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Gladys Meier

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WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Gladys Meier, Winter Haven, Fla., died at her home Oct. 19, 2017. She was just seven weeks shy of her 103rd birthday. Interment was 4 p.m., May 27, at Coleridge City Cemetery. She was honored to have lived a long life. She was an inspiration to all and is sincerely missed. Gladys was born on a farm near Edgar, to Oscar August Schlichtman and Verna Amelia King Schlichtman Dec. 10, 1914. She graduated from Edgar High School in 1932. She was the oldest of three daughters. Her least favorite memory of her childhood was helping her Father clean out the pig pens. She went on to Lincoln where she graduated from the University of Nebraska with a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics in 1936. She then taught home economics in Scotia and Minden. In 1940, she married a fellow teacher, Albert Emil Meier, Coleridge. After moving to Detroit, Mich., and raising their four children, they retired from the Detroit Public Schools in the early 1980s. They enjoyed a farm in Croswell, Mich., and a home in Swiss Village, Winter Haven, Fla. After Albert died in 1991, Gladys and her sister, Leah Schlichtman, shared homes in Hazel Park, Mich.; Grand Bend, Ontario, and Winter Haven. Gladys became a permanent resident of Florida in 2005. In her youth in Nebraska, Gladys played the violin and sang at various events. She took her love of music to Swiss Village as a member of the Ding-A-Lings, who performed in numerous retirement centers and nursing homes as well as special programs at the Swiss Village Clubhouse. She also continued using her home economic skills as a wonderful baker and cook; helping with dinners and providing treats for bake sales. Gladys always enjoyed making superb handicrafts and created: over 100 knitted lap blankets for the sick and elderly; a series of beautiful banners for her church in Croswell; quilts for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and many treasured items for her homes and as gifts. She was an avid player of pinochle, crosswords and Scrabble. She traveled widely throughout the U.S.A. with her husband and family as well as internationally to more than 35 countries. Gladys is survived by three daughters and one son, Janice (Thomas) Arndt, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.; Carol Sawka, Point Blank, Texas; Leland Meier, Rocky Comfort, Mo.; and Diane Haas, Harbert, Mich.; 11 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, scattered throughout the U.S.A. A memorial service was held Oct. 27, 2017, at the First Presbyterian Church, Winter Haven. The interment service was May 27 at the Coleridge City Cemetery, followed by a reception. For further information, contact Jan Arndt by e-mail at jan_arndt@yahoo.com.