Gladys Bye

Gladys Margaret Bye, 85, of Fergus Falls, died Tuesday, January 8, 2013, at PioneerCare in Fergus Falls.

She was born December 4, 1927, in Elizabeth, Minnesota, the daughter of Frank Persey and Ida Steib Persey. Gladys attended school until the 8th grade at a rural country school north of Elizabeth.

On June 12, 1951 she was united in marriage to Harold Arthur Bye at her family home in Elizabeth. A consummate mother, farmer, and homemaker, Gladys was an excellent baker and cook and enjoyed preparing meals for her family and friends. Gladys began her career as a waitress at Runnigan’s (now Viking) Café. After uniting in marriage to Harold, she became a farmer’s wife. She spent 31 years on the farm milking, plowing, baling, etc. and then retired from farming in 1982. Gladys then took a job at the Laundry Mat in Fergus Falls, ironing doctors and nurses uniforms early in the morning before going to her second job delivering the newspaper for the Daily Journal for 25 years.

When Gladys could find spare time in her busy schedule she enjoyed reading the bible, listening to the radio, gardening, canning, and traveling with Harold to attend Thrashing shows throughout Minnesota and Iowa.

Gladys is survived by her husband, Harold Bye, of Fergus Falls; three children, Duane (Annette) Bye of Fergus Falls, David (Renata) Bye of Sturgeon Lake, and Marilyn (Roger) Mittelstadt of Fergus Falls; four grandchildren, Daniel Bye, Melissa Bye, Adam Bye, and Trissica Rodgers; four step-grandchildren, Ashley, Thomas, Trey and Teryn; and four great-grandchildren, Natalie, Levi, MacKenzie and Ayden. Gladys also has several nephews, nieces and great nephews and nieces, and great-great-nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her father, Frank Persey, her mother, Ida Steib Persey, two brothers, Eldon Persey and Everett Persey, and step-granddaughter, Ann Marie Walker.

Visitation: 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Service: 11 a.m. Monday, January 14, 2013, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls
Clergy: Reverend Curtis Deterding
Interment: Trinity-Faith Cemetery in Fergus Falls
Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls is in charge of the arrangements.