Gertrude Minnetta Minson

Rocky Hill - Gertrude Minnetta Minson, previously of Montville, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 21, 2013, at MapleView Health and Rehabilitation Center in Rocky Hill.

Miss Minson was born March 15, 1927, in Montville, the daughter of the late Laurence and Mildred (Sistare) Minson. Gertrude grew up on a dairy farm in Montville, which may have contributed to her interest in wildflowers and natural plants in the surrounding area. She always had a deep respect and belief in education and history. She had an amazing collection of young children's books in her home library that she made use of in her many years of teaching. She could always be relied on to be there as a friend, sister, cousin, aunt, teacher, and church member.

Miss Minson graduated from Williams Memorial Institute (WMI) in 1944, Willimantic State Teachers College in 1948, and the University of Connecticut with a master of arts degree in education in 1959. She was a teacher in Montville for 35 years, with about 32 of those years teaching fourth grade at Fair Oaks School.

Gertrude was a member of the Quaker Hill Baptist Church for over 68 years (joined 1940), and became a Life Deacon. She taught in the Quaker Hill Baptist Church School for 50 years, primarily fourth grade, with no less than perfect attendance as a teacher over all this time. She was also the secretary of the Sistare Family Association for 50 years.

Gertrude lived in Montville most of her life, before moving to an assisted living facility in Middletown. She was deeply interested in the history of Montville and was a life member of Montville Historical Society. She enjoyed native wild flowers and donated acreage to West Farms Land Trust to preserve the native habitat of the Pink Lady Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) and Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens). She was a life member of the New London County Retired Teachers Association, the Association of Retired Teachers of Connecticut Inc., and the National Education Association.

Gertrude was predeceased by her parents and brother, Laurence K. Minson Jr.

She is survived by her sister, Grace Minson Cole of Rocky Hill; niece, Jacqueline C. Little of Rocky Hill; nephew, Dan Cole and his wife, Judy Cole, of Jericho, Vt.; grand niece, Justine Cole and her husband, Santiago Garcia, of Lowell, Mass.; grand nephew, Ian Cole and his fiancée, Aubrey Wasser, of Boston; and grand niece, Laurel Cole of Jericho, Vt.; cousins, Mildred E. Devine of Quaker Hill, Althea Pagliaruli and her husband, Frank Pagliaruli, of New Britain, Alma Nott of Groton, Emily LeMay of Killingworth, and Doris Shelton of Branford.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 20, 2013, at the Quaker Hill Baptist Church, 144 Old Norwich Road, Quaker Hill.

Donations in her memory may be made to Alzheimer's Association, PO Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011, or at www.alz.org.