com.