Gladys C. Krohn

Memorial services for Gladys C. Krohn of Warroad, MN and formerly of Williams, MN, will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2018 at 2 PM at the Warroad Senior Living Center with Pastor Mary Gilthvedt officiating.  Visitation will be one hour prior, and interment will be at the Zippel Cemetery in Williams, MN at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Warroad Senior Living Center or Bethany Lutheran Church.

When Gladys Krohn was born April 25, 1910, bread was 5 cents a loaf, gas was 33 cents a gallon, and $500 would buy you a brand new car. The Titanic had yet to sink, the Panama Canal had yet to open, and Charles Lindbergh had yet to step foot on an airplane.

Gladys had seen many astounding changes since she was born that day in Barton, North Dakota, to homestead parents Olaf and Ida Greenley. She spent her early years on a homestead in Montana. Later, Gladys and her family moved to Grand Forks, ND, where she started school. Upon the death of her father in the 1918 flu epidemic, Gladys’ mother took her four children and moved to Viking, MN, to be near relatives.

While living there, Gladys attended Warren High School and later completed Teacher Training. After teaching in rural schools for three years during The Depression time, she chose to get married ending her teaching career. Gladys married Alexander Krohn on June 14, 1931, in Thief River Falls, MN. With $50 and a 1929 Chevrolet, they embarked on a honeymoon to the Black Hills.

When they returned, they made their home on the Krohn dairy farm in Viking with Alex’s brother Carl. Gladys, an inexperienced cook at the time, had the task of cooking for six men all summer and more than twice that during the threshing and and silo-filling in the fall. She soon mastered that art and became a fine cook. In 1942, Alex bought a garage in Viking and the couple moved into town. While living there, he also began trucking livestock, and buying and selling hay. Gladys served as cook, bookkeeper, and coordinator of the operations, in addition to her duties as busy mother to Muriel, born 1936, and Jerome, born in 1939.

After moves to Phoenix, Arizona and Seattle, Washington, the Krohns purchased their home on Zippel Bay in August 1945. There the family settled, raising mink and turkeys and supplementing their income by cutting pulpwood, trapping in season, and other jobs. They were active in community events and became members of Bethany Lutheran Church of Williams. Their youngest daughter Susan was born in 1955.

In 1980, Alex and Gladys began spending winter in warmer climates. Alex continued to farm with son Jerome, “Jerry”. Alex passed away in January 1996. Gladys stayed very active over the years, first with raising her family and helping her husband on the farm, a six year stint at Marvin Windows, many outside interests, hobbies and involvement with other organizations.

Living on the bay, fishing was always an interest, as well as watching grandsons and great-grandsons play hockey. Gardening has always been close to Gladys’s heart, especially flower gardening. Many people have benefited over the years by receiving slips, seedlings and garden advice from her. She was a charter member of the Williams Gardeners and maintained that membership for 50 years. Gladys also got great enjoyment out of her family, which has grown beyond her three children to include 13 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren. After 65 years on the home place, at the age of 99 she gave up driving and made the move to the Warroad Senior Living Center on New Years Eve 2009.

Gladys passed away January 4, 2018 at the Warroad Senior Living Center at the age of 107.

She is survived by children, Muriel Olson of Warroad, Jerry (Sharon) Krohn of Williams, and Susan (Dany) Ekre of Shevlin. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Alexander Krohn, siblings, and  Son-in-law Donovan Olson.

 Service Information