Gladys S Weisheit

Gladys Elizabeth Schmid Weisheit of Rotterdam died peacefully at home on the morning of June 10th after a lengthy illness. A lifelong resident of the town, Gladys was born in 1930 to Clarence and Alice Schmid. She graduated with honors from Woestina High School in 1945. In 1950 she married her sweetheart, Richard E. Weisheit, her soul mate and dancing partner up to the time of his death in 2008. In addition to her parents and spouse she is predeceased by two of her sisters, Gwendolyn Coman and Eileen Schram, and is survived by her youngest sister, Nancy Dykeman. Other survivors include her six children, Cynthia Seacord (John) of Rotterdam, Allyson Sponsler (William) of Portville, New York, Kim Weisheit (Wolfgang Justen) of Hunt Valley, Maryland, Richard Weisheit (Sandra) of Glenville, Holly Sharron (Daniel) of Princetown, and Robert Weisheit of Schuylerville; 17 grandchildren, 17 great-grand-children, and a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and sisters and brothers in-law. Gladys lived life to the fullest. Before she became a wife and mother, she went into the insurance business, working for a number of years for Schenectady's Terbush & Powell. Gladys loved to dance, and met her future spouse on a dance floor. On May 27, 1950, within six months of meeting one another, Rich and Gladys were married at Woestina Reformed Church. After the birth of her first child, Gladys devoted herself full-time to being a wife, mother and homemaker. Gladys and her cherished husband Richard built their own house in Rotterdam in 1955, the same year in which they welcomed their third daughter, Kim. Gladys had a flair for fashion and home decorating. She thoroughly enjoyed landscaping, gardening, knitting, baking, canning, and reading. During the '50s and '60s Gladys and Richard were members of the Princetown Presbyterian Church and were active in the church's Country Couples Club. They went dancing whenever they could, enjoying all genres, from square-dancing to swing, to rock n roll. As her children grew up, Gladys remained active in the PTA, participated in a book club for parents in the Schalmont School District, and was involved along with her husband in planning for and participating in fund-raising events for the Schalmont School District. Gladys was an avid crossword puzzler who never missed a morning without doing the Gazette's puzzle. In the mid to late 1960s Gladys established a career as an insurance rater. Over the years, she worked for a number of insurance agencies, including the Beacon Agency, Weller, Marcil & Greco, the Scautub Agency, Charles Merriam Insurance, and the Lawrence Group. She was an active member of the local insurance women's group until her retirement at age 67. After her retirement, she and her husband spent many happy hours on Sacandaga Lake on their boat, Proud Mary, with friends and family. The Weisheits were also involved in the Draper High School Reunion group, and the Princetown Hourglass Seniors group. Gladys Weisheit's greatest gifts to her community, family and church were her talents as a pianist and organist, and her love of music. Before her marriage, Gladys studied piano and organ under the acclaimed Dr. Elmer Tidmarsh of the Schenectady Conservatory. She also enjoyed singing with several of her daughters in the Octavo Singers, especially enjoying the choir's annual production of Handel's Messiah. For years, Gladys was the choir director and organist at the Princetown Presbyterian Church. She eventually returned to the Woestina Reformed Church, the church she grew up in, where she and her husband became active members. At the Woestina Reformed Church she served as the organist and pianist until late 2012 when she was named Organist Emeritus. Gladys especially enjoyed accompanying the annual JEM (Junction Ecumenical Ministry) choir that sang a Christmas cantata in Rotterdam Junction each year to raise money for the JEM food pantry. Gladys' church family at the Woestina Reformed Church meant the world to her; she thanked God daily for their love, as well as for the love and care given to her by her dear family. The Weisheit family is grateful to the many people who cared for their mother during her battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with special thank-you going to Dr. Thomas Schumacher, Dr. Arthur Vakiener, Dr. Cynthia Goodman, Dr. Thomas Goodman and the wonderful people from the Community Hospice who provided Gladys with comfort during her last three months with us. Calling hours for Mrs. Weisheit will be at Bond Funeral Home, Broadway and Guilderland Avenue, Schenectady, on Thursday evening from 6-8PM. A church celebration of praise for Gladys' life will take place on Friday at 10AM at Woestina Reformed Church, Route 5S, Rotterdam Junction. Internment will be in Woestina Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Gladys' memory may be made to City Mission of Schenectady, Woestina Reformed Church, or to The Community Hospice.