Gladys O. Nybakken

Gladys O. (Opland) Nybakken passed away on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, at the Valley View Nursing Home, where she had been a resident for seven years.

The daughter of Dedrick and Bentine Opland, she was born in Halstad, Minn., on Nov. 19, 1917. She was very proud of reaching her 100th birthday, which she celebrated with family and friends at the VVNH on Nov. 19, 2017.

She grew up north of Nashua on various farmsteads and attended country schools. When she began high school, she stayed with other families in Nashua and worked for them to earn her room and board.

She married Carl Nybakken, the love of her life, on June 22, 1935. They lived 15 miles north of Nashua where they farmed and raised their family until they moved to the edge of Nashua so they would be closer to the school as the older children began high school.

She was a wonderful spouse and mother as she and Carl made their livelihood off of the land and raised their family. Besides being a great cook, she enjoyed crocheting and other crafts and many people have her handiwork in their kitchen. There is probably not a family member or an employee at VVNH that has not received one of her kitchen towels until she finally had to give up that hobby when it became too painful for her to use her arms.

She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Ann Marie; her husband, Carl; her parents; and four siblings, Esther, Bennie, Ruth and Clarence.

Survivors include her children: one son, Donald Nybakken of Nashua; five daughters, Carol Haag and her husband, Glen, of Hendersonville, N.C., Glenna Wilks and her husband, Mel, of Genesee, Idaho, Linda Pederson of Vancouver, Wash.; Judi Ross of Vancouver, Wash., and Jeannie Bergstrom and her husband, Larry, of Nashua; 18 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

She was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church of Nashua.

Services will be on Friday, Jan. 5, at 1:30 p.m., at the Bell Mortuary Chapel in Glasgow.

Bell Mortuary of Glasgow is in charge of arrangements.