Gladys Conover

Gladys Audrey Conover slipped away to join her heavenly family on the morning of May 17, 2023. She had been surrounded by all of her children and many of her grandchildren in her final hour.

Gladys was born in Deer Lodge, Mt to Henry and Lois Rae (Perkins) Goldsworthy on July 25 1936. As a young girl she excelled in school, loved to read and enjoyed fishing and other outdoor activities with her parents. She graduated from Powell County High School and then enrolled in Montana Normal School, now the University of Montana Western, in Dillon and graduated in 1957 with her 2 year teaching degree.

While attending college she met the love of her life, John LeRoy Conover and they joined in marriage on October 17, 1957. It was through this union that she earned her two greatest degrees....MRS & MOM. Gladys had grown up as an only child and her greatest desire was to marry a cattle rancher and have lots of boys. Well, God had a slightly different plan for her. She married a sheep rancher and had four girls and one boy. Her family was everything to her.

Ranch life up the Blacktail was filled with many challenges and Mom endured, spending over half her married life without modern conveniences including electricity and a telephone. She washed our clothes with a wringer washer, heating the water on a wood stove, cooked wonderful, hearty meals on a wood cook stove and baked thousands of cookies over her lifetime. She loved to feed people and everyone who came to visit left with full tummies. Even though the ranch had many sheepdogs, Mom always had her own dog and she cared for thousands of bum lambs over the years. Mom and Dad were married for 52 years until he passed in June of 2010. She remained on the family ranch for another ten years with the help of her daughter, Nancy. For the past three years she resided at the Legacy/Beehive Homes where she made many friends.

Mom is survived by her son, Alan (Diane) Conover and daughters, Kim (Dan) Nye, Sheila Kay (Barry) Riesland, Nancy Conover (Tom Meine), and Laural (Brian) Jess; Grandchildren, Sean (June) Nye, Tadd (Sara) Nye, Anika (Michael) Martinez, Shane (Carissa) Conover, Chad (April) Feragen, Clay Feragen, Wendy (Jake) Ortman, Emily (Trevor) Burnaby, Amanda (Jake) Schwab, & Brandi Stone; 12 Great Grandchildren, Brother in law Dale (Donelda) Conover, Brother in law Jean Eve & Sister in law Jana Kay Conover and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband John; Father & Mother in law John & Murlin Conover; Brother in law William Conover & Sister in law Mary Ellen Eve.

A memorial service for Gladys will be held Wednesday May 24th, 2023 at 10:00am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Dillon with private interment to follow at the family cemetery on the Conover Ranch. In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Honeybee Hospice of Dillon or American Legion Post 20. We are so grateful for all those who cared for our Mom in these final years.