Gladys Cheney

Gladys Harriet Cheney…

was born to Peter and Anna (Cherney) Ellefson on May 12, 1919 on the family farm in Lone Rock Township, near Flandreau, South Dakota, where she was raised and attended the Simons Country School. She continued her education at the Flandreau High School. While she was attending high school, she boarded with her sister at their Grandma and Grandpa Cherney’s home in Flandreau. After her graduation in 1937, she attended General Beadle College in Madison, South Dakota. She taught for one year at the Molsness Country School in Moody County. She then attended the South Dakota Beauty Academy in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Upon completion of this course in 1940, she worked as a beautician in Pipestone, Minnesota. On October 21, 1960, she was united in marriage to Vernon Cheney at First Lutheran Church in Pipestone. Following their marriage, they lived in Pipestone where Gladys continued to work as a beautician. In 1968, they moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. While living there, Gladys was employed at the local fabric store until she was hired as a seamstress at an exclusive shop on Fifth Avenue in Old Towne Scottsdale. She continued to work there until her retirement. When she started having health problems in 2009, she moved back to Pipestone to be near her family. She lived in the Storybook Apartments until this past month when she became a resident of Riverview Manor in Flandreau. Then, this past week, she entered the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where she died on Tuesday evening, October 2, 2012, at the age of 93 years, four months and 20 days.

As a child, Gladys was a member of Lone Rock Norwegian Lutheran Church where she was baptized and confirmed. After moving to Pipestone, she was a member of First Lutheran Church. While living in Scottsdale, she was an active member of Ascension Lutheran Church where she served on the Altar Committee and baked unleavened bread for the church. She was the chairman of the Funeral Committee until she was well into her 80s. She was also in charge of the Lefse Fundraiser for many years. After returning to Pipestone, she was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church. Since 1960, she has been a member of the Michael Boock American Legion Post 6 Auxiliary. While living in Scottsdale, her husband started building his own airplane; and she and her husband became very active members of the Experimental Aircraft Association. They were also very active in the Scottsdale Gleaners where they would gather and distribute fruit to the food bank. Throughout her life, she was an excellent seamstress, making her own clothing. She enjoyed counted cross-stitching and making special Christmas decorations for their home in Scottsdale.

She is lovingly remembered by her brother, Walter (Carol) Ellefson of Flandreau, South Dakota; one nephew, Michael (Jackie) Ellefson of Trent, South Dakota; four nieces, Betty (Jerome) Haak of Dell Rapids, South Dakota, Barbara (Woody) Stahl of Onida, South Dakota, Jodi (John) Hostler of Blunt, South Dakota, and Diane (Alan) Blankenfeld of Dell Rapids, South Dakota; 15 great nieces and nephews; 20 great-great nieces and nephews; and four great-great-great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon; her parents; her brother, Quentin Ellefson; her sister, Gertrude Johnson; one great-niece, Patricia; and three great-nephews, Beau, Steven and Scott.