Gladys Geraldine (Guthmiller) Trotter Meleen was born January 20, 1925 to Jacob and Martha (Schnabel) Guthmiller on a farm in Beadle County near Virgil, South Dakota. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church, and attended school at Virgil until the family moved to Huron, South Dakota in 1941, where she graduated from high school in 1943. Gladys married Wayne Alexander Trotter on September 1, 1946 at American Lutheran Church in Huron. They moved to Pierre, South Dakota a month later and resided there until Wayne’s death in 1961. Their union was blessed with a daughter, Jewel, and a son, Gene. She married Richard Meleen in 1965. He died in 1994. In the fall of 2011, Gladys moved to Danebod Village in Tyler, Minnesota, and in 2016 became a resident of Sunrise Manor Nursing Home in Tyler. She passed away on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at the age of 96 years, five months, and eight days with a song in her heart, having led a good life. In accordance with her wishes, no services will be held. Gladys was a member of Lutheran Memorial Church in Pierre, South Dakota. She loved music, and taught piano and sang in church. She was very active with community musical events. She enjoyed playing bridge, and helping her son, Gene, on the farm.
Gladys is lovingly remembered by her children, Jewel (Randy) Noble of Arco, MN and Gene Meleen of Pierre, SD; three grandchildren, Christopher (Jillian) Noble of Arco, MN, Amber (Lloyd) Kongsjord of Talmoon, MN, and Jamie (Heather) Noble of Northfield, MN; nine great-grandchildren, Gretchen, Hunter, Jackson, and Colby Noble, Thor, Tait, and Brett Kongsjord, and Lillie Jewel and Eden Noble; a sister, Verna Lewis of Savannah, GA; niece, Lisa (Tim) Goodwin; and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Wayne Trotter and Richard Meleen; and her parents, Jacob “Ed” and Martha Guthmiller.
