Gladys Mack

Gladys Mack

TOMAH, WI - Gladys Mack lived for her family and her faith. She was the better angel of our nature – exuding love, discipline, and quiet stewardship. One of her superpowers was deftly caring for children, always knowing how to provide comfort.

She believed deeply in the value of education and began her lifelong love of music at an early age. She also was something of a news junkie and fan of Wisconsin sports teams as well as the least likely to be photographed willingly. While she claimed she wasn't creative, she did display a dry sense of humor. Her love of ice cream never ebbed.

Gladys, 86, died April 19, 2022, from complications of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. She was living in the memory care unit at Mount Olivet Home in Minneapolis for several months, having transferred from Sunrise of Edina. She initially moved to Catholic Eldercare in Minneapolis in 2016 from her home of 52 years in Tomah, WI.

Gladys Mae was born March 3, 1936, on Summit Ridge to Margaret (Kapeller) Rapp and John Rapp.Her parents' farm was in Wells Township in Monroe County. Gladys was an only child who often added to the family by bringing home stray cats and dogs.

She attended Oak Grove School and Bohn School before enrolling at Sparta High School. She graduated as salutatorian at the age of 14.

Gladys loved music. She began piano lessons while in grade school. She played the cornet and French horn in high school.

She saved Christmas Mass in 1950 at St. John's Catholic Church on Summit Ridge. When she arrived at the five o'clock Mass at dawn on Christmas morning with her parents, the choir director asked her to play "Silent Night" since the organist was ill. "At that time, the church had a pump organ, and I wasn't sure if I could handle the pumping and the playing, so the director pumped the pedals and I played the song," she said. "It actually worked."

She then became the church organist for the men's choir at Summit from 1951 to 1957 and also played for weddings, funerals, and Masses.

While she generally avoided the spotlight, she did experience a star turn as a musician, playing "Beautiful Dreamer" on the piano for WKBT's "The Kiddie Hour." She was rewarded with a Hershey's chocolate bar.

After graduation, she attended the Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis for a few years before landing a job at Monroe County Publishers in Sparta as a bookkeeper. A few years later, she worked as the secretary for four extension agents before leaving to attend the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She received her associate degree in liberal arts in 1957.

Gladys met Joseph (Joe) Mack at a wedding dance in Cashton in the spring of 1957. They married on August 8, 1959, at St. John's Catholic Church on Summit Ridge. Joe and Gladys lived in Baraboo, Mauston, and Sparta before settling in Tomah in 1964 with their six children.

Gladys exhibited legendary self-discipline, which was, perhaps, a defense against stress and chaos during the point at which she was raising six children under the age of seven. She enforced bedtime, nap time, and rise-and-shine time. She carefully budgeted for food, clothing, and an annual summer trip. She and Joe were members of the Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church and managed to keep their children in line during services, often prompting compliments from other parishioners.

Like her mother, Gladys taught her children to read before they entered kindergarten. She also taught them piano, and all of them joined band in junior and senior high school – no doubt inspired by her turning the TV dial to "The Lawrence Welk Show" every Saturday night.

She worked as a military pay clerk with Reserve Pay at Fort McCoy from 1985 to 2000.

In retirement, Gladys could be found reading a book, solving a crossword puzzle, or watching a "Murder She Wrote" rerun. She loved to host Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners in Tomah, which she continued through 2016.

She also visited and hosted her grandchildren whenever she could. One of her grandchildren, Quinn, wrote an essay entitled, "The Great Gladys," which he read to her at a school assembly. "I have the best Grandma ever," Quinn wrote. "We do fun things together, and she helps me whenever she can."

Gladys is survived by her children: Michael Mack of Spring Lake Park, MN, Rosalyn (Randy) Hope of St. Paul, Kathleen (Philip) Briggs of Minneapolis, Charles (Jill Grunewald) Mack of New Brighton, MN, Laura (Michael Fenton) Mack of Eagan, MN, and Patrick Mack of Denver; grandchildren: Bethany (Matthew) Tomlinson, Greta Mack, Sam Hope, Quinn Las, Johnny Mack, Margaret Hope, Evan Briggs, and Henry Briggs; great-grandchild Lucas Tomlinson; sister-in-law, Ann Marie Kaiser of Beaver Dam, WI; nieces: Barbara Richards of Sparta, WI, and Mary Jo (Brian) Budde of Beaver Dam, WI; and nephews: David Richards of Sparta, WI, Thomas Richards of Madison, WI, and Mark Kaiser of Beaver Dam, WI.

She was preceded in death by her husband Joe, sister-in-law Helen Richards of Sparta, WI, brother-in-law James Kaiser of Beaver Dam, WI, and nephew Robert Richards of Sparta, WI.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, April 22, 2022, 11:00 a.m., at Queen of the Apostles Parish in Tomah. Burial will follow in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Tomah. Family and friends are invited for visitation from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church on Friday. The Torkelson Funeral Home in Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be offered at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com

Gladys was the mom of moms, the ultimate role model – smart, kind, caring, eager to listen, and quick to chuckle. One of her children learned, eventually, to stop comparing others to Gladys – she set the bar impossibly high.