Gladys Olga Ball

Gladys Olga Ball was born June 27, 1924 to Fred and Anna (Iwen) Ehlers at Ogallala, Nebraska, where they farmed west of town. She was the youngest of 6 children that blessed their union. Her grandfather, Hans Iwen, passed away soon after Gladys’ birth and the family travelled to Persia, Iowa for his funeral, and that is where Gladys was baptized on August 16, 1924.

Other important events in her early life were the death of her father when she was 7, her confirmation at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on May 22, 1938, and her graduation from Ogallala High School in May 1941.

Following graduation, she worked as Secretary-Bookkeeper for the Keith County Extension Service in Ogallala until 1953, when her brother Marvin and his wife Toni encouraged her to join them in Denver, where they lived with their two children Patty and Fred. She quickly found employment at District 86, International Association of Machinists and worked there as Secretary-Bookkeeper for 32 years until her retirement in 1985.

More importantly, in Denver she joined the Lutheran Fellowship Group, and made many lifelong friendships, one which resulted in her marriage on August 30, 1959 to Wayne Ball at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Marv and Toni Ehlers’ youngest child, Mary Ann, served as flower girl at their wedding, and Marv gave the bride away.

Gladys was active until August 2013 in the Redeemer Women’s guild where she served as president, treasurer, Christian Growth chairman and historian; Priscilla Circle; Rockers Senior Group; Good Shepherd Home Auxiliary, Colorado Unit serving as financial secretary and editor and Redeemer Workshop co-chairman. She also served on Parish Life Board, Stewardship and Evangelism Boards and as a member of a Counting Team at Redeemer.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Arnold, Walter and Marvin, and sister Velma. She is survived by her husband, Wayne, brother Bernard “Red” Ehlers and her nieces Susan, Patricia, Mary Ann and Linda, nephew Fred, and their spouses and children.

Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17th at 10 AM at Redeemer Lutheran Church at 3300 W. Nevada Place in Denver, 80219. Visitation will begin 1 hr prior. Burial will be at Ft. Logan National Cemetery at 12:30 PM at staging area B.

Memorials: Redeemer Lutheran Church Building Fund, Good Shepherd Home Auxiliary, Colorado Unit, or Exempla Lutheran Hospice.