Gladys Lethenstrom

REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF...Gladys Irene Pederson was born November 15, 1915, near Pelican Rapids, the daughter of Parelius and Gina (Sorenson) Pederson. She was one of 13 children and raised on a farm five miles northeast of Pelican Rapids. Gladys attended the Sand Lake District 217 country school that was located on the southeast edge of the lake. The distance between their home and school was two miles and all of the children attended. Her father made sure that, if transportation was required, the horses were always ready when the weather was bad. They were all members of the Bethel Lutheran Church in Pelican Rapids, and her father was very active and the ''builder'' of this church in 1917/1919. (The church now is a residential home.)On June 19, 1939 Gladys married Mervin Lethenstrom, leaving Minnesota in the early 1940's for the Seattle, Washington area. From Seattle, they were in Brazil, South America, for a time and then on to the United States, in the southern states of Florida, Alabama, and New Mexico, as their work required. At the beginning of the 1950's, they moved to Pelican Rapids, and acquired an apartment near where her husband was associated with the Allison Ford Motor Co. After a short time, they moved to a farm, west of Detroit Lakes and resided there for many years. Late 1994/1995, they moved to New Mexico in order to take advantage of the warmer winter but in 1995, her husband passed away. Some time later Gladys moved back to Pelican Rapids with the help of her brother Clifford's two sons, Faron and Wade, and was able to get re-acquainted with family and friends. On September 8, 2006 she entered the Good Samaritan Center.Gladys, age 91, a resident of Pelican Rapids, MN, died on Sunday, January 14, 2007, at the Good Samaritan Center in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.Gladys is survived by her 2 brothers: Clifford Pederson of Pelican Rapids, and Morris Pederson of Seattle, WA; and many nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Mervin; 5 sisters: Vernice as an infant, Mabel Westby, Agnes Boe, Hilda (Svare) Wetterstrom and Edna Kjos; and 5 brothers: Palmer, Bennie, Ervin, Lawrence, and Raymond.Blessed Be The Memory Of Gladys Lethenstrom