Gladys L. Easterlund

Gladys L. Easterlund, age 93 of Burnsville, formerly of Le Sueur died on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 at Augustana Regent Living Center in Burnsville, MN. Funeral services will be Monday, November 14, 2011, at United Methodist Church in Le Sueur. Interment will be at Mound Cemetery in Le Sueur. Visitation will be at the Kolden Funeral Home in Le Sueur on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 3-6 p.m. Visitation will continue 1 hour prior to the services on Monday at church. Gladys Elinor Lief was born Nov. 3, 1918, in Watertown, South Dakota, to Olof and Frances Lief. Raised in Willmar, confirmed in the Swedish Covenant Church and graduated from Willmar High School in 1936. She married Allen B. Easterlund on Nov. 16, 1940. They lived in Willmar and moved to Le Sueur in 1950. Gladys worked from home to raise her family of 10 children and helped her husband with the operation of their business, Easterlund Implement Company, in Le Sueur for 30 years. She continued to live in Le Sueur after retiring and enjoyed 20 years of traveling with her husband. They toured the country in their Holiday travel trailer and wintered as "snow birds" in Mesa, Arizona. She was active in the community and the First United Methodist Church in Le Sueur. She moved in 2002 to The Rivers Senior Independent and Assisted Living campus in Burnsville, and later to Augustana Regent of Burnsville. She is survived by her 10 children: Darlene Jackson of Burnsville, Nancy (Ronald) Muehlhausen of Mequon, Wisconsin; Douglas (Sue) Easterlund of Sartell; Bonnie (Dr. F. Blanton) Bessinger of Roseville, Dean (Alice) Easterlund of Davenport, Iowa; Susan (Louis) Keenan of St. Louis Park; Don (Valerie) Easterlund of Le Sueur; Debra (Leonard) Berkholtz of Burnsville; Daniel (Jeanne) Easterlund of Sapulpa, Oklahoma; and Wendy (Richard) West of Traverse City, Michigan; 25 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years on Aug. 30, 2001, her father in 1954, and mother in 1968, and three brothers, Russell, Roger, and Olaf Lief.