Gladys (Gladie) Ahrens

Gladys (Gladie) Ahrens slipped away quietly to be with the Lord on February 27, 2019, after a long valiant battle against post-polio syndrome. She was 81. She is survived by Bob Ahrens, her high school sweetheart and husband of 60 years; and her son, Bradley Ahrens, both of Bloomfield Hills; two sisters-in-law, Mary Runyan, of Adrian, and Dotty Scollon, of Cass City, as well as nine nieces and nephews.

Gladie found special contentment both at their Bloomfield Hills home of 54 years and her childhood home “Crane Cove” on Big Wolf Lake near Napoleon, Mich.

Gladie was a strong supporter of animal causes and the natural environment, both locally and internationally. She had a special love for her multiple cats. At the lake, she especially enjoyed the 10-acre wildlife refuge they had established, as well as with her resident sandhill cranes.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 11 a.m. at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea, with Pastor Adam Summers officiating. Burial will follow at the Napoleon Cemetery. The family received friends at the funeral home on Wednesday from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Contributions can be made to the Michigan Humane Society, Cascade Humane Society, or the World Wildlife Fund.