Gladys Rose Bauer was born on March 2nd, 1931 in South Dakota.She finished her race on February 26, 2011, four days short of her 80th Birthday.She died at Providence on the Mount Nursing home of complications due to colon cancer.Gladys was raised by her immigrant parents Gottlieb, of Germany, and Rosina of Prussia.She lived through World War II, the Depression, and seven brothers and sisters.

Her family moved to the Northwest where she graduated from Ballard High School in 1949.

Gladys was recognized for her work ethic, which landed her a job at the Bar S meat packing company in Seattle as a legal secretary for Frye.There at the company she met her future husband, Eugene Francis Sager, and was soon married, the two of them parented five children namely, William Eugene Sager, Robert Laurence Sager, Bradley Allen Sager, Beverly Ann Sager, and Brian Scott Sager.

Gladys was known for her hospitality and warmed many hearts with her excellent cooking.She was known for her baking of breads, cookies, strawberry waffles, and pasties to name a few.While attending Esperance Baptist Church in Edmonds, WA she started a Pioneer Girl Club leading many young girls to salvation in Christ.She loved playing the piano and reading the Bible.

She was widowed on March 31, 197l when her husband of 17 years died from cardiac arrest.

Gladys suffered most of the years of her life with mental illness, which was hard on everyone who knew her in her prime.How could this bright, intelligent, energetic woman be subjected to this torment of the soul?Yet after every nervous breakdown, she would always seem to bounce back.

Gladys lived on Vashon Island from 1993 to 1999 with her son and daughter-in-law Brad and Valerie Sager and later moved into her own mobile home on the family property.Living so close to her grandchildren, she became the focus of all their teasing.Her grandchildren would sneak into her home find all of her bras and undies, soak them in water and freeze them.Whatever practical joke they could come up with, Grandma always took it with grace and a sense of humor.

In October of 1999 her youngest son, Brian died from a drowning.Shortly afterwards she was moved into an assisted living facility on the island where she had her own apartment but was given help in areas of personal care.During that time she helped organize a campaign for gathering blankets for needy families of Afghanistan and worked with World Concern. An article was written about her in the local newspaper.

Two years later she moved into an assisted living home in Seattle and resided there several years until she broke her femur.At that time she moved to the Providence on the Mount nursing facility in West Seattle.Although living at a nursing home was not her first choice, she learned to make the best of it by being a constant source of encouragement to the staff and residents.She would sing them songs and tell them stories of God's love and care for them.She was well loved and respected at this facility where she warmed lonely hearts with her cheerful spirit. It seemed this was God's missionary call for her.

Gladys had 15 grandchildren named in order of birth: Nicole, Jessie, Jennifer, Jacob, Gary, Thomas, Sarah, Trevor, Andy, Blake, Gianni, Lacee, Tori, Christopher, and Matthew. She had eight great grandchildren:Alexia, Joshua, Ella, James Robert, Jenna, Beau, Josiah, and Rylie Mae.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gottlieb and Rosina Bauer, her brothers, Ben Bauer, George Bauer, Peter Bauer and Lester Bauer, and her sisters Ruth Weyrauch, Myrt Doyle, and Bernice Bauer as well as their spouses: Maxine Bauer, Martha Bauer, Don Weyrauch, and Wes Doyle.

Gladys always had candy for her grandchildren. While living on the island the grandchildren and neighbor kids would make a daily trip to her house for that savored piece of sugar delight. And when members of the family came to visit her at the nursing facility she would insist on buying them ice cream cones.She was never empty handed but always open handed.Her faith in Christ through all of her trials was an inspiration to all who knew her.Her children are comforted by the fact that she has "run the race, and finished her course. They await the promised heavenly reunion where she will be completely restored in body, mind, soul, and spirit.A Graveside service will be held at the Vashon Cemetery Friday March 4, 2011 at 12 noon.