In Loving Memory
Gladys McMillin

October 1, 1919 - June 10, 2016

VISITATION
Friday, July 1, 2016
4:00 - 7:00 P.M.
Martin-Mattice Funeral Home
Ruthven, Iowa

SERVICE
Saturday, July 2, 2016
10:30 A.M.
United Methodist Church
Ruthven, Iowa

CLERGY
Rev. Kris Hackbart

INTERMENT
Crown Hill Cemetery
Ruthven, Iowa

Gladys Myrtle Goodrich was born Wednesday the 1st of October 1919 to Ray and Neva (Kitch) Goodrich on the family farm in McPherson township, near Pemberton, Minnesota. She was the third of their five children.

She graduated high school in Pemberton and went on to graduate from a two year course in Mankato State Teachers College. She taught country school for a year near Lake Crystal.

On Tuesday the 2nd of July 1940 Gladys attended her eldest brother Elmer's marriage to Beulah Hill in Beulah's family farm home near Elwood, Iowa; where she was discovered by Beulah's cousin Lester D. McMillin from Ruthven, Iowa. Beulah's father Scott and Lester's mother Merta were twins of George and Sarah Jane (McLean) Hill.

Gladys had begun a year of teaching 1st & 2nd grade in Pemberton before 2nd Lt. Lester D. McMillin convinced her to marry him while he was on leave Thursday the 31st of December 1942 in the Congregational Church in her hometown Pemberton. That event suspended her teaching career.

She followed him in the service while he trained with the newly activated 827th Tank Destroyer Battalion until they deployed to Europe in November of 1944. On Tuesday the 28th of March 1944 a baby boy, Ronald Allen McMillin, was born to them in Mankato, Minnesota.

Gladys returned to Pemberton to last out the war. After Lester returned from Europe in April of 1946, Lester and Gladys moved to his family farm half-way between Ruthven and Ayrshire, while his parents E.A. and Merta (Hill) McMillin moved in town to Bea Ruthven's house, a block West of the Ruthven Consolidated School.

The family increased by: Patricia Irene born Friday 4 April 1947 and died Tuesday 8 April 1947; Janis Marie born Monday 14 February 1949 on Valentine's Day, and Marjorie Diane born Sunday 14 May 1950 on Mother's Day.

Gladys had multiple careers: as a country school teacher; farmwife; substitute gradeschool teacher; special-ed teacher; school district census taker, school librarian; sewing at Aalfs in Spencer; along with cooks from the Ruthven school - butchering chickens at Estherville Foods, Inc.; and as the convention escort of a quite successful Harvestore salesman.

Sewing, gardening, cooking rhubarb preserves, and making fantastic plastic butterflies were her specialties.

She has been active in many organizations: Okihi Club; American Legion Auxiliary; 4-H; Iowa Federated Women's Club; co-chair of the Ruthven Library Fund; Sunday School and Bible School teacher in the Ruthven United Methodist Church; and a member of the Sarah Circle.

Gladys passed away at the age of 96 on Friday the 10th of June 2016 at Saint Luke's Lutheran Home in Spencer, Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Neva (Kitch) Goodrich; by two sisters: Fae (Goodrich) Geise and Erma (Goodrich) Juliar; by two brothers: Elmer and Glenn Goodrich ; two daughters: Patricia McMillin and Marjorie (McMillin) Vaagen; two sons-in-law: Rick Wilson of Fourtown, Pennsylvania and Russ Vaagen of Adel, Iowa; sisters-in-law: Beulah (Hill) Goodrich, Winifred (Hynes) McMillin, Ellen (Lande) McMillin, Berniece (McMillin) LeCocq, Leta McMillin; brothers-in-law: Lawrence Geise, Roy McMillin, Max McMillin, Clifford McMillin and Louis LeCocq.

She is survived by her children: Ronald of Everly, Iowa, and Janis (McMillin) Wilson of Des Moines; two granddaughters: Kathryn (Vaagen) Franz and her husband Rob of Independence, Iowa, and Sarah (Vaagen) Miller and her husband Josh of Cedar Falls, Iowa; three grandsons: Toben Gerald, Jasper Russell and Elias Walter (just arrived 10:20pm Thursday 16th of June 2016) Franz of Independence; sisters-in-law: Bonnie (Ulman) Goodrich of Orange, California, Arlene (Zielstra) McMillin of Ringsted, Iowa.; and by brother-in-law: Virgil Juliar of Mankato, Minnesota; by nephews and neices, as well as many friends.

She will be remembered as a fierce card-player and a good soul.

Arrangements by Martin-Mattice Funeral Home