Gladys Glaser

Gladys Lillian Glaser was born on November 22, 1926, to Max and Selma Matthys. She was the oldest of five children. She was baptized in January, 1927, by Pastor E.A. Heckmann at the little church in Battle, Texas. She was confirmed on Palm Sunday, 1939, by Pastor John Herzog at Grace Lutheran Church in Mart, Texas.
Her confirmation verse was Psalm 27:4: “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”

Gladys met her husband and the love of her life, Clarence Glaser, in Mart, Texas, and they were married on July 18, 1948, at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Waco Texas. They moved to Copperas Cove, Texas in 1948 and lived there until they moved to a farm in Mart, Texas, in 1983. Clarence retired from farming in 1998 and they moved to the Battle Lake Golf Course community.

Clarence died in 2006 and Gladys moved to Houston in October, 2009, residing at The Forum, a Senior Living Community. She lived there 13 years until moving to Traditions, another Senior Living Community in Houston, in April, 2022 where she lived until her death on May 5, 2023.

Gladys was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence; her parents Max and Selma Matthys; her brother, Truman Matthys; her sister-in-law, Mary Jo Matthys; her sister, Virginia Price; her brother-in-law, Don Savage; her brother-in-law, Ben Glaser; and her oldest grandson, Robert Hunt.

She is survived by her sister, Betty Savage of Robinson, Texas; her brother, Charles Matthys of Euless, Texas; her brother-in-law, Don Price of Mart, Texas; her sister-in-law, Joyce Glaser of Waco, Texas; her sons, David Glaser and his wife, April of Houston/Belton, Texas; Daniel Glaser and his wife, Kendra, of Palmer Lake, Colorado; and one daughter, Cynthia Marlar and her husband, Coy, of Burkett, Texas.

She is also survived by her granddaughter, Casey Barnard, and her husband, Jerry, of Kerrville, Texas, and her eight grandsons: Scott Glaser and his wife, Celeste, of Houston; Christopher Glaser and his wife, Jessica, of Midland Texas; Andrew Glaser and his wife, Charity, of Houston, Texas; Patrick Ryan of Houston, Texas; Beck Marlar and his wife, Hayley, of Kerrville, Texas; Wesley Hunt and his wife, Marissa, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Ryan Glaser and his wife, Katrina, of Evergreen, Colorado; and Adam Glaser of Palmer Lake, Colorado. Gladys has 13 great grandchildren: Claire Hunt; Lilly Hunt, Wesley Hunt; Judah Marlar; Eva Marlar; Dawson Barnard; Bitty Barnard; Preston Glaser; Carson Glaser, James Glaser; Hannah Glaser; Elizabeth Glaser; Madison Glaser.

For many years Gladys was a stay-at-home mom, but later worked several years as a cafeteria worker at Halstead Elementary in Copperas Cove. She was the last surviving charter member of Trinity Lutheran church in Copperas Cove where she was very active and later as a member at Grace Lutheran in Mart. She served as a church officer, a Sunday school teacher and in many positions with LWML, always stepping in to help where needed. She and Clarence also participated in teaching and mentoring troubled youth at TYC in Mart, Texas. She loved being a wife, a mother, a grandmother and great grandmother, and rocking preemies at the hospital in Waco. She loved all her siblings, her nieces and nephews and her many friends.

Gladys was a light and encouragement to all those who knew her. There is an emptiness in our hearts at her loss and she will be deeply missed.