Gertrude "Gertie" Gray

GERTRUDE "GERTIE" GRAY

Gertrude "Gertie" Gray, 86, of Ridgecrest Rd., died Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at the Hospicare Residence after a brief illness, surrounded by her loved ones. She was born in Hector, NY on September 11, 1921, daughter of the late Frank and Tivola Clark Catlin and was the widow of Lawrence "Scoop" Gray who died in 1993.
Gertrude lived most of her life on Ithaca's South Hill where she and Scoop raised their four children. When her children were grown, she went to work at Morse Chain, where she would continue to work for 35 years and served at one time as treasurer of the Morse Chain Credit Union. Following her retirement from Morse Chain she worked at Ithacare for 10 years. Gertrude sat on the election board for several years and was able to vote this year at the Hospicare Residence. She volunteered at the Cayuga Medical Center, The Senior Citizen Center and Hospicare. An avid bowler and golfer, she was a life member of the New York State Women's Bowling Association and was a former member of the Ithaca Women's Bowling Association.
A loving and devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Gertrude is survived by her daughters, Margaret (Ernie) Hoover and Sharron Williams (Butch VanEtten); her son-in-law, Roger Rumsey; her six grandchildren, Johanna Williams (Howard Hertel), Michael (Tammi) Hoover, Tracy Buchanan (Doug Martin), Scott Wallenbeck, Roger (Cynthia) Rumsey and Christine Rumsey and her five great-grand-children, Asher Manley, Amelia and R.C. Rumsey and Christofer and Erika Jackson. She is also survived by her buddy, a loving boxer, Griffin William VanRockwell. In addition to her parents and husband, Gertrude was also predeceased by her son, Lawrence Gray, Jr.; daughter, Patricia Rumsey and brother, Leon Catlin.
Funeral services will be celebrated by Rev. Jim Geuder on Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 11am at the Bangs Funeral Home. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday, November 23, 2007 from 4 to 6pm. Interment in South Hill Cemetery will be delayed until spring. In lieu of flowers, donations in Gertrude's memory may be directed to Hospicare, 172 E. King Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850.