The funeral for Gladys M. Ellefson will be at 11:00am on Friday April 20, 2018 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rochester with Pastor Charlie Leonard officiating.  The burial will be in Grandview Memorial Gardens.  Visitations will be held from 4:00pm to 7:00pm on Thursday evening in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.

Gladys Ellefson, age 98, of Rochester passed away on April 16, 2018 at Samaritan Bethany on 8 th .  She was born on January 17, 1920 to Ralph E. and Hazel M. (Farrand) Shanks in Pine Island, MN.

She married Orrin J. Ellefson on September 13, 1938 in Zumbrota, MN.  Orrin passed away on November 10, 1992.

She worked on the assembly line at Waters-Conley in Rochester for many years retiring in 1985.  She also worked various jobs including Libby's and Wonder Bread.

Gladys loved playing bingo, doing embroidery, playing cards, reading and traveling.  She especially loved spending time with family.  Many children and grandchild were recipients of her lovely stitchery which included much loved "days of the week" dish towels and baby quilts.

Survivors include her children, Donald (Jackie) Ellefson of LeRoy, Robert (Sharon) of Rochester, Karen (Richard) Carlson of Rochester, Ann Marie (James) Craighead of Rochester; 13 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren and 27 great-great-grandchildren; siblings, Roland (Donna) Shanks of Pine Island, Mary Dohrmann of Fountain, Delores Krahn of Rochester and John (Mary) Shanks of Rochester.  She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, sisters, Vivian Carey and Irene Ward; brothers, Royce Shanks and Harold Shanks; one great-grandchild and two great-great-grandchildren.

We will miss her every day and in our hearts she will always stay.

Memorials are preferred to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or Season's Hospice.