Gloria L. Bland

Gloria L. Bland, age 86, of Marshalltown, Iowa passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at Westbrook Acres in Gladbrook, IA.

Per Gloria and her family’s wishes, cremation rites will be accorded. Her family is planning a family-led Celebration of Life on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. at the Gladbrook Memorial Building in Gladbrook, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to her family for a later designation. Mitchell Family Funeral Home of Marshalltown has been entrusted with the care of Gloria and her family. For questions or condolences, visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.

Gloria Lavonne Bloom was born on August 11, 1939, in Marion, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Miland and Wilma (Foster) Bloom. Gloria attended Loogootee High School in Indiana and graduated with the class of 1958. On April 11, 1959 she married the love of her life James Bland in Bramble, Indiana, and that same year they moved to Marshalltown. Gloria worked in the business office at the Marshalltown Hospital for many years until her retirement in 1991. She was also the president of the school’s PTA at the old Palmer grade school here in town. Gloria will always be remembered as the “reptile lady”. At one time she had 29 different reptiles in her home and would offer tours to different groups. In her free time, she enjoyed fishing, dancing, and spending time with her grandkids. She was also a big fan of Elvis Presley.

Those left to remember and cherish her memory are her husband James “Buster” Bland; her children: Chris (Amy) Bland of Gladbrook, Polly Hupfeld of Eldora, and “The Favorite” Angie (Richard) Fehrmann, also of Eldora; her grandchildren: Presley Bland, DJ Fisher, Mikayla (Jackson) Brokaw, and Nikki (Tanner) Wilks; her great-grandchildren: Josephine, Ana, Elias, Uriah, and Winnie Jo; her sister Stephanie Moran of Snohomish, Washington; several nieces and nephews; and her white poodle: “ Rubi Jane”.

Gloria is preceded in death by her parents: Miland and Wilma Bloom; her two sisters: Ellen and Dixie; her grandma Beulah Foster, and her mother and father-in-law Helen and Omer Bland.