SACO — Gladys K. (Blad) Hayden, 92, of 321 Bradley St., died on Good Friday, April 18 at Seal Rock Nursing Home, after a short illness.
She was born May 24, 1921 in Barre, Vt., to the late Arvid Ingvald Blad from Idd, Norway and Hareide Nelsine Johansen Blad from Brumundalen, Norway.
She attended Barre schools and graduated from Spaulding High School, Class of 1939.
She married Andrew E. Hayden from Montpelier, Vt. on Feb. 10, 1940.
She and her husband started the A&W Root Beer Stand in South Portland in 1958, moving from Vermont, and later opened the Dairy Queen store in Saco in 1963 and the Dairy Queen store in Biddeford.
She enjoyed the pleasures of her three children, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her great-great-grandchildren, representing five generations in her family. Gladys was often referred to as “Bestemor,” meaning “grandmother” in Norwegian. She also loved the quietness of her home, reading her favorite novels, listening to her music and enjoyed some light gardening as well as her quiet moments in contemplative prayer.
She was preceded in death by: her husband, Andrew in 1991; her two younger brothers, Arnold Ingvald Blad, formerly of North Syracuse, N.Y. and John Arvid Blad, formerly of Keene, N.H.
Gladys is survived by: her three children and their spouses, Michael Hayden and his wife Josephine of Eden, Vt., Nancy Hayden Turner and her husband David of Raymond and Susan Hayden Fogg and her husband Michael of Farmington; sister-in-law, Patricia of North Syracuse, N.Y.; eight grandchildren, Christopher Hayden of Shelburne, Vt., Jennifer Hayden and her partner Pascale Desir and Matthew Hayden and his wife Amy, all of Cape Elizabeth, Eric Hunt and his partner Rita Deveer of Franklin, N.H., Bryan Hunt and his wife Nancy of Derry, N.H., Kimberlee Draper and her husband Nathan of Ashland, Mass., Shawn Fogg and his wife Tina of Augusta, and Melissa Fogg and her partner Richard Davis of Carrabassett Valley; 10 great-grandchildren, Alyssa Nault, Robert Hunt, Amanda Hunt, Vanissa Hunt, Kayleigh Hill, Jamie Draper, Trent Fogg, Emma Fogg, Mitchell Wallace and Michael Wallace; and two great-great-grandchildren, Sawyer and Landon, children of Alyssa and Brian Nault, representing the fifth generation of the family.
A funeral service will be held Friday, May 2 at 1 p.m. at the Dennett Craig & Pate Funeral Home, 365 Main St., Saco. Rev. Merle Steva will officiate. The burial will be at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Sweetser Home, 50 Moody St., Saco, ME 04072.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.