Gladys Arnold

Gladys Geiselman Arnold, age 92, died on Friday, October 23, 2023, at Brethren Village, where she had resided since May 1998.

Born in Jacobus, Pennsylvania, Gladys was the daughter of John and Marie (Fisher) Geiselman. A lifelong educator, she devoted nearly four decades to teaching young students, a calling that began when she was still a child herself.

Gladys' love of teaching first emerged in seventh grade at Springfield Township, when the headteacher occasionally asked her to serve as a substitute in the first- and second-grade classroom. This early opportunity sparked an interest that would shape her life and career.

Eager to begin working after high school, Gladys enrolled in the medical secretary program at York Junior College. While working as a dental assistant, she completed her associate degree. A family friend encouraged her to consider teaching, and she followed that advice by pursuing a degree in elementary education. She graduated from Elizabethtown College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree.

That same year, Gladys began her teaching career as a fifth-grade teacher in York Township, in Spry, Pennsylvania. In 1968, she and her family moved to Landisville, Pennsylvania, where she joined the faculty at Landisville Elementary School as a third-grade teacher. She continued teaching and nurturing young learners until her retirement in 1993, completing a rewarding career that spanned nearly four decades.

Music was another lifelong passion. Gladys played the violin, piano, and ukulele and was a gifted singer. During her early years and throughout high school, she played in her church orchestra. Even as an elementary school student, she accompanied her music classes on the piano. At Elizabethtown College, she sang in the College Choir and performed in two trios.

Faith and service were equally important to Gladys. At her home church in Jacobus, she established a children’s choir, taught Sunday School, and sang in the church choir. Later, she devoted many years to serving the Lancaster Church of the Brethren, where she continued teaching Sunday School and played an instrumental role in establishing the church’s contemporary worship service. Through her faith, musical talents, and dedication to her church communities, she found meaningful ways to share her gifts with others.

Above all, Gladys’s legacy lives on through her family. She is survived by her four children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren: Sandra Daly and her husband, John, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, and their daughter, Andrea Reis, and her husband, Trevor, of Pinehurst; Kent Arnold and his wife, Gillian Walters, of Erie, Colorado, and their sons, Kieran and Gareth, of Lakewood, Colorado; Dr. Suzanne Arnold and her wife, Deborah Harding, of Castle Rock, Colorado; and Jay Arnold and his wife, Elizabeth (Yeager) Arnold, of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. Jay’s sons are Andrew, his wife, Dr. Amanda Rhodes, and their daughter, Violet, of

Bethesda, Maryland; and Brent, his wife, Lindsay (Berg) Arnold, and their son, Mason, of Winterville, North Carolina.

Gladys will be remembered for her lifelong commitment to education, her gift for music, her faith and service, and the family she loved. The lessons she shared, the songs she sang, and the lives she touched will remain part of her lasting legacy.

Her memorial service will be held at the Brethren Village Chapel, 3001 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 2pm with Pastor Dave Stauffer officiating. Glady’s family will receive friends prior to the service from 1-2PM. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in Glady’s memory to Hospice & Community Care, 685 Good Drive, Lancaster, PA 17604-4125.