A Celebration of Life Service to honor the life and legacy of Gladys Rose Mellum, age 100, of Jackson, will be held Thursday, December 12th at 10:00 AM at the Belmont Lutheran Church in rural Jackson. Burial will be in Belmont Cemetery in rural Jackson.

A visitation for Gladys will be held on Wednesday, December 11th from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at the LaCanne Family Celebration of Life Center in Jackson. Visitation will continue on Thursday at the Belmont Lutheran Church in rural Jackson for one hour prior to the service. The service will be livestreamed on the Belmont Lutheran Church Facebook page.

Gladys passed away peacefully on Friday, December 6th, 2024, at Sanford Medical Center in Jackson.

Gladys Rose (Hample) Mellum was born in Jackson, Minnesota on January 6, 1924, to Fred and Mary (Hosek) Hample. Gladys was baptized into the Christian faith in 1936 at the First Presbyterian church in Jackson. She was confirmed in 1947 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lakefield, MN. She attended country school in Jackson County and graduated from Jackson High School on May 29, 1941.

After high school graduation, Gladys moved to Minneapolis for a short while and shared the home with her sister Irene Handzus and three other women off Bryant Ave. and Lake Street. Gladys worked at Sears managing their catalog mailing list. She didn't have a car and rode the streetcar early in the morning and walked home at night. It was a big change for her from the farm and she didn't like the hustle and bustle of the city and decided to move home. She worked at the Jackson Lumber yard as a bookkeeper and sold paint and other things, she worked at Chosen's clothing store during the Christmas rush, worked at Naturals in Jackson for several years, and was the secretary at Bargfrede Insurance agency for twelve years. Following that, she decided to decorate cakes professionally. She decorated birthday, wedding and other cakes for several years. One cake she made served 400 people! Her most treasured job was that of a farm wife and Mom. Even though she worked outside the home, she would drive back to the farm to serve the noon meal and then go back to work. Cooking, baking and hospitality was something she was well known for. She always made sure everyone ate well, and the coffee was always on.

Gladys met John Mellum in 1944 at a dance in Lakefield, MN, and the two were united in marriage on February 18, 1947, at the First Presbyterian church in Jackson, MN. This union blessed them with two sons, Ron and Jerry and an infant daughter, Lynn Marie, that passed away shortly after birth.

Gladys and John raised their family on the farm. She enjoyed farm life as a wife and mother. She helped raise chickens, pigs, cattle, turkey, geese, sheep and other animals. She used her amazing green thumb in her bountiful garden providing fresh food for her family. Gladys was always busy participating in church activities, serving the church as a Sunday school teacher, a member of the choir and had been president of the Ladies Aid at Belmont Lutheran Church in 1983. She attended church regularly and knew all the glory belonged to God.

Gladys favorite pastimes included time spent with family, especially grandkids and great-grand kids, time with friends, gardening, cooking, baking, entertaining, quilting, fishing and traveling. She and John took their first flight ever to Mexico City for a trip John won selling tractors. She also went to Alaska two times, Seattle three times, took at train to Seattle, took a trip to Toronto Canada, Niagara Falls, cruise to the Bahamas, trip to California, and many trips to see relatives in Ohio and Chicago. Minnesota vacations were often spent "up north" fishing at the Hanson's. She was an honorary member of the Woman's Anglers Association of MN and enjoyed many annual fishing trips with Steve and Karen Pennaz. Steve would give her a shout out on his fishing shows. Steve also initiated a MN Bound TV show to be filmed on her farm, featuring his son Pierce and friend Joey. Gladys always had kolaches and other baked goods available for company. She was famous for her kolaches. (Her mailman said he may have gained a bit of weight since starting doorstep mail delivery to her home.)

Left to cherish Glady's everlasting memory are her two sons, Ron (Cindy) of Delano and Jerry of Jackson; grandchildren, Chad Mellum (friend Shelley) of Soldotna, AK, Angie (Andrew) Merges and their children Wynn and Ryan Merges, of Fall City, WA; brother-in-law, Reuben Mellum of Columbus, OH; many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews and their families along with so many friends and acquaintances.

Preceding her in death were her parents, husband, John; infant daughter, brothers, Lloyd (Mary) Hample, Henry (Helen) Hample, Harry (Annie) Hample, Roy (Ardys) Hample, sister, Irene (Albert) Handzus; parents-in-law, Berger and Gea Mellum; brother-in-law, Burt (Ina) Mellum; sisters-in-law, Selma (Ray) Berkness, Myrtle Berkness, Lillian (Art) Goede and Clara Mellum.

Blessed be the memory of Gladys Rose Mellum!