Gladys Aveline (Brandvold) Helgeson was born September 6, 1912, in Erskine, MN to Avle and Gurine (Haugen) Brandvold. About 1916 the family moved to a farm just west of Greenbush, where she grew up working in the fields, helping with the cows and cooking for the farm hands. As a youth she loved riding horses.

Gladys was confirmed in Norwegian at Paulie Lutheran Church. She attended school up to the 8th grade and continued her education throughout her life by reading and almost wearing out her Encyclopedia Brittanica set. As a young girl she had tuberculosis and the doctors said she wouldn't live to be very old - she was good at exceeding expectations. Gladys and her sisters had a singing group and performed frequently on local radio stations. She also worked as a waitress in restaurants. She met Jim Helgeson at a dance in Badger and they discovered they were both born in Erskine, and the romance started. They were married on June 27, 1937 in Nashua, Iowa in the Little Brown Church in the Vale. They returned to Roseau where they owned the Helgeson Funeral Home and Furniture Store and raised their family.

Gladys & Jim had a strong Christian foundation, a good work ethic, family values and integrity, which was evident by the impact Gladys had on those who knew her, as well as on their children. Local sports were important to Gladys and Jim as they followed their children and grandchildren in their various sports, never missing a girls' basketball or volleyball game. Gladys loved flowers as well as gardening in general and was the happiest when she was working in the dirt with her dog by her side. She took up golf after her children graduated from college and Jim encouraged and coached her. She got very adept at golf and played until she was 94 years old. She was well known for her cooking expertise, especially for her lemon pie. She created a book of her recipes and gave copies to her family and special friends.

Together, Gladys and Jim raised 4 children: Sharon (Dick) Stai of Ashland, KY, Roger (RuthAnn) and Mark (Aileen) of Roseau and David (Judie) of Prescott, AZ. Gladys is survived by all her children, 9 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim; parents; 3 grandchildren (Scott, Brace & Heather); siblings: Peter, Agnes (Nezo) Spangrud, Helmer, Mabel Skaro, Carl, Ida Thompson and Arley.