Gladys Richter

Gladys Richter, of Mt. Carroll, IL, passed away Tuesday, September 12, at Allure Nursing Home in Mt. Carroll. Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, September 18, at the Law Jones Funeral Home in Mt. Carroll. Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. Reception will be held at the Mt. Carroll Evangelical Lutheran Church. Friends and family who wish to watch the livestream may do so at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1464005011107567 .

Gladys Richter was born November 24, 1926, daughter of Howard and Ella (Schantz) Platt. She grew up in Savanna, IL, and graduated from Savanna High School with the class of 1944. While in high school Gladys worked at the Savanna Army Depot as a courier and typist. After graduating Gladys began working for Savanna State Bank, where she would meet the love of her life, Glen Richter. The couple hit it off and married on June 26, 1949. Together, Gladys and Glen raised two children and celebrated 69 years of marriage until Glen’s passing in 2018.

Throughout their marriage, the Richters owned a number of local businesses, and operated them as partners. They worked together famously, and never argued. They were the perfect team in business and in life. Glen was enormously proud of his beautiful wife, and Gladys lived to take care of her husband and family. Toward the end of Glen’s life he was quarantined with a deadly infectious disease, but that didn’t stop Gladys from performing her labor of love, and caring for her husband. Through such selfless acts, Gladys taught her family how to care for those they love most.

Gladys had a wonderful smile that could light up a room. Her husband Glen even gave her the nickname “Happy.” She made a point to always look her best, and loved dressing in bright colors. She was constantly cooking delicious meals and treats for her family. In her spare time Gladys loved playing Bridge. She was quite the talent, even into her older age. Her memory and quick wit were with her long into her twilight years.

At the center of Gladys’s life was her family. She was a proud mother and grandmother; taking care to instill important values into her kids and grandkids. Gladys was a wife and mother first. Her heart ached for her husband these last few years, but now they are reunited, as a perfect pair again.

Gladys will be dearly missed by her children, Jay (Anita) Richter of Riverdale, IA, and Jana (Pat) Deleersnyder of Birmingham, AL; three grandchildren, Jaylee Richter of Riverdale, Gabriel Richter of Riverdale, and Jenny Deleersnyder of Birmingham; and four step-grandchildren, Michael Glasser of Apopka, FL, Jeremy Glasser of Gainesville, FL, Andrea Villalba of Muscatine, IA, and Ronny Villalba of Quito, Ecuador. Gladys is preceded in death by her husband, Glen; her parents, Howard and Ella; her brother, Bill, and her daughter-in-law, Shirley.