Gloria Engler, age 86, of Valley City, ND, died Tuesday, May 28th at her residence surrounded by her loving family under Hospice of the Red River Valley Care. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, June 3rd at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Valley City. Visitation will be held on Monday one hour before the service at the church. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery near Valley City.
Gloria Jeanne was born on June 30, 1932 in Marion, ND. She grew up and attended school in Valley City and graduated from Valley City High School. Gloria served the community of Valley City in the Ground Observation Corps to help protect the Hi-Line Bridge during World War II. Gloria’s greatest gift was being a professional mom and foster parent to many children. Gloria knew how to love, and did hard things to protect her kids from difficult situations while still giving them the freedom to make mistakes. Gloria loved children and was the ultimate parent and foremost advocate for all children, not just her own. She and her husband Victor were foster parents to over 110 kids in the 25 years they fostered. She had a special knack for knowing how to reach the needs of who had pieces of their lives in limbo. She knew that “There is no such thing as a bad kid” and woe to anyone who tried to tell her differently. Gloria loved laughter. Her love of stories infected those who surrounded her and was used to good purpose through training foster parents statewide. She told others how to have difficult conversations with their kids (on a drive after dark so no one could see red faces), how best not keep a white dog white (let him stand in bath water with bluing added) and how to get a great deal from the local drug stores (buy ALL the grab bags during Crazy Days and then barter for the best stuff). She could laugh at herself better than anyone, even when faced with the experience of riding in Caroline’s Cart through Sam’s Club, or after breaking her leg after falling down the stairs in the night and watching EMS blow up an air cast breath by breath or recognizing her own goofiness while morphine controlled her pain at the end. Gloria was a leader at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, a Sunday School teacher, enjoyed dancing the weight away at TOPS and keeping her Monday morning coffee klatch going for decades. Gloria also served as Past President of the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW and encouraged, supported and fiercely cherished those around her.
Gloria is survived by her daughter Kathy (Rick) Stearns; sons, Allen, Scott and Kerry Engler; grandchildren, Terri (Curt) Stevens, Chelsea (Lance Straabe) Johnson, Tyler Stevens, Rory Stearns, Shania and Miranda, Robin (Jesse) Voelk, Addie, Amelia, and Ari, Ryan Stearns, Reid Stearns, Rand (Emily) Stearns and Sofia, Sarah Engler, Krista Engler and chosen daughter Holly (Allan) Randa, Stauffer, Mitchell, Franklin and Theodore; many foster children; one brother, Ron (Mary) Miller; one sister, Sharon.
Gloria was preceded in death by her parents, John and Mildred Nelson, her husband of 67 years Victor, one sister Yvonne Mosbrucker, two brothers Lon Miller and Gene Nelson and a daughter in law Jill Engler.