Gertrude Eugenia Spears

Gertrude Eugenia (Anderson) Spears went home to be with the Lord on January 7, 2017. With almost 93 years on this earth, she will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Gertrude, eldest child of Harold G. and Vivian (Bailey) Anderson, was born on January 24, 1924, in Winston-Salem, NC. Gertrude worked for Bell Aircraft Corp. while awaiting the return of her love and future husband, John C. Spears, from the European Theater of Operations during WWII. They were wed in Marietta, GA, on September 24, 1945, and moved to Cuero, TX.

Gertrude (Trudie) and John (Jake) moved from Cuero to Corpus Christi, TX, in 1946, where they established their home. In 1977, Trudie retired as the Budget Analyst of the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, where she had worked for 24 years. “Retiring” to Cotulla, TX, she and Jake enjoyed many years together with family and friends. They were married 55 years. She moved to Magnolia, TX, in 2006.

Gertrude is survived by 2 sisters, Pauline Spears of Hunt, TX, and Miriam Nichols of Tullahoma, TN; son, Gary, of Lancaster, TX; daughter, Cindy (Randall) Salge of Magnolia, TX; grandchildren Jennifer (Brian) Hammer, Gary (Misty) Spears, Randy Salge, Robert Salge, Richard Salge, Ryan Salge, Wade Allen Spears, Charlene Essary, Joann Boctor, and Jacie (Jeremy) Rowland; 20 great-grandchildren.

Gertrude was preceded in death by great-grandson Kyle Hammer in 2000; her beloved husband, Jake, in 2001; son, John Spears in 2010; great-grandson, Ethan Hammer in 2014; grandson, Ray Spears in 2015.

Viewing will be at 1 pm with a Life-Celebration service at 2pm on Saturday, January 14, 2017, at Memory Gardens Funeral Home Chapel. (Ret.) Rev. Warren Foxworthy will be officiating. Following the service, Trudie will be laid to rest beside her beloved Jake and son, John.