Gladys Emma Rathje

Gladys Emma Rathje, 97, of Pigeon, was called home on October 16, 2017 at her home in Country Gardens.

Gladys was born February 15, 1920 in Frankenmuth to the late Hubert and Martha (Gauderer) Baum. She was confirmed on May 25, 1934 at St. Lorenz Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth; her confirmation verse was Psalm 37:37. She married Alvin H. Rathje on September 1, 1946 at St. Lorenz Lutheran Church. They were married 69 years before his death on February 22, 2016.

Gladys was a homemaker. She worked on the family farm. She loved doing crafts, sewing, embroidering and watching her grandchildren. She shared her rich German culture with her family and taught them how to make spouzen soup and hosted many pretzel parties where everyone had to participate in shaping the pretzels. She was a member of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Women’s Society, Townliners Extension Group and the Mud Creek Farm Bureau Community Action Group. While her family will miss her dearly, they know how much she was looking forward to joining her husband.

She is survived by her sons Robert (Cynthia) of Pigeon and Randall (Diane) of Saginaw; grandchildren Ami (Aaron) Park of Stuttgart, Germany, Kami (Russ) Genet of Frankfort, IL, Joy (George) Lopez of Lansing, Robin Rathje of Fort Collins, CO, Jennifer (Dan) Zeiss of St. Johns, Rev. Christopher (Beth) Rathje of Ocala, FL and Sean (Ashley) Rathje of Pasadena, CA; great-grandchildren Cade and Cruz Genet, Sophie and Peyton Lopez, Linka and Wynn Park, and Kyah, Bryn, Lily, Isaac and Kinnick Rathje; and sister Margaret Ann (James) Sauer of Pigeon. She was preceded in death by her brother Wallace O. Baum.

Funeral services will be at 11:00am Saturday, October 21st at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church-Berne with Rev. Steve Neuman officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be 3-8 Friday at the church and one hour prior to the service on Saturday. Champagne Funeral Chapel is handling the services.

Memorials in her memory may be made to the St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church-Berne Building Fund or the WELS Relief Fund.