Gloria W. Purdie

Gloria Purdie, 88, of Glenville, MN, passed away on, July 7, 2025. A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, July 19th, 2025 at Bayview Freeborn Funeral Home with Rev. Don Malinksy presiding. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Gloria was born September 6th,1936 on the family farm to Hillard and Freeda Abbas. She was the last of ten siblings. She graduated from Delavan High School in 1955 and continued on to graduate from beauty school and on June 8, 1957, married Don Purdie at the Delavan Methodist Church in Delavan, MN. During their 64 years of marriage, they lived in several towns in Minnesota including Faribault and settled in Glenville in 1971.

Gloria’s number one job was always focused on the family and raising her children, even helping raise Don’s brothers during their teenage years. She worked about 25 years at the Glenville Elementary School in Glenville. It always was such a delight for her to see former students that she had worked with and to know how well all of the kids had grown up through the years.

Gloria and Don enjoyed traveling and sightseeing any time they could, enjoying their timeshares, and taking family trips when they could. The family gatherings were marked by the annual Easter egg hunt and dirty bingo at Christmas, always including a great home cooked meal including her homemade chocolate pie; the favorite of her six grandkids’.

Gloria is survived by sons: LaDean (Kim) Purdie of SD, Glendon Purdie of MN and Bryan (Cathy) Purdie of MN; Grandchildren: Brady Purdie, Amanda Purdie (Hiruy Habtemariam), Devon Purdie, Alexandre’ (Samantha) Purdie, Corde’ (Bree) Purdie and Bre’Lahna Purdie; Great Grandchildren: Gianna Purdie, Owen Purdie, Logan Purdie, Anna-Leigh Purdie, Everlì Purdie and Ascella Purdie; Sister: Marjorie Wallace and brother-in-law: Charles Purdie.

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband Don in 2021, son LonDell Purdie in 1985, and grandson Trevor Purdie in 1989. Her parents; father and mother-in-law; Siblings: Sylvia Heyes, Arthur Abbas, Anna Tjaden, Elsie Purdy, Violet Johnson, Ernest Abbas, Walter Abbas, Betty Whitney; brother-in-law’s: Eldon and William “Jack” Purdie, Charles Wallace and sister-in-law’s: Lucille Purdie and Leila Berger; along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.