Gladys Ione Ladwig (Wittkopp)

MISSOULA ~ Mom was born on the family farm in Plymouth County, Wisconsin, on March 10, 1928, to Arno and Hazel (Clark) Wittkopp. She was raised in and around the Plymouth area until she graduated from high school. She moved to Sheboygan after high school, where she met and married Walter (Red) Ladwig. They lived in Sheboygan until 1964, when they moved to Missoula, Montana, where they remained for the rest of their lives. They were married for 59 years, until his death in 2007.

They had four daughters: Cheryl (Gary) Weber of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Carole (David) Horner of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Wendy (Brian) Lansing of Creston, BC, Canada; and Marie (Matt) Mitchell of Missoula, Montana. Her life revolved around her family, and she had special, unique relationships with each of us. Everyone loved visiting her. She loved to fix our favorite foods, and her homemade bread and peanut brittle were the best! It was always fun to open our birthday and Christmas presents from her because she put a lot of thought into what she got us, and the gifts were always perfect!

Family was always Mom’s top priority. She cherished all six of her grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and her first great-great grandchild. Her many nieces and nephews were also special to her, and she cherished their occasional phone calls just to check in. All of her close family preceded her in passing except for Dad’s brother and his wife, Robert and Barbara Ladwig, from Carlsbad, California.

Special thanks to Marie for taking such good care of our Mom these past few years as her health declined, and especially during the awful Covid years when we couldn’t visit Mom.

Cremation has taken place, and Mom’s urn will be interred with Dad’s at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Missoula.

Mom, you will be missed.

“Grief is the price we pay for love.” HM Queen Elizabeth II

Arrangements are under the care of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home and Crematory in Missoula.