Gladys (Magruder) Musser

Gladys Elizabeth Musser, 93, of Lone Tree, passed away on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 surrounded by her children. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 6, 2022 at the United Presbyterian Church in Lone Tree. Visitation for Gladys will be Sunday, June 5, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral and Cremation Services of Lone Tree. Burial will be in the Lone Tree Cemetery. Memorials may be left to the Lone Tree First Responders or the United Presbyterian Church of Lone Tree in memory of Gladys. To  leave condolences for the family please visit www.sandhfuneralservice.com. 

Gladys Elizabeth Magruder Musser was born December 15, 1928 in Johnson County, Iowa, the daughter of Lloyd and Nell (Rayner) Magruder. She was born with red hair and freckles just to let the world know they would be dealing with a fierce and fiery gal. She spent her childhood on the Magruder farm, across the road from her cousins Kenny, Diane, and Keith Rayner. Her brothers Harold and Edwin were a decade and more older than her, so Kenny and “Benny” became her lifelong playmates and honorary brothers. She loved her horse Trigger, and working a team of draft horses while putting up hay in the barn with her dad.

Her love of sports, especially basketball, began at Lone Tree High School where she was a member of the state-qualifier girls' basketball team as a freshman. She was a proud 30+ year season ticket holder for Iowa Women's Basketball and knew every player's name, number, and stats!

Gladys completed her nurses training at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. She was especially proud of her very first job as a scrub nurse in the OR at Mercy. She maintained the friendships formed with her fellow nurses for her entire life. However, she is best remembered by the community of Lone Tree as a long-time nurse in the offices of doctors Mills and Zibilich.   She then provided daycare for family and friends on the farm west of Lone Tree.

On August 16, 1952 Gladys was united in marriage to the love of her life, E. William “Bill” Musser. They shared a life of faith, family, and road trips! At the end of each summer Bill would say, “Do you hear them? They're calling!” and Gladys would pack up the cooler and kids, load up the car or camper, and head for the Rocky Mountains. After Bill passed in 1997, Gladys filled the following years by attending her local grandchildren's activities and events—welcoming them and any of their friends into her home at any time; by rounding up girlfriends for a road trip to South Dakota grandchildren's activities and attending Iowa Women's Basketball games.

She was a mother and a gramma to anyone who needed one. When you married into this family, you became a daughter or son—the word “in-law” was not needed. She will be dearly missed by many—especially by her children: Kurt (Terri) Musser of Marion, IA; Lynn (David) Becker of Yankton, SD; Jeff (Natalie) Musser of Sioux Falls, SD; and Jill (Todd) Lorack of Nichols, IA; grandchildren: Kelly (Jeremy) Munter, Keith (Erin) Musser, Ted (Erin) Becker, Nate Becker, Mathias (Dana) Becker, Aaron Musser, Noelle Musser, Madeline (Alex) Ogren and Gabe (Kate) Lorack; and great-grandchildren: Megan and Will Munter, Scarlett and Ezra Musser, Lynden Ogren, and Baby Boy Becker (due in September). She was welcomed into the holy kingdom of God by those who have gone before: her parents; brothers, Edwin and Harold Magruder; Bill's parents, Ethel and Fay Musser; and her beloved husband Bill.

“Love isn't just those words we said, it's something that we do.”

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gladys (Magruder) Musser, please visit our floral store.