Gladys M. Nicholson

Gladys Muriel (Rud) Nicholson, age 93, of Litchfield, MN died on Tuesday May 4, 2021 at the Meeker Memorial Hospital in Litchfield, MN. A private family funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday May 10, 2021 in the Crossroads Room at Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield, MN. Visitation will begin at 12:15 PM at church. Interment will be at Ripley Cemetery in Litchfield, MN. There will be a time to visit with the family at the cemetery following the burial. The funeral service will be live streamed on the Johnson Hagglund website. Gladys was born on August 12, 1927, the oldest of three children of Carl and Anna Rud in Starbuck, Minnesota. Growing up on the family farm, Gladys milked cows, tended to the chickens, worked in the garden and had other chores. She attended country school in District 37 and graduated from 8th grade in May 1941. One of her fond memories was when the weather was too bad to walk to school, her father would hitch up the horses and sleigh and give them a ride to school. She was confirmed at Fron Lutheran in April 1941. She lived with her Grandmother in town while attending Starbuck High School where she graduated in May 1945. During high school, she worked in the local bakery, where she was called upon to wait on the customers that only spoke Norwegian, as her parents spoke both English and Norwegian. After graduating from St. Cloud Teacher’s College with a two-year teaching degree, she taught elementary school in Swanville, MN for two years. While at college, mutual friends asked her to be a card partner with Ron Nicholson and they became life partners for over 71 years after being married on August 6, 1949. Glad and Ron next both taught in Kelliher, MN for three years. Glad taught in the elementary school and assisted Ron in his coaching duties in many ways, including keeping team statistics. They lived in Belgrade, MN for five years before moving to Spring Valley, MN. She was a substitute teacher in both towns before being asked to be a fulltime teacher their last two years in Spring Valley. In 1969, the family moved to Litchfield, MN and Glad continued to be a substitute teacher. Gladys was a long term member of the Litchfield Lioness Club, PEO, and the Sons of Norway. She served many years on the Meeker County Foodshelf board and was an active member of her churches, including serving on the Building Committee at Zion when the sanctuary was enlarged, co-chair of the Advent Luncheon for years and sang in the church choir in Spring Valley and at Zion for many years. Glad enjoyed her flower gardens, playing bridge, cooking and baking and staying in touch with family and friends. She loved to share her homemade foods with neighbors, friends and family, including bringing many dishes to those who were grieving. She had a group of friends that for many years had a “round robin letter” where each friend wrote a letter and sent it to the next person who wrote a new letter, removed her old letter, and sent all the letters on to the next person to keep the sharing going. Gladys is survived by sons Mark (Diane) and Paul (Mary), grandchildren Anna (fiancée Aaron Harwood), Troy, Travis (Susan), Tricia and Jacob, great grandchildren Elaina and Donovan. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ronald, and twin siblings, Clinton and Carol. The family suggests memorials to the Meeker County Foodshelf and Zion Lutheran Church.