Olle

Olle Gladys (Krause) Olle, 93 of Schulenburg passed away Friday, April 11, 2025 at Schulenburg Regency Nursing Center. She was born Oct. 22, 1931 to Jim and Helen (Hrncir) Krause. She was raised in Moravia by her beloved uncle and aunt, John and Angelina (Krause) Trlica, attending Moravia school, then completing her junior and senior years at Schulenburg High School, graduating in 1949.

Gladys married A.E. “Bubba” Olle Sept. 17, 1951 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Houston. They had two children, Sharon born in 1952 and Mike born in 1958.

Growing up on a farm, Gladys performed all duties – milking cows, feeding the chickens, hogs; picking cotton, building haystacks, cutting corn tops – you name it, she was in the midst of it. She said “I learned to milk cows before I could read, write or speak English” as Czech was the language of the house.

Gladys credited her teachers at SHS, especially business classes taught by I.E. Clark. She excelled at typing, yet without a typewriter at home, she honed her skills by the light of a kerosene lamp with a keyboard hand-drawn onto a cardboard flat. This dedicated effort and creative ingenuity was typical of Gladys and led her to winning the State Championship in Typewriting at the UIL State Meet in 1948.

After graduating in 1949, Gladys was employed by Dow Chemical Company in Houston, quite a leap from the farm in Moravia to a 22-story high rise in downtown Houston. Her stories of the awe of riding the elevator up to the top floor and trying to maintain focus while taking dictation from her boss alongside her shocked concern at seeing a window washer on the outside of the building were priceless.

She rose to the rank of executive secretary, and her boss enticed her to move to Michigan to join him when he was transferred. But she and Bubba, now with daughter Sharon born, decided to move back to Schulenburg.

Gladys worked part-time for district attorney Paul Huser, then for Jack Klesel Distributing Co. Then came a 17-year career at Ruhmann Manufacturing Co.

She then went to work for Meek Properties (Don Meek) from 1975-1980, where she learned the real estate business and became one of the first female agents in the area.

Then, employment led her back to industry work with International Muffler Co. (IMCO) where she enjoyed another successful career from 1981-1988, especially enjoying time spent with coworkers – specifically traveling to trade shows and fun trips to Las Vegas.

At that time her son Mike persuaded her to join him in his line of work in community radio, and she became a sales representative at KVLG-KBUK and later at KULM/Texas Thunder Radio in Columbus. She was known for her attention to detail, diligently working with customers to be sure their commercial was exactly the way they envisioned it, or better. And even well into the digital age, each radio script was expediently composed on her trusty typewriter.

One of Gladys’ proudest accomplishments was becoming the first woman elected to the City Council in Schulenburg in 1984 where she served two terms. It’s just what Gladys did – achieve greatness – a true pioneer and modern-day woman, way before her time.

She also served as director of advertising for the Schulenburg Festival Association for eight years and served as President of Hermann Sons Lodge #14, and in 1982 was appointed the local field agent for insurance.

Gladys was a sharp dresser, sporting a coiffed hairdo, and could walk faster in high heels than most could in tennis shoes. Many say, “I’ve never seen Gladys walk slowly.”

Gladys Olle will be greatly missed by many – and the community of Schulenburg as a whole. But she left a long list of accomplishments that made everything and everyone around her better. She had a heart of gold and was always more concerned about doing for others, not expecting anything to be done for her.

Survived by: daughter, Sharon and husband Curran Rode; son, Mike and wife Sarah; grandchildren, Samantha Rode Hughey, Michael and-Montana Olle; great granddaughter, Isabel Hughey; sisters, Margaret Golden, Gracie Isbell, Edyie Ramirez.

Preceded in death by: Parents Jim and Helen Krause, husband Bubba (12/10/1987), cousin Mildred (Trlica) Zatopek (who lived to be 100), brothers Marvin, Johnny and William Krause, brother Johnny Elgin, sister Helen Youngblood, and twin sisters Georgie Ann and Shirley Ann Krause (family of 11 siblings).

Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in High Hill. The family will receive friends beginning at 9 a.m. from the church.

Family requests memorials be made to the Shorthorns Forever Association, St. Mary Catholic Church in High Hill, or the charity of one’s choice.