Gladys Lorene Close (Purcell)

DAKOTA DUNES, S.D. -- Gladys Lorene Close, 78, of Dakota Dunes died Monday, June 27, 2011, at her residence.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church in Sioux City, with the Rev. Matthew Miller officiating. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m. at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home.
Gladys was born Jan. 24, 1933, in Laurel, Neb., the daughter of Ralph Purcell and Geneva (Johnson) Purcell. She was raised in Laurel and graduated from Laurel High School. She received her teaching certificate from Wayne (Neb.) State Teachers College and graduated from Morningside College. She earned her master's plus 30 hours from the University of South Dakota and taught in the Sioux City School System for most of her career.
She married Wendell P. Heffelfinger on Aug. 9, 1957. He died on Sept. 8, 1967. She married A. Lee Close on June 15, 1975. He died on March 3, 2011, in Sioux City.
She loved reading, traveling, RVing, symphony, friends and family. She was a member of three bridge groups, played in the hand bell choir at church and was currently serving as president of the American Association of University Women.
She is survived by her daughter and her husband, Lori Heffelfinger and James Jackman of Redondo Beach, Calif.; a son and his wife, Grant and Candace Heffelfinger of Cedar Crest, N.M.; a daughter and her husband, Leslie and Jim Davis of Sioux City; her grandchildren, Erica and Kyle Bonstead, Mark and Dijon Davis, Andrea Davis, Alexander, Audrey and Ainslee Heffelfinger; and two great-grandchildren, Keegan and Breckan Bonstead.
She was preceded in death by her husbands; and a son, Garth A. Close.
Donations may be made to the American Association of University Women ( www.aauw.org ).