Gladys Esther (Rafdal) Waugh (1924-2016)

WAUGH, RAFDAL, WISTED, MCELIGOT, HOWERTON, TWEDT, SANDOVAL

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 1/30/2016 at 16:29:06

Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.

Gladys Esther Waugh was born on June 30, 1924 to Torger Erickson and Hannah (Wisted) Rafdal in Story City, Iowa. She graduated from Story City High School in 1942, where she excelled in track and was quite a good roller skater. She married Frederick Althan Waugh on November 14, 1942 in Webster City, Iowa. One child, Steven Michael Waugh, was born to this union on December 17, 1944.

Gladys was a farm wife most of her younger life and never lived more than 8 miles away from where she was born in Story City. The first farm they lived on was the original Nels and Rikka Waugh farm north of Roland near Radcliffe for five years. Then they moved to a farm 1 mile east and 3 miles south of Roland, and lived there until her husband passed away from emphysema on July 10, 1975. Gladys then spent the rest of her life in a house she designed and had built in Roland, until she came to Bethany Manor in 2012.

While on the farm, she was always cooking and baking for the thrashers and hired men. Besides her chores as a farmer’s wife, Gladys was a member of the Roland American Legion Auxiliary for nearly 70 years. She worked as a Tupperware Representative in the 1950’s, at Ames Stationary in 1960’s, as a cartographer at Iowa State University in the 1970’s, was secretary to the Roland Mayor in the 1980’s and the Roland Library in the 1990’s. Gladys was an avid bowler with her husband Fred, and they often could be seen “cutting a rug” at the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines. They hosted many card parties over the years and she was known to be quite the “card shark!”

Gladys went to be with her beloved Lord Jesus on January 19, 2016 at 91 years of age.

Gladys is survived by her son, Steve Waugh and his long time fiancé and companion, Lori Jankalski, of Sparks, Maryland; one granddaughter, Heather (Waugh) McEligot of Charlottesville, Virginia; two great-grandchildren, Willow and Jasper McEligot of Charlottesville, Virginia; a brother, Elwood Leroy Rafdal of Des Moines; sisters-in-law, Bea Bea Rafdal of Denver, Opal Rafdal of Indianapolis and Doreen Rafdal of Des Moines; and 16 nieces and nephews.

Gladys was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; four brothers, Clarence, Albert, Alton and Don Rafdal; two sisters, Bea Howerton and Margaret Twedt; two nieces, Marla and Debbie; and five nephews, Roger, Kevin, Jeff, Rod and Ronald.

The family wishes to make special tribute to Gladys’ niece, Joann (Howerton) Sandoval, for her devoted and loyal faithfulness to Gladys over the years.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bethany Manor in Story City.

Funeral Service
JAN 23. 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
Salem Lutheran Church
102 S. Main Street
Roland, IA, US

Cemetery Details
Roland Cemetery
59168 130th St.
Roland, IA, 50236

http://www.adamssoderstrum.com/
 

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