Thelma was born to the late Howard Albert and Kathryn Alice (Snyder) Gelsleichter on Jan 24, 1927 at her grandmother’s home in Shavertown, PA. God called her home in the very early hours on Oct 3, 2020 while she was sleeping.
Thelma is survived by her children and their families; Thelma Mae Glowacki (Ted (deceased)), Barbara Charlene Beatty (Jim), Howard Charles Husband (Diana), 6 grandchildren Kyle Husband (Jessica), Kellie Husband, Tina (Glowacki) Smrkovski (Jeff), Tiffany Glowacki-Whitt (David), James Beatty, Jr, Amanda (Beatty) Romm (Patrick), and 10 great grandchildren with another one due in November 2020. She is also survived by her youngest brother Harold Lloyd Gelsleichter (Juanita), and many nieces and nephews.
Thelma was preceded her in death by her parents in 1996, and her husband of 53 years, Charles Clader Husband in 2000. Her younger sister Betty Jane Bean passed in 2015, and her older brother Charles Howard Gelsleichter in 2018.
Thelma was a survivor of both Scarlett and Rheumatic Fever when she was a youngster. The doctors did not think she would be able to live a long and fruitful life, but she was determined to prove them wrong. Her determination and stamina got her through that difficult time, and continued to be an asset throughout her life.
Thelma lived in Kunkle, PA for most of her childhood. The family moved to Takoma Park from 1940-1943, after which they moved back to Kunkle. Thelma graduated from Dallas Township High School, Dallas, PA in 1945.
Throughout her life she worked at several different jobs. As a young woman, she worked at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas, PA, with her sister Betty and cousin Carol Jean. After she was married she worked at a mattress and furniture factory in Kingston, PA, followed by a dress factory, where she learned to operate a 24 needle smocking machine. Upon moving to Rockville, MD in 1961, she sold Avon for several years, and then in 1966 she was employed as a Montgomery County School Bus Operator until she retired.
She had many skills that she enjoyed, and also shared with others. She was skilled in the kitchen with old school homemade recipes for baking, canning fruits and vegetables, making pickles, sauerkraut, the best baked beans and many other delectable dishes! She could crochet, knit, tat, was a skilled seamstress and made beautiful intricate English bobbin lace. In fact, she made the red dress that she wears in some of the posted pictures as well as the yards of bobbin lace that adorns the dress. She was a member of the Chesapeake Region Lace Guild, and the Moonlight Lacers for many years. She demonstrated her lace skills at the Montgomery County Fair, and at the Montgomery County Agriculture Center.
Christmas was her favorite time of year. She baked cookies, make homemade fudge that nothing will ever beat, and hosted the family Christmas dinner every year. Her Christmas tree was always special to her, and reflected a lot of her favorite things.
Thelma was very interested in family genealogy for both her family, and the Husband family. She traveled to England and Scotland a couple of times in the pursuit of family history. She traced her Scottish heritage through the Robbins family and Robert the Grizzly to the Donnachaidh Clan. She loved to travel, using many different modes of transportation; street cars, trains, planes, automobiles, boats travel trailers, motorhomes and school busses. She also rode her Dad’s motorcycle on the mountain dirt roads in Western Maryland. In addition to the traveling she did both in and out of the country for the family tree, she also went to Brussels, Australia and just about every state in the United States. Even though she didn’t remember the trip, her 90th birthday was celebrated in the Caribbean on her first cruise, accompanied by Thelma Mae, Barbara and Jim.
Thelma will be remembered for her outgoing and personable personality. Her laugh was contagious, she had a great sense of humor and she loved to interact with people from all walks of life. She touched not only family members, but many people in the community as well. Thelma will be missed by many.
Visitation and services will be held at Hines Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. Interment will immediately follow the service at Parklawn Cemetary, 12800 Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, MD,
Visitation will be Tuesday, October 14, 2020 from 4:00 - 8pm. Visitation has no restrictions on how many people may come, but only 50 people will be allowed in the parlor at any one time.
The Funeral Service will be Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 11 am. The service is limited to 50 people in the parlor, but we are to have a monitor setup outside if more people attend. Please remember your masks.
Tax deductible donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Thelma Husband at http://act.alz.org/goto/Thelma_Husband
