Gloria Ann Dykstra

Gloria Ann Snyder Dykstra, youngest daughter of Harold and Clara (Meyer) Snyder, was born in Stanhope, Iowa on February 28, 1932. Her family relocated to Hartley when she was in grade school, graduating from Hartley High School on 1949, where she was a member of the band, the newspaper and yearbook staffs, and the pep club. She immediately enrolled at the American Institute of Business in Des Moines earning her degree in April of 1950 after which she was employed for six months at Gibbs-Cook Equipment Company of Des Moines. Gloria married her sweetheart, Elmer, on October 1, 1950; and the town girl became a farm wife. Six months later, Elmer left for Army basic training and Gloria returned to Gibbs-Cook until Elmer's discharge in April 1953. The next 15 years she was a stay-at-home mom and farm wife on various farms near May City, Everly and Spencer; and doing all the record keeping for the crops and livestock. In the late 60's she started working as a bookkeeper for the Coop Elevator in Everly, and then worked for 15 years at Holco Agri Products in Spencer until she retired in 1996. She and Elmer lived briefly in Milford prior to building their dream home on the Spencer Municipal Golf Course in 1993, where they lived until moving to assisted living in 2011. Raised in the Methodist Church, upon her marriage Gloria joined the First Reformed Church of rural Everly, later transferring membership to Hope Reformed Church in Spencer. Church work was always important to her, helping with Sunday and Bible School when her kids were growing up, enjoyed ladies club and Bible study groups. Elmer and Gloria frequently volunteered for mission work trips. She was a 4-H leader, a founding member of the Clay County Cowbelles, and spent many hours working in the Branding Iron during the Clay County Fair. Gloria passed away at the age of 85 on July 5, 2017 at St. Luke Lutheran Home in Spencer where she had received loving care for the past two years. She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years in 2013; her daughter, Rebecca in 1951; her parents; her sisters and their husbands, Lois and Leo Hove and Melva and Wilbert Rusch; her in-laws, Ed and Dorothy Dykstra; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ed and Dorothy Galm, Lester Dykstra, Vernon, Pat, and Norma Dykstra. Left to cherish her memory are two sons, Randy and Rodney both of Everly; daughter and husband, Sandi and Kirby Schmidt of Spencer; granddaughter and husband, Rachel and Tom Hauck of Marion, IA; great-granddaughter (and namesake), Annabelle; sister-in-law, Barbara Dykstra of Spencer; sister-in-law and husband, Betty and Leonard Bonker of Harlingen, Texas, other relatives and many friends.

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