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Roland, Gladys L.

Gladys L. Roland, age 99, of Manawa, (nee Taggart) has joined her favorite dancing partner (husband) Herman, and her Lord on Friday, January 17, 2014 at the Manawa Community Nursing Center. Her teaching and service may now be complete.

Gladys was born Jan 29th, 1914 on a small dairy farm at Kaukauna, WI the daughter of William H. Taggart and Christian M. Lambie Taggart. At the age of three she moved with her parents and eleven siblings to a larger dairy farm in the Town of St. Lawrence near Manawa, WI and on November 22, 1918, a sister Alice joined the clan. Because of the gentle hill on which the buildings were built, her “Scotch” mother named the farm, “Braeside Dairy Farm”. On November 7th, 1940 Gladys married Herman Roland at First Methodist Church in Waupaca. Their married life began working on the George Eder Farm in the Town of Little Wolf, and they later bought the farm from George. On December 27th, 1941 a son James was born. In 1946 two nieces Barbara and Dorothy Taggart joined the family after the death of their mother, and were raised as sisters to James.

Gladys was an active member of the Methodist Church until 1942. She was then confirmed a Lutheran at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Symco. In 1945 the family transferred to St. Paul’s Lutheran in Manawa, where she was still a member. She was active there as an officer of Ladies Aid, an officer of the Waupaca County Retired Teachers, Homemakers, Senior Citizens, and was active with Thrivent for Lutherans. After eight good years at Block School she went on to high school and in 1932 Gladys graduated from Little Wolf High School in Manawa. She then attended the Outagamie Rural Normal School in Kaukauna, and began her long successful teaching career. Gladys continued teaching until her retirement in 1981. She earned a BS Degree from UW Stevens Point. Many interesting tales were told about teaching in the country schools. Happy exciting times were had at Block, State Road, Symco, Lebanon, Knowledge Hill, Baldwin’s Mills and St. Paul’s Lutheran.

Gladys was preceded in death by her husband Herman, parents William and Christian, and Henrietta and Henry Roland; five sisters: Mary Wepner, Marion and Margaret Jannusch, Lillian Peterson and Alice Egeland; seven brothers: John, William, Carl, Melvin, Gerald, Frank, and Robert; also her niece/daughters, Barbara (Taggart) Klinger, and Dorothy Taggart. She is survived by a son James (Jackie) Roland of Palmyra, WI and son-in-law Roger Klinger; grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren: Laura (Jack) Golner; Laura Marcus (Bill Nolan), Abbey and Trevor; Steve (Karin) Marcus, Natalie and Evan; Sherry (Jack) Hodel, Michael and Kimberly; Debbie (Todd) Niemuth, Bryn and Britney (Justin) Riesenberg, Addyson and Jax; John (Tammy) Klinger, Mia and Jed. She is further survived by nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

A special “thank you” to the staff at Appleton Medical Center, 5th floor, and the staff at the Manawa Community Nursing Center, for their loving care. Service for Gladys will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Manawa on Saturday, January 25, 2014 (4 days prior to her 100th birthday) at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Vilas Mazemke officiating, her former student at St. Paul’s. Visitation for Gladys will be held on Friday, January 24, at the Cline-Hanson-Dahlke Funeral Home in Manawa from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. and on Saturday at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will be in Union Cemetery in Symco. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran School.

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