Gloria Schlapkohl Siekmeier, died Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in her Denver home, age 91.
Gloria was laid to rest with the Schlapkohl family in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne, Minnesota, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
She was born to Lloyd and Ruth (Dietrich) Schlapkohl in Luverne, Minnesota, Oct. 17, 1932, and raised on the Schlapkohl family farm in a home without electricity or running water. She attended a Rock County country school nearby. She traveled to Colorado with the Padilla family at age 16, and then resolved to teach in Colorado. Her sister Audre died suddenly of polio in 1948 at age 18. In 1950 Gloria graduated from Luverne High School, playing trumpet, twirling baton, singing choir, writing for newspaper.
In 1954 she earned a teaching license from the University of South Dakota. Upon graduation, she moved to Denver to begin her teaching career at Phillips Elementary. In the fall of 1954, she met Don Siekmeier, also an USD alum. They were engaged in January 1955 and married at the Presbyterian Church in Luverne on July 30, 1955.
She was married to Don for 64 years until his passing in 2019. They had four sons, Tom (Claudette) of Littleton, Colorado, John (Diana) of Yankton, South Dakota, Stuart (Jane) of Centennial, Colorado, and Luke of Denver, C0lorado; 13 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Gloria was a faithful Christian and involved church member, beginning at St. Andrew Presbyterian, then at Bear Creek Presbyterian, later at Atonement Lutheran, and currently at The Light of Christ Anglican. She expressed her faith by her actions.
Gloria was fully engaged in life. Loyalty and commitment characterized her. She was involved in a myriad of activities, at every stage and phase of life, including PTA, Scouts, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, Bible study, politics and volunteering.
She had the gift of hospitality as great cook and warm hostess. She was an excellent seamstress. She played piano and trumpet. She was a prolific correspondent and memoirist. With husband Don, she traveled far and wide, mostly via auto.
Gloria was a substitute teacher in DPS for nearly 50 years, through the 2022-23 school year. She completed an M.A. in Special Education at University of Northern Colorado in 1988. At her 90th birthday party she said, “All I ever wanted to do was be a teacher.”
Gloria was an avid ice skater, tennis player, skier, hiker, and runner. Her foremost endeavor was the Denver Post Ride the Rockies bicycle tour, as a rider from 1986-2002 and volunteer from 2003-2017.
Gloria showed great endurance in her many athletic feats but also persevered nobly in her last years through loss of vision and physical dependency. She remained gracious and thankful to the end.
Contributions in honor of Gloria could be made to Samaritan’s Purse.
