Obituary of Gertrude Bennett

Gertrude, 90, passed away on October 16 in El Cajon, California. Gertrude was born in Pine Island, N.Y., daughter of Frederick and Katherine (Reich) Gerlitz. In 1913, the Gerlitz family emigrated from the Saratova region in Russia. Five of their 12 children came from Russia, while the younger seven were born in Pine Island in their farm house, which still stands. Gertrude grew up in Pine Island, a farming community of German immigrants. She graduated from Warwick High School in 1941, then moved to Brooklyn, NY, following her sisters. She worked there during the war years and met her future husband, George Healy, in a dance hall. Gertrude and George were married in Brooklyn on October 29, 1944. Their first child, Patricia, was born in Brooklyn. In 1946, they moved to Jersey City, NJ, where they lived for 14 years. Four more children (Kathryn, Brian, Paul and Susan) were born there. While in Jersey City, Gertrude was a homemaker and secretary. She was active in St. Patrick's parish, where the children attended school. In 1960, they moved to East Rutherford, NJ, where Mary Ann was born, then to Rutherford in 1967. Family gatherings up at the farm were a high point of those years and many card games were played. After George retired from Colgate-Palmolive Company, he and Gertrude moved to Crestwood Village in Whiting NJ. They enjoyed an active social life there, making many new friends. Gertrude rediscovered her love of art and painted a number of pictures, including a self-portrait. After George passed away, she continued to be active in Crestwood, where she met Earl Bennett. They married in 1996 and enjoyed retirement years until his death. Gertrude was preceded in death by her parents and her 11 siblings: Katherine (Katie) Erbacher, Pauline Raessler, David Gerlitz, Mary Langlitz, Emma Couzi, Frederick (Fred) Gerlitz, Jacob (Jake) Gerlitz, Ruth Nickerson, Theodore (Ted) Gerlitz, Helen Trella and Erwin Gerlitz. She was also preceded in death by her husband George (1993), her second husband, Earl Bennett (1998) and her daughter MaryAnn (1986).Gertrude is survived by 5 children: Patricia Healy of Lava, ID; Kathryn (and Larry) Dansky of Lafayette, CO; Brian Healy of Manalpan, NJ; Susan (and George) Von Achen of Port St. Lucie, FL; and Paul (and Patricia) Akers-Healy of Alpine, CA. She is survived by seven grandchildren: Lisa Bolen, Kara Dansky, Shawn Rodda, Tim Cooley, Heather Akers-Healy, Gary Healy, and Matthew Dansky. She is also survived by two great-grandchildren: Lidya Rodda and Addisu Rodda, as well as many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. To celebrate Gertrude's life, a public memorial service will be held in the spring at T.S. Purta Funeral Home in Pine Island, N.Y. The remains will be interred in Whiting Memorial Park, Whiting NJ, in a private ceremony. Gifts in Gertrude's memory may be made to the Mary Ann Healy Memorial Scholarship. Send to the Ohio University Foundation, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701, with a notation on the memo line that the designation is for the Mary Ann Healy Scholarship endowment. The family would like to take this opportunity to offer heartfelt thanks to friends and relatives who offered assistance and support during Gertrude's final years. Arrangements are under the direction of Manchester Memorial Funeral Home, Whiting.