Gloria E (Snyder) Applegate

Gloria E. Applegate, 95, of Scottsbluff passed away Sunday, June 18th at Emerald Court. Her funeral service will be held on Monday, June 26th at 10:00 am at The First Christian Church, 2101 Avenue B, Scottsbluff with Reverend Nona Hodder officiating. Interment with military rites by the United States Air Force Honor Guard will follow the service at East Lawn Cemetery in Minatare. Visitation will be Sunday from 4 – 7 PM at Dugan Kramer Funeral Chapel, 3201 Avenue B, Scottsbluff. Memorials may be given to First Christian Church.

Gloria was born to Newton O. Snyder and Juliet A. (Brown) Snyder on November 1, 1921 at Minatare. She attended Minatare Schools and graduated from high school in May 1940. She excelled in playing the flute, and was a member of the Minatare Marching Band, and journalism. She entered nurses training at the University of Nebraska School of Nursing at Omaha in the fall of 1940 and graduated as a Diploma Registered Nurse in 1943. She was employed for a short time at Fairacres, a 14-bed hospital located at 24th and Avenue F in Scottsbluff and at the Methodist Hospital at 18th and Broadway, also in Scottsbluff until she joined the Army Air Corps in February 1944. Gloria began her career in the Army Air Corps as 2nd Lt. and attained the rank of 1st Lt. in 1946. She served on active duty from February 1944 - April 1949 in station hospitals across the United States and overseas in Japan and the Philippines. Prior to being sent to Japan she attended flight school at Randolph Field in San Antonio, Texas and became a Medical Evacuation Flight nurse. She remained on reserved duty from May 1949-January 1951 and received an honorable discharge at that time.

She was employed as a Registered Nurse by WNGH (later RWHC) from 1965 until her retirement in January 1987.

Gloria married Donald M. Applegate on June 12, 1949 and to this union were born five children, Donald Michael, Dennis Joel, Coleen Elvira, Julia Eve, and Bradley Paul. She and her husband Donald lived on their ranch in Sioux County. After her husband’s death in 1991, she moved to Gering and later to Scottsbluff.

Gloria was a long-time member of the First Christian Church of Scottsbluff. She served in the capacity as an elder and deaconess as well as being president and vice president of CWF. She enjoyed reading, doing embroidery work, particularly cross – stitch and made over 200 quilts, most of these were given as gifts to family and friends.

Gloria is survived by daughter Julia (Haig) Hagihara of Topeka, Kansas, son Brad (Janelle) of Minatare, grandchildren Jeff Hagihara of Topeka, Kenny (Sandy), Dennis, Nathaniel and Trenton Applegate from Minatare, Arliss Summers of Wyoming, and Andrew Applegate of Portland, Oregon. She is survived by 8 great grandchildren and nieces Carolyn (John) Mason and Mary Ann (Mark) and Jenna Richmond of Maryland.