Tolander, Gladys Magdelene Anna (Busness) Tolander -- 1908 - 2000

ANDERSON, BUSNESS, TOLANDER, LARSON, ROCKSVOLD, SCHULTZ, ELLEFSON, PETERSON

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/29/2010 at 13:41:55

Decorah Journal, Thursday, July 20, 2000

Gladys Magdelene Anna Tolander

Gladys M. Tolander, 91, of Waterville, died Sunday, July 16, 2000, at Thornton Manor Care Center in Lansing following a brief illness.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, July 19, at 1:30 p.m., at East Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church in rural Waterville, with the Rev. Harvey Abrahamson officiating.

Casket bearers were Rick Larson, Russ Larson, Chris Schultz, Tim Schultz, Sean Bresnahan and Eric Ouren.

Burial was at the church cemetery. The Martin Funeral Home of Waukon handled arrangements.

Gladys Magdelene Anna (Busness) Tolander was born Sept. 29, 1908, on the rural Waterville farm of her parents, Edward and Mathilda (Anderson) Busness.

She was baptized and confirmed at the East Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church, attended the rural Dahl School and graduated from Waterville High School in 1926. She attended teachers college in Cedar Falls and taught country school at the French Creek and Dalby rural schools.

On July 29, 1931, she married Theodore Tolander in Madison, S.D.

Gladys and Theodore lived on the Tolander family farm north of Elon, then moved to Waterville, where they raised two daughters.

Gladys taught country school at Elon, served as substitute teacher in the Waterville School until the late 1960s, and sold Avon. She lived in her own home in Waterville until moving to the Thornton Manor Care Facility in Lansing in July of 1998.

Gladys was a lifelong member of East Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church, where she served as president of the Ladies Aid for many years. She enjoyed spending time with her family, reading, writing and crossword puzzles.

Survivors include two daughters, Eleanor (Robert) Larson of Waterville, and DiAnn (Peter) Rocksvold of Decorah; five grandchildren, Rick Larson of Waterville, Robin (Eric) Ouren of Norseland, Minn., Russ (Bethany) Larson of La Crescent, Minn., Christopher Schultz of Austin; Minn., and Timothy Schultz of Decorah; three greatgrandchildren, Beret and Peder Ouren and Jayde Bower; and several nieces and nephews; and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Gladys Tolander was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Theodore, who died in 1976; an infant son, Merlin; a son-in-law, August Schultz; two sisters, Alice Ellefson and Esther Peterson; and four brothers, Elmer, Clarence, Alvin and Lester Busness.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.