Gladys Anna Culhane

GLADYS ANNA CULHANE, age 101, of Morristown, MN, passed away on November 21, 2025, in the Mala Strana Rehabilitation & Assisted Living facility in New Prague, with her good friend and roommate, Janet, and caregivers by her side. 

Gladys was born on Thursday, February 21, 1924, in Iosco Township, Waseca County, Minnesota, the daughter of Albert and Helen (Hager) Stangler. Growing up in the area, she attended a one-room schoolhouse and then graduated from Waterville High School in 1942. On June 2, 1943, Gladys was united in marriage to John Alexander Culhane at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Elysian. Together, they had three children and shared 51 years of marriage. 

Gladys was a farmer's wife, mother, and homemaker. She also worked at Birds Eye and Herter’s in Waseca, and later at the Le Sueur County Museum in Elysian. Her hobbies included ceramics, crocheting, traveling, compiling her family photo albums, and baking a variety of things, especially cookies and homemade bread. Gladys enjoyed family get-togethers and usually had a new recipe to try. Grandchildren Jack and Katie called her “Grandma Jello,” because she would often make a fancy Jello dessert for after dinner. Gladys was a social butterfly; she did her best to keep in touch with everyone, especially extended family, by phone or mail, and she was always making new lifelong friends. Gladys saved every card, letter, and photo that she received, along with newspaper clippings of everyone she knew. Gladys was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and CCW in Waterville, and a member of the Faribault Eagles. 

Gladys is survived by her grandchildren; John (Sarah) Walz, Joseph “Joe” Walz, Kathryn “Katie” (Gabriel) Purdie, and Jack Culhane; great-grandchildren, Jacob Walz, Adam Walz, Kacidy “Kacie” Purdie, Finnley Purdie, and Paislee Culhane; son-in-law, David Walz; former daughter-in-law, Virginia Culhane; sister-in-law, LaVerne Stangler; and close, long-time friend, Shirley Kern. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; three children, Jean Walz, Roger Culhane, and Curtis Culhane; and siblings, Evangeline “Vangie” (Gordon) Miller and Norman Stangler. 

A funeral service will be held on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Waterville; Fr. Andrew Stuve will officiate. Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at Dennis Staffel Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Service in Waterville, from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (followed by the Rosary), and at 10:00 AM, before the funeral service in the church. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Waterville.