Gladys Heiberg

Gladys Marianna Heiberg, born at home on March 23, 1913 in Twin Valley, MN died at age 97 on April 10, 2010 at the Twin Valley Living Center, her residence for the last twelve years of her life. Gladys is preceded in death by her parents, Ole and Mina (Aasgaard) Nysetvold of Twin Valley, MN; by her husband, Andreas Severin Heiberg of Twin Valley; by her son, Owen David Heiberg of Herman, MN; by her stepchildren Elaine Andoris Heiberg of Frederick MD and Lowell Marvin Heiberg of Twin Valley, who died co-piloting a bomber over Holland in WWII and by her brothers, Miles Nysetvold and Arnt Nysetvold of Twin Valley MN and Paul Nysetvold of Bremerton WA. Gladys is survived by two daughters, Mary Kathryn “Kiki” (Terence) Larson of Seattle, WA and Margaret Ann “Peggy” (Max) Wycisk of Littleton, CO; a son, James Frederic “Jim” (Barbara) of Billerica MA; a stepson, Harold Willard Heiberg (Eva) of Denton, TX; a daughter-in-law, Michele Heiberg of Herman, MN; a brother, Orwin Nysetvold of Appleton, MN; five sisters, Iona Kvenvolden of Fergus Falls, MN, Loanna (Wayne) Wagstrom of Moorhead, MN, Judith Pfaff of Appleton, MN, Enid Burkholder of Two Harbors, MN and Dorothy (Robert) Hammer of Shippensburg, PA; seven grandchildren, Annette “Nan” Heiberg of Crookston, MN, Nicole “Nicki” (Joe) Eystad of Morris, MN, Andrea ”Nina” Heiberg of Gilbert, AZ, Severin Larson of Seattle WA; Orion (Kris) McNyset of Corvallis OR, Kaija (Kirk) Mortensen of San Jose, CA; Kate Heiberg of Brooklyn, NY; two step-granddaughters, Jeannette (Stephen) Townsend of Swampscott, MA and Danee’ Deninger of Marblehead, MA; four great grandchildren and four step-great grandchildren. Throughout her adult life Gladys was often an officer and prime mover in church women’s groups, in garden club activities, in study groups and bridge clubs, and as a active member of the PTA at her children’s schools in Twin Valley, Granite Falls, and Willmar, MN. She organized and wrote a song book for her garden club when she was music director, arranged missionary projects, promoted social outings for her church women’s groups, and selected topics for study in her Willmar study groups. Gladys developed a rich social and spiritual life through interaction with the women in these communities. In Willmar Gladys became an accomplished saleswoman at Butters’ Dress Shop while maintaining her role as devoted mother to her three school-age children. While at the dress shop, Gladys received written accolades for her management style as she was highly organized while always maintaining a helpful and friendly demeanor with individual shoppers as well as with her coworkers. Gladys was the first child of Mina and Ole Nysetvold of Twin Valley, MN. She was baptized and confirmed in Norwegian at Zion Lutheran Church in Twin Valley. During her high school years in Twin Valley Gladys was on the basketball team, complete with black bloomers and white middies, and the tumbling team. She graduated with honors, and spent one year as a student at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. She was planning to become a teacher as she loved both children and learning, but was unable to complete that dream, having to return home to find employment and help her family out. As the eldest of ten children, Gladys was an active participant in the life of her extended family, from childhood in Twin Valley, through the births of her nine siblings, as an instant stepmother upon her marriage and the nurturing of four children of her own. She helped produce and host many family reunions. She organized the celebration of her 40th anniversary of her marriage to Andy, a wonderful autumn celebration in the Valley. She helped to coordinate mother and daughter banquets at Vinje Lutheran Church in Willmar. She prided herself on her cooking (especially her baking), dedicated herself to yearly canning projects, grew beautiful flowers (particularly roses and gladiolas), and managed her family life, and church gatherings, both large and small. She was a knitter, quilter and seamstress, devoting many hours to sewing dresses for herself, her two daughters, and her first granddaughters. Gladys was an avid reader and she and her husband Andy translated poetry together, translating the Norwegian into English and the English into Norwegian. She read books by the dozens to her children, and even read Little House on the Prairie to the other residents while she lived in the Memory Unit at the Twin Valley Living Center. Gladys would want to be remembered as an active, intelligent woman and a dedicated wife and mother whose expectations and encouragement of her own children led them to four college degrees, three master’s degrees and professional lives devoted to education, the humanities and the arts. Funeral Services were held on Monday, April 19th at 11:00 AM in Zion Lutheran Church, Twin Valley. A remembrance service was held Sunday, April 18th at 7:00 PM in the Anderson Funeral Home, Twin Valley. Officiating was Pastor Charles Bade with Danette Gwin serving as organist. Pallbearers was Terence Larson, Max Wycisk, Severin Larson, Orion McNyset, Andrea Heiberg and Kaija Wycisk. Interment was in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Twin Valley.

Gladys Heiberg

March 23, 1913 - April 10, 2010