Gladys Marie Teupel, 84, Spearfish, died Monday, March 4, 2013, at the Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Visitation will be 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at Mt. View Baptist Church in Spearfish with Pastor Don Urey and Pastor Gregg Dennison officiating. A memorial service will be at 1:00 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013, at Edgewood Vista Assisted Living in Spearfish with Pastor Scott McCurdy officiating.

Private committal services will be held at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis at a later date. A memorial has been established.

Gladys was born in Lead, SD on January 8, 1929, to Herman and Marion Gladys (Thomas) Borg. She was a member of the Girl Scouts and the First Presbyterian Church. As a teenager, she cleaned homes, babysat, and was a waitress at Kelly's Hamburger Shop in Lead. She graduated from Lead High School in the class of 1947.

Gladys began her career as a secretary and a bookkeeper working for The Hendrie and Bolthoff Company in Deadwood. On December 11, 1949, she married Fritz Teupel. Gladys also worked for the Black Hills Mercantile in Deadwood and Seaton Publishing in Lead before leaving the work force to raise their two children, Cindy and John. In 1965, the couple purchased the Spindler Ranch in Slaughterhouse Gulch north of Deadwood, where the family made their home. After her children were both in grade school, Gladys re-entered the workforce as a secretary for the Deadwood School System. Shortly after returning to work, her husband Fritz became permanently disabled with Multiple Sclerosis and Gladys became the primary care giver to her husband, in addition to being the principle breadwinner for her family. In addition, Gladys carried the brunt of the work load of living on a mountain ranch until her son, John was old enough to assume the responsibility. In spite of her difficult trial, Gladys always loyally and faithfully cared for the needs of her husband and family, often at the expense of her own needs.

From 1976 to 1997, Gladys worked as the Payroll Manager for the Lead-Deadwood School System. She also worked as a bookkeeper for Otis Candy Sales and for Walter and Frances Green. Gladys was instrumental in helping establish the Walter and Francis Green Charitable Trust. In 1986, Fritz needed full-time nursing care and became a resident at Fort Meade VA Medical Center until his death in 2000. Gladys remained faithful to her husband to their death and faithfully brought Fritz home weekly for family time which included washing his clothes and preparing a home cooked dinner. In 1994, the couple sold the ranch as part of the proposed Dunbar project and Gladys moved to Spearfish. In 1997, Gladys retired from the workforce and once again assumed the role of caregiver, helping her son, John raise their cousin, Brian Ewoldt.

Gladys was a member of Beta Sigma Phi, SD Retired Teachers Association, and Lawrence County Republican Women. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, Mt. View Baptist Church, and since 2011, regularly attended Faith Bible Church of Spearfish.

Gladys loved to garden and raise house plants and completed the Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardner program. She took great joy in cooking wonderful meals, keeping her home, growing flowers, and serving her church and community.

Gladys had a keen mind, a loyal loving heart, and a courageous spirit. During her twilight years, Gladys suffered from renal failure and fought a courageous battle to live life to the very end. She was one tough lady. She was a devoted daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend and was a blessing to all who knew her. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Survivors include her son, John Teupel, Spearfish; daughter, Dr. Cynthia (Jim) Larive, Riverside, CA; two granddaughters, Erin (Cameron) Kaplan, Pittsburgh, PA, and Megan Larive of Rancho Cucamonga, CA; and a special cousin, Brian Ewoldt, Sioux Falls, SD.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Fritz; and two brothers, William and Herman "Bud" Borg.

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