Gladys Strand, of Montevideo, died on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at the Clarkfield Care Center at the age of 92.
Funeral services will be conducted on Friday, February 6, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Rev. Donald S. McKee officiating. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, from 5-7:00 PM at the Anderson-TeBeest Funeral Home in Montevideo with a prayer service at 6:30.
Gladys Severene (Mikkelson) Strand was born March 6, 1922 to Elmer and Tilda (Nelson) Mikkelson in Roberts County, South Dakota. She attended elementary school in rural Ortley and Sisseton, SD. Gladys graduated from High School in Canby Minnesota in 1939 and from Concordia College in Moorhead in 1943. Her performance in school and college raised the bar on grades for the rest of us. Gladys taught school in Milan, MN where she met the love of her life Hans Strand. She then taught school in Aberdeen SD and later in Boyd MN. She also worked in Montevideo as the school lunch coordinator. She was married to Hans Strand in Canby MN on April 7, 1946. Gladys enjoyed sewing (custom made clothing was perfectly done), quilting (we are still warmed by her lovingly made quilts), playing bridge (those ladies could keep us awake at night with their laughing downstairs), camping (we have some fun memories of camping trips) and cooking for family and friends (a table that was set beautifully and food that was always excellent). She loved to serve at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. She was active in circle and ladies aid. She taught Sunday School and made sure her children attended church anytime the doors were open. She was beloved by all her friends and family, was a wise woman, and loved her family and had life-long friends.
She is survived by three children: Paul (and Rebecca) Strand of Merrill WI, Patricia (and Gerald) Nikolaisen of Clarkfield, MN and Phillip (and Susan) Strand of DePere WI; eight grandchildren: Nathan (Tara) Nikolaisen, Nicole (Chad) Young, Kimberly (Jeremy) Akey, Kari Strand, William (Brianna) Nowak, Spencer Strand, Mitchell Strand, and Severene Strand; great-grandchildren: Madison Nikolaisen, Ethan Young, Catelyn Young, Courtney Young, Brody Nikolaisen, Cayne Nikolaisen, Griffin Nikolaisen, Connor Akey, Natalie Akey, Charlotte Nowak and Griffin Nowak; a brother, Herbert (Dorothy) Mikkelson; two sisters-in-law: Darlene Mikkelson and Florence “Stubba” Gilbertson; a brother-in-law, Frances Reed; and by a precious group of nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her dear parents; her husband, Hans Strand; her two favorite sisters: Esther Millard (and her husband Don Millard) and Hazel Abel (and her husband Ted Abel); her youngest brother and fellow teacher, Ervin Mikkelson; brothers-in-law: DJ (Bud) Strand (and wife Vi and second wife Dorothy) and Raymond Strand (and his wife Winnifred and his second wife Adeline); sisters-in-law: Mary Cain Strand and Janet Strand Reed; her brother-in-law, Glen Gilbertson; nephews: Steven Abel, James Abel, Michael Reed; and nieces: Linda Millard (and Allan) Friendshuh, Anna Marie Abel Johnson, and Kathi Mikkelson.
Thank you to the angels at Valhalla and the Clarkfield Care Center for their loving care of Gladys in her later years.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116.