Gladys Nybakken passed away on January 1, 2018 at the VVNH where she had been a resident for seven years. The daughter of Dedrick and Bentine Opland, Gladys was born in Halstad, Minnesota on November 19, 1917. She was very proud of reaching her hundredth birthday which she celebrated with family and friends at the VVNH on Sunday, November 19, 2017.
Gladys grew up north of Nashua on various farmsteads and attended country schools. When she began high school stayed with other families in Nashua and worked for them to earn her room and board.
She married the love of her life, Carl Nybakken, 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.
Gladys was a wonderful spouse and mother as her 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 had 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 and infant daughter, Ann Marie, her husband Carl, her parents, and her four siblings – Esther, Bennie, Ruth, and Clarence.
Survivors include her children: one son, Donald Nybakken of Nashua; five daughters: Carol (Glen) Haag of Hendersonville, North Carolina; Glenna (Mel) Wilks of Genesee, Idaho; Linda Pederson of Vancouver, Washington; Judi Ross of Vancouver, Washington; Jeannie Bergstrom (Larry) of Nashua. She is also survived by eighteen grandchildren, twenty-eight great-grandchildren and 4 great- great-grandchildren.
Gladys was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church of Nashua