Gladys M. Kovatch, age 95, of St. Peter, MN and formerly of Faribault, MN, passed away January 20, 2015, at the Benedictine Living Community of St. Peter.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault with Bernadette Tatge, Pastoral Minister at Divine Mercy Catholic Church, officiating. Interment will be held at St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault with military honors provided by the Rice County Central Veterans Association.
Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory on Saturday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Gladys Mae, was born June 3, 1919 to H. Clay and Grace (Pulver) Morgan of Prattsburgh, NY. After graduation from high school in Prattsburgh, she received her RN degree in Rochester, NY at the Highland Hospital School of Nursing and then completed her Public Health certification in Syracuse, NY. Gladys enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II as a nurse. While in Europe, First Lt. Gladys Morgan and Captain Frederic Kovatch were married July 17, 1945 in England.
Gladys and Fritz made their lives together in Chicago, IL, Loyal, WI, Prattsburgh, NY and Faribault, MN, raising their four daughters. While in Faribault, Gladys worked as a nurse at the Faribault State Hospital. In addition, she played the church organ at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Fritz and Gladys enjoyed winters in Tucson, AZ in retirement. In 2001, Gladys moved to St. Peter, MN to be closer to her daughters. In addition to playing her piano and quilting, she enjoyed reading, geography, and tracking her family's travels in her atlas.
Gladys loved music, pets and flowers and her legacy includes a constant generosity of love and kindness.
She is survived by her four daughters, Shan (Kirk) Reese of Rhinelander, WI, Susan Gravelin (Richard Hilbert) of Flagstaff, AZ, Sally Kovatch of St. Peter, MN and Shirley (John) Axelson of Minnetonka, MN; by six grandchildren, Nels Reese, Hannah Reese, Ingrid (Josh) Goglio, Joshua Gravelin, Evan Axelson and Sarah Axelson and fiancé Jerad Ehrnriter and other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Frederic "Fritz" Kovatch on November 3, 1996.
Cemetery Details
St. Lawrence Cemetery
2830 2nd Ave. N.W.
Faribault, MN, 55021