Gladys K. Owens

Gladys Owens, age 97, passed away Sunday, September 26, 2021, in Ecumen Evergreens of Fargo, Fargo, ND.

Gladys Kathleen Sminesvik was born February 29, 1924, to Ole and Rachel (Muri) Sminesvik, in Harlow, ND. She grew up in Harlow, and attended school in Harlow, Devils Lake, and Maddock, ND. She graduated from Benson County High School, in Maddock, in 1942.

Gladys worked in Chicago, IL, and in Minneapolis, MN, for two years, prior to her marriage to David Owens on December 20, 1945, in Devils Lake. They farmed near Gardner, ND, and later, Hickson, ND. In 1956, they sold the farm and moved to Laurel, MT, where David attended the Montana Institute of the Bible.

David and Gladys served churches and organizations in Cass Lake, Black Duck, Frazee and rural Long Prairie, all Minnesota, McHenry, ND, and Lewiston, MT. They retired to Nome, ND, and moved to West Fargo, ND, after David had a stroke. David died in 2000, and after that, Gladys moved to Fargo.

David and Gladys welcomed six children into the world. She loved all of her children deeply and as she grew older, the center of her life was spending time with them.

Gladys is survived by daughters, Darlene Murray, New Prague, MN, and Kathleen (Reed) Zimmerman, Napoleon, ND; four sons, Duane (Christa) Owens, Sebring, FL, Dale (Carrie) Owens, Fargo, Paul (Tammy) Owens, Fargo, and Galen (Denice) Owens, Maricopa, AZ; 16 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Ruth Knudson, Hillsboro, ND. She was preceded in death by her husband, David; a son-in- law, Philip Murray; three sisters, Mary Owens, Margaret Knudson, and Jeanette Rogers-Ryan; and four brothers, Harold, Olaf R., Olaf A., and Norman Sminesvik.

The funeral service for Gladys will be Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at 10 AM in Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral. Burial will be at Eagle Cemetery, Christine, ND.