Gertrude Latremouille passed away peacefully on June 14, 2016. Gertie was predeceased by her husband Louis, brothers Walter, Norman and Charlie, sister Thelma White and granddaughter Rebecca Arnet. Gertie is lovingly remembered by sister Dot Kennedy and brother John (Lyda) Eastman, sons Micheal (Janet) and Vernon (Lorna), daughters Glenna Richards and Marie (Nathan) Matthew, grandsons Bill Richards, Gene Latremouille, Mark (Nicole) Matthew and granddaughters Jodi (Jason Nyeste) Latremouille Sarah (Wylie) Mitchell, and great grandchildren, Amanda and Jailene, Colton and Gary, Wyatt, Lucas and Rayel, Taylor and Kiera, and Surya and Althea. She will also be dearly missed by close friends Wesley Bickerton, Marie Beebe, Dave Marriott and Vi Norman, and the Honourable Judy Guichon.
Gertie was born on Christmas day, 1923, on the family farm in Griffin Creek, Alberta, where she grew up. She met her future husband, Louis, in Victoria in the early forties. Gertie and Louis enjoyed 59 years together, sharing a love of the outdoors and involvement with community. They raised their family in Little Fort, where Gertie was a member of the Catholic Women’s League and the Little Fort Women’s Institute. In 1967, the family moved to Lower Nicola, when Louis was transferred with the BC Forest Service. Gertie was again an active member of her community, as a square dancer, homemaker, and long-time volunteer for the Merritt Citizens’ Patrol and the Hospital Auxiliary.
In earlier years, she was appreciated for her baking – particularly delicious were her lemon pies, “grandma cakes,” and chocolate chip and shortbread cookies. When she no longer baked, she stocked her cupboards with treats for her grandchildren and great grandchildren. “GG’s” greatest joy was her family. She kept abreast of all of their activities, took tremendous pride in their achievements and was always present at their events. Grandma Gertie acknowledged every milestone of her family members, keeping lists to ensure that no birthday or anniversary was missed.
Gertie was known for her generosity and gregarious nature. In her later years, she was a resident at Nicola Meadows, where she made new friends and re-connected with old acquaintances, and was treated with kindness and respect by all of the staff. Here, she especially enjoyed the weekly bingo games, particularly when she won! She lived her life with a spirit of optimism and found pleasure in her relationships with others and by giving whatever she had to share. All who knew her will remember her strong, warm hands, her beaming smile and her infectious laugh.
We would like to thank the staff of Nicola Meadows, the Merritt Hospital, and Father Ken for their kind care and support in Gertie’s later years and during her short illness. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Merritt, B.C., on July 9, at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, in memory of Gertie, would be greatly appreciated.