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Gladys Luella (Miller) Snyder was born in her parents' farm home near Crab Orchard, Nebraska, on August 15, 1926.  She was one of 5 daughters born to Neils and Maggie Miller.  Gladys attended Lewiston (Nebraska) Public School where she met the love of her life, Russell Snyder, at an FFA party.

The Miller family moved to the Talmage area before Gladys' senior year.  She stayed behind so she could graduate from Lewiston as class valedictorian.

Gladys lived in three different places during her senior high school year.  She lived with a farm family near Lewiston during harvest, earning room and board in exchange for household duties.  After harvest she lived at the Canrary Woman's house in town until moving into the home of a school Superintendent and his wife, where she cleaned house, ironed the Superintendent's white shirts, and slept on the couch.

After high school, she taught K-12 in a one room country school for three years while living with John and Esther Janssen on their farm. Summers were spent in Lincoln working the factory lines at Russel Stover Candy and Cushman Motors.

Gladys and Russ were married in the Talmage Lutheran Church on June 3, 1946.  They farmed the family farm near Liberty until, Russ and Gladys took a leap of faith.  With 2 young sons, they left the farm and moved north to Syracuse to buy a John Deere implement business in Syracuse owned by Dale and Walter Janssen.  Their first home in Syracuse was a remodeled chicken coop located behind the house where Wes and Terri Janssen live today.  Two more sons were born.

Gladys kept the implement business books but it was not a job she enjoyed.  She enjoyed cooking and decided to sell pots and pans door to door, earning a top of the line, heavy-duty set of cookware.  They were great cookware and she used them well into her 90's.

Gladys was a hard worker.  Some jobs were "paycheck" jobs but the ones she loved most were her roles as wife, mother, farmhand and flower lady extraordinaire. They were jobs that filled her heart and not her bank account.  Gladys and Russ both enjoyed caring for the flower gardens at the Syracuse Golf Course and the Prayer Garden at the Lutheran Memorial Church.

In her retirement, much of her relentless energy was diverted to becoming Russ's main caregiver, following his stroke.  They were a team before and after his stroke.  Gladys was Russ' cheerleader in business and during his rehabilitation.  Russ died at age 87.  Gladys honored and celebrated Russ' life every day for the remaining 10 years of her life.

Gladys lived in her Syracuse home until age 96, when she became ill and entered hospice at the Good Samaritan Center.  While in hospice, she took the opportunity to say her goodbyes to friends and family.  She had fun asking several friends to be her pallbearers and approved her funeral arrangements.  But, she bounced back and recovered from hospice.  Her family moved her to an assisted living facility in Omaha, where she enjoyed meeting new friends and spending more time with her family for another year.

At the age of 97 yrs 7 months and 8 days, she died peacefully, leaving her family and friends with good memories and many stories that will outlive the next generation.

She is preceded in death by her husband Russ; her parents Neils and Maggie Miller; sisters Wilma Jackson, Lenora Reddick, Kay Blocker; Russ' sister Mable and brothers Melvin and Leonard.  Gladys is survived by her sister Donna Packard; sons Dan (Kay) and Ken (Jan) of Omaha, Mike (Kristi) of Ogallala, and Bill (Debra) of Omaha; 12 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 5 at 11:00 a.m. at Luther Memorial Church in Syracuse. The service will be livestreamed on the Luther Memorial Church, NE YouTube page. Burial will follow at the Park Hill cemetery in Syracuse.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, April 4 from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. with family greeting friends from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home in Syracuse.

Arrangements By: Fusselman Allen Harvey Funeral Home, Syracuse, NE

Condolences to www.fusselmanallenharvey.com