HULSHIZER, Gladys I. 1911-2005
HULSHIZER
Posted By: K. Kittleson
Date: 3/2/2009 at 20:40:08
NORTHWOOD, IOWA — Gladys Irene (Gordon) Hulshizer, 93 years and 11 months, of Northwood passed away Wednesday (Sept. 7, 2005) at the Lutheran Retirement Home. She fell Aug. 25 and broke her hip, which led to her failing health and death.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Monday at Deer Creek Lutheran Church in Carpenter with Pastor Lance Kittleson officiating. Burial will be in the Deer Creek Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home in Northwood and one hour prior to funeral services on Monday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests any memorials be given to the Deer Creek Lutheran Church, the scholarship fund of the Lutheran Retirement Home, the St. Ansgar Good Samaritan Center, or the charity of your choice.
Gladys was born Oct. 11, 1911, to Ole and Nellie (Johnson) Gordon in “the little pink house on Archie Gordon’s place northwest of Carpenter,” as she always said. The family later moved to what she called her home place with the long lane just west of Carpenter.
She was baptized Nov. 26, 1911, and was confirmed on May 9, 1926, by the Rev. Olaf Langehough at the Deer Creek Church.
The Rev. Langehough also married Gladys and Warren (Pete) Hulshizer on Dec. 18, 1929. They started farming and lived on the same farm 50 years. They retired in 1973, but lived on the farm until 1980, when they moved to Northwood. In 1994, they moved from their house into Maple Court Apartments in Northwood.
Her husband passed away Oct. 4, 1995. Gladys lived in the apartment until April 3, 2001, when a stroke forced her to be moved to the Lutheran Retirement Home.
Her favorite poem was “Footprints” which helped comfort her during trying times. Gladys left us with many fond memories about her footprints along her life’s way.
She often mentioned how often she walked to Carpenter for groceries and often when she got home her Mom had forgotten to order something, so she would have to walk back again. She told how her family would walk across the fields to go to Sunday school and church. When she was older, she would walk west across the field to do housework for the Anderson brothers.
She helped her left-handed husband pick corn by hand and always said how awkward it was as she had to throw each ear in front of herself. Many folks commented about how much walking she and her husband did in Northwood to visit friends and go to congregate meals. She even walked the stairs instead of taking elevators because of her fear of elevators.
Gladys enjoyed all gardening, but especially strawberries and raspberries. She always kept her guard up for snakes, which she really disliked. Even after moving to Northwood she voluntarily went to the county nurse’s home to pick strawberries. She baked and shared lefsa and krum kake the year round. She missed her “lefsa flipper” after the death of her husband.
She crocheted until her eyes started failing. But her failing eyes didn’t diminish her love for playing cards. She was a great organizer to get everyone involved in card games. For several years, she and her husband had regular card parties at the St. Ansgar Good Samaritan Center. They were long-time volunteers there, also helping with bingo and outings for their residents.
Throughout the years, we were amazed how she could play piano by ear, which she did even at her 90th birthday party. She was one of the few residents of the home who would play the organ in the chapel while secretly hoping nobody was listening.
Her church has always been an important part of her life. She served on various boards and was an active circle member. The Lutheran Retirement Home nurses knew to hang her crosses and the picture of Jesus where she could see them while lying in bed.
Gladys was a very sociable and active home resident as she aimed to attend all activities. Whenever and as long as possible, she would always help other residents to get where they wanted to go.
Gladys was the eighth of 13 children and was only nine years old when her father passed away.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers, Nels, Anton, Arthur, and Roy; sisters, Alma Dumdei, Nora Anderson, Olga Hulshizer, Alice Olson, Clarice Arnold, Ruth Stickfort, Olive Purdy; and son-in-law, George Oakland.
Grateful for having shared her life are her daughter, Marvyl Oakland, of St. Ansgar; her son, Marvin and his wife, Sandra, of Georgetown, Texas; grandchildren, Judy Shirley of Hudson, Iowa, Gary and his wife, Julie Oakland, of St. Ansgar, Scot and his wife, Amy Hulshizer, of Atlanta, Ga., and Monica and her husband, Will Koenig, of Austin, Texas. Also surviving are great-grandchildren, Jacob and Sadie Oakland and Joshua and Jenna Shirley; along with her brother, Lynn and wife, Beverly Gordon, of Carpenter; brother-in-law, LaVern Purdy, of Alden, Minn.; and brother-in-law, Dale and his wife, Lois Hulshizer, of St. Charles, Minn.; plus many nieces, nephews and friends.
Thanks be to God for her life with us.
Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, (641) 324-1121.
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