Gladys Stevens, 74, of Valley City, North Dakota passed away on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at SMP Health-St. Raphael in Valley City under the care of CHI Hospice. The funeral service will be held 2:00 pm Friday, April 14, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Valley City. Visitation will be one hour prior from 1-2pm. Burial will be in
Sheyenne Valley Cemetery, rural Kathryn, ND in the spring.
Gladys Irene Sivertson was born on April 10, 1948 in Bottineau, North Dakota, the daughter of Selmer and Olga (Iverson) Sivertson. She was the youngest of 11 children raised in a small home in the Turtle Mountains. She attended school in Bottineau and later moved to Kathryn, ND where she lived with her brother and his family and graduated from Kathryn High School. She met the love of her life, Merrill Stevens, while living in Kathryn and they were married on October 20, 1967 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. They made their home in Kathryn, welcoming a son, Curtis. In the fall of 1969, they moved to the Stevens farmstead in rural Valley City and later welcomed a daughter, Brenda. They continued to make their home and raise their family on the farm/ranch they loved so dearly.
She was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kathryn. Gladys was the epitome of the perfect farmer’s wife, keeping the home, caring for the children, cooking, baking, gardening, working, welcoming all that came to visit. She was a loving and caring wife, mom and grandmother. She was active in volunteering at the church, especially when it came to baking and bringing food for events. Once her children were older, she worked at the Kathryn Kountry Store and in the kitchen at the Eagles Club in Valley City as one of “Ruthie’s girls”. Gladys enjoyed being outside, mowing the lawn, gardening, baking, loved her old-time country music, and enjoyed a good game of pool. She made the home a welcoming spot for all family and friends to gather.
Gladys is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Merrill; son, Curtis (Terri) Stevens; daughter, Brenda (Kevin) White; grandchildren: Krysten White, Chelsea (Lance) Straabe, Tyler Stevens, Jory White, and Kacee White; great-grandchildren: Lennon, Nash, Peyton, and Sawyer; brother, Ken (Juliene) Sivertson; sister, Shirley (Lowell) Kofoid; sisters-in-law, Shirley Siverston and Fidelis Sivertson; brother-in-law, Jim Stevens; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Selmer and Olga Sivertson; her siblings and their spouses: Orval “Bud” Sivertson, Sanford (Donna) Sivertson, Lloyd (Coleen) Sivertson, Glenn (Janet) Sivertson, Lyle (Mavis) Sivertson, Norman (Irene) Sivertson, Florence (John) Pedie, Evelyn Sivertson; her father and mother-in-law Alfred and Myrtle Stevens; brothers and sisters-in law and their spouses: Milo (Yvonne) Stevens; Earl (Shirley) Stevens; Joyce (Myron) Wallner; Gini Stevens, Michael Stevens.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Sheyenne Valley Cemetery and CHI Hospice.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Oliver-Nathan Funeral Chapel, Valley City. An online guestbook is available at www.oliver-nathanchapel.com