Loving wife and mother, Marian Janice Glidewell of Emporia, KS died at Newman Regional Health on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at the age of 88.
Marian was born June 20,1937 in Minneapolis, MN to Melvin Alvin and Adeline Mae (Nelson) Boicourt.
She grew up in the Homecroft neighborhood of St. Paul, MN surrounded by her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. In addition to her family, Marian found guidance at Homecroft Elementary and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. During WWII, the tight-knit neighborhood supported each other while the men were serving their country. Marian had many stories to share of her childhood experiences. Trips to Missouri introduced Marian to her father’s extended family with stories from their lives.
Her grandmother, Julia Nelson, emphasized the value of education and work. Later in life, Marian would remind her own daughters and grandchildren of the same values. She began working at local drugstores and advanced to typist for companies in bustling downtown St. Paul. Marian’s jobs helped her pay for college after graduating from Monroe High School in 1955. She attended Wartburg College in Waverly, IA where she made many life-long friends. Due to financial needs her junior year, she came home to St. Paul and attended the University of Minnesota. Marian returned to Wartburg for her senior year. At Wartburg, she met fellow student Thomas Glidewell from Des Moines, IA. In 1959, Marian graduated with an elementary education degree and began teaching second grade at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Waverly.
After Tom finished his degree at Wartburg, Marian and Tom wed June 11,1960. The couple moved to Fort Dodge, IA where their daughters, Elizabeth (Beth) and Andrena (Andy) were born. In 1966, the family relocated to Emporia, KS for Tom’s new job at Didde-Glaser. Before returning to school and teaching, Marian spent her time at home with her daughters. She encouraged their creative abilities, passion to read, enjoyment of music and art, textures, and food. Simply, she taught her daughters to be curious in life.
While in Emporia, Marian substitute taught at every elementary school and for the homebound. She had a heart for children with special needs. Marian furthered her education with a Master’s in Elementary Education (1975, Emporia Kansas State College) and a Master’s in Special Education (1981, Emporia State University.)
She volunteered widely including League of Women Voters, Emporia Arts Council, Emporia Genealogical Society, and Tuesday Tea and Talk (TTnT). Marian was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Emporia and was involved with Women of the ELCA.
Marian loved people and their stories. If you ever had the chance to meet her, she would learn much about you in a short time. However, a trip to the grocery store (Dillons, Reebles, or Safeway) was not a quick task, as Marian gathered family updates from neighbors and friends. Marian’s story gathering sometimes embarrassed or frightened her daughters, especially in their teen years.
Working on family genealogy was a passion for Marian. She spent hours at the Emporia Public Library, the LDS, and at the Mid-Continent Library in Kansas City. This passion was supported by her desire to travel and gather information. Marian and Tom traveled extensively throughout the United States gathering invaluable family history along with trading stories at family reunions. They especially enjoyed traveling to the Northwest and Southwest. Their daughters’ frequent moves from Georgia to California to New York and Texas kept them on the road. And after the grandchildren arrived, Marian and Tom traveled regularly to celebrate holidays, events, and everyday life with their daughters’ families in MN and WI. More recent travels found Tom and Marian on the back roads of Kansas.
Marian loved music – jazz, classical, opera and a good polka. She was a pianist and an organist, receiving training from nuns in St. Paul. She played at local Lutheran churches in the Twin Cities. In Emporia, Marian was a regular attendee of ESU music concerts and plays often greeting neighbors and friends.
She was a talented seamstress and had a great natural sense of style. She loved shoes and purses. Whether at local stores, Newman’s, Juresic’s, Brown’s Shoe Fit, or out of town department stores, colors and textures attracted her.
Marian also spent hours reading, attending book clubs, and browsing the public library. She enjoyed historical novels. Marian passed her love of reading on to her daughters and grandchildren. Many photos have Marian cuddled up with a grandchild reading a favorite book.
As much as she enjoyed her time at the library, Marian enjoyed visiting the Emporia Zoo. The zoo became a regular spot to take visitors, her children, grandchildren, and eat a lunch while watching the eagles. The eyelashes of her friends, the llamas and alpacas, fascinated her.
Marian is survived by her husband, Thomas Glidewell of the home; daughters, Elizabeth (Robert) Brooks of Lakeville, MN and Andrena (Scott) Johnson of Madison, WI; four grandchildren, Thomas (Cierra Hill) Brooks, Heather (Nicohlas) Michael, Kyra (John Helppi) Johnson, and Aidan Johnson; and great grandchild, Sofie Micheal; sisters, Margaret Holzrichter of Joliet, IL and Kathleen Eggert of Maplewood, MN. She was preceded in death by her parents, Melvin and Adeline Boicourt; sister and brother-in-law, Jeanette and Alvin Bahlmann; brother-in-law, Fred Holzrichter.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.
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