Gladys Ann Noland

(Oct. 4, 1936 - Feb. 14, 2019)

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Gladys Ann Noland, 82-year-old longtime Worland resident, passed away on Feb. 14, 2019, at the Washakie Medical Center after a brief battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family.

Gladys was born on Oct. 4, 1936, in Glenrock, Wyoming, to Louis Conrad and Mildred Dolly “Dot” (Shoemaker) Althoff.  She grew up in Powell, graduating from Powell High School in 1954.

She met the man who would steal her heart at a dance. He was a lineman from Idaho working for Mountain Bell Telephone, she was a telephone switchboard operator. They were wed on Aug. 27, 1955, and formed their own party line that brought Edward, Katherine, Sue and John into the world.

When the couple wasn’t working, they could be found square dancing, playing cards (pinochle and canasta), or camping at Sunlight or Crandall Creek with friends. Gladys loved to garden.She was the epitome of organic before organic was popular. The family ate from her garden year-round. She taught her children work ethic, by working in the garden, planting, weeding, harvesting and preparing the food for the cold Wyoming winters. If the children helped and did their jobs well, there was a reward at the end of harvest. She would take them all to the local Tastee Freeze for a banana split.

While her children were small she worked part-time as a teacher’s aide in the schools. In 1974 the family moved to Worland where Keith was promoted to a manager with Mountain Bell. Gladys went back to work as a switchboard operator until the telephone company went in a new direction and the need for operators became obsolete. She then worked at First National Bank as a teller at the drive-thru, retiring in 1981. It was important to her to be at home for her teenaged children to come home to. 

As the children grew and left home, Gladys and Keith, still inseparable, took up golfing and bowling and bingo. The daily routine of coffee at Maggie’s then to take care of the dogs and back to Maggie’s for lunch was seldom changed. The best part of the day after that was taking Benny, their beloved dog, on his daily car ride every afternoon. In 2007 Gladys was diagnosed with lung cancer. A portion of her lung was removed and she resumed most of her activities. Bowling was replaced with Pinochle Club and she slowed down just a bit. Other hobbies included crocheting, cross-stitch, watching old game shows, Lawrence Welk and Hee-Haw, adding an occasional trip to Riverton or Wendover. 

She loved making people laugh and was a genuine loving and caring person. Keith was always the apple of her eye, her love and admiration for him grew with each day of their 63 years of marriage.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Roy, Glenn and Kenneth Althoff; sister, Louise Cockburn and great-granddaughter, Kaylene Enloe. Survivors include her loving husband, Keith; her sons, Edward (Shannon) Noland of Bainbridge, Island, Washington, John (Michelle) Noland of Worland; daughters, Katherine (Randy) Tullis of Torrington, Wyoming, Sue Lorenzen (Larry Costalez) of Worland; grandchildren: Michael Noland, David Noland, Amy (Andy) Houser, Stacey Tullis (Don Gothing), Nicole (Levi) French, Andrew Lorenzen (Kitty Zhong), Tonya (Eric) Enloe, Brandy Noland (Jorge Herrera), Dallas Noland (Adam Paulsen) Patrick, Brandyn, Taylor, Ashtyn and Aspyn Noland; great-grandchildren: Harper, Hayden, Kable, Kimber and Kyson, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins and her faithful fur baby, Benny.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, at Zion Lutheran Evangelical Church with Pastor Jess Rollema of the First Baptist Church officiating. Burial will follow at the Riverview Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Visitation for family and friends will be held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Bryant Funeral Home Chapel.

Memorial donations may be made to the JR/SRs Bowling Scholarship c/o Bryant Funeral Home, P.O. Box 524, Worland, WY 82401. Online condolences may be made at www.bryantfuneralhomeonline.com.

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