Gladys Larsen

Gladys M. Larsen loving wife, sister, auntie and friend left us on November 24, 2020 at the age of 83.

She was born on May 17, 1937, the daughter of George Henry Heins and Edith Sophia Muller. She was the first surviving child, having 2 siblings who died before her birth. Gladys was born in Kit Carson, Colorado and grew up in Kit Carson until age 5. Her parents divorced, and she spent the war years (1942-1945) with her mother, Edith, her mother’s sister, Rosy and her husband Howard, who was in the US Air Force. Because of the war effort, they were required to move around from air base to air base in Kansas, North Carolina and Texas.  In 1945, she and her mom returned to Colorado and, along with her maternal grandmother, bought a house on Hoyt Street in Lakewood. In June 1946 her mom married her step-father, Loren Shroll. They had two children, Donna Jean and Larry Thomas. Gladys finished school in Lakewood and started working as a bank teller, which became her primary profession. On December 4th, 1961, she married John E. Larsen at 5 am, so they could catch a 9 am flight to Nassau, Bahamas for their honeymoon. They were married for 51 years until John’s death on December 4th, 2012.  Her passions in life were dachshunds, photography, and travel. She is most remembered for her strength, positive outlook and wonderful smile even through the challenging times of her life.

Gladys is survived by her sister, Donna Jean Shroll Taylor and her brother Larry Thomas Shroll.  She has two wonderful brother and sister in-laws, Robert Gene Arnold and Linda Parsons Shroll.  She has six nieces and nephews, and 15 grandnieces and grandnephews whom she always stayed in touch with and remembered on all of their special occasions.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her step-father, 2 siblings, and her husband John Larsen.

Funeral services will be held at Horan & McConaty, 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Lakewood at 8:30 a.m. Friday, December 4th, 2020.  Interment at Ft. Logan National Cemetery will be private.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3657434720