Gladys Goetschel

Gladys E. Goetschel (nee LaBarre)

Went home to be with the Lord on May 23, 2020 at the age of 98-1/2. Glady was born on November 20, 1921 to Eugene and Anna LaBarre. She was a great-granddaughter of Basil Gervais, first non-native American child born in St. Paul.  The family home was within walking distance to White Bear Lake. Mom always said she" lived in that lake all summer”. Her active childhood contributed to her athletic success at White Bear High School (class of 1940) where she played basketball and volleyball. Summer also included kitten ball when at 15 she was asked to pitch for the Montgomery Ward competitive team. Glady passed on that opportunity because the older women would go to the local tavern after the games.

After graduation, she worked for Pearson Candy, West Publishing, and Northern States Power. When she married Walter in 1948, NSP didn’t allow married women to work, so she became a farmer alongside Walter and his brother, Martin. Four years later Bonita (Bonnie) was born, then 2-1/2 years later the outside work force called her again. Farmers Union Grain Terminal got a new bookkeeper and soon-to-be key punch operator.  Glady always prided herself on her ability with numbers.  Sadly, Grandma LaBarre needed her care and from then on she stayed home helping out on the farm. Later, Glady enjoyed her three grandkids, teaching the girls to pitch softball and taking Kyle to drum lessons.  As soon as they could reach the pedal, she taught all the grandkids how to drive Grandpa’s pick-up truck. Arizona weather was too much to resist and for several years, she and Wally became snowbirds. When he died in 1999, her beloved dog Chico kept her company.

After a long battle with Lewey body dementia Glady fell and broke her hip. Her 98 year old body was not strong enough to handle the trauma. Survived by daughter, Bonnie (Don) Klatt; grandchildren, Kyle (Pam) Klatt, Nicole (Scott) Mechelke and Maree (Ryan) Pesch; also great-grandchildren, Lindsey, Devin, and Elijah Klatt, Annika, Elsa and Soren Mechelke and Sylvia, Willem and Graham Pesch.

A private family service will be livestreamed Friday, May 29, 2020 beginning at 1:45 P.M. Private interment St. John’s Cemetery, Baytown.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to St. John’s Lutheran of Baytown, 5274 Stillwater Blvd N, Stillwater, MN 55082