Memorials › Gertrude "Gertie" Suminski Durand

Gertrude "Gertie" Suminski Durand

4 Aug 1920 – 8 Apr 2015

Birth4 Aug 1920
Death8 Apr 2015
CemeteryOrd Cemetery
Ord , Valley County , Nebraska , USA
Added byStarlight on 07 Jun 2018
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144930271

Bio

Gertrude Durand, 94, of Ord left this life on Wednesday, April 8, 2015, surrounded by her family while residing at the Valley View Living Center. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 17, 2015, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Ord. Father Mark Maresh will officiate. Burial will be in the Ord Catholic Cemetery. Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Gertrude "Gertie" was born on the family farm north of Elyria, Nebraska on August 4, 1920, to Boleslaw "Bolish" and Marthie "Martha" (Zulkowski) Suminski. She attended the Goodenow Country School, Elyria High School and graduated from Ord High School in 1938. She worked as an operator for the local telephone company before moving to Omaha in 1941, where she was employed at Safeway. Gertie joined the war effort and worked at the Nebraska Ordinance Plant in Mead. Gertie met John Durand, an Army Staff Sargent from New Iberia, LA and married him in Omaha on October 6, 1943. John returned to the war and Gertie returned to Ord to give birth to their first daughter, Kathleen in 1945. The young family moved to New Iberia, LA in 1946, where they were joined by daughter Joyce. In 1949, they returned to Nebraska and later to the Suminski family farm and welcomed daughter, Phillis in 1950, son, Ken in 1951, and daughter, Janet in 1956. Gertie loved to dance. Playing Scrabble or dominoes with her children and grandchildren was always a favorite pastime, but big family gatherings were her favorite days. She also took pride in baking the world's best cinnamon rolls and making holiday gifts of her much sought after fudge and divinity. She was a member of the Does, VFW Women's Auxiliary and the Women's Circle at Saint Mary's parish in Elyria. Gertie and John remained on the family farm until 1998, when they moved into Ord. She started attending mass and joined the Women's Circle at Lady of Perpetual Help and the St. Anne's Study Club. The couple enjoyed their retirement and would move again in 2011, to the Grandview Living Center where Gertie loved playing bingo, listening to polka and doing crafts. Her survivors include her husband John of Ord; her sister, Martha Janus of Ord; her children and their spouses, Kathleen and Gaylord Boilesen of Ord, Joyce and Jack Likens of Longville, MN, Phillis and Steve McNeill of Santa Fe, NM, Chris and Ken Durand of Grand Island and Janet and Gary Grace of Waverley, IA; her grandchildren and their spouses, Dorothy and Jeff Boilesen of Ord, Julie Boilesen of Atlanta, GA, Tina and Tony Likens of Longville, MN, Dana and Tony Abel of Albertville, MN, Jennifer and Marc Caro of Tucson, AZ, Mathew McNeill of Scottsdale, AZ, Daniel McNeill of Layton, NJ, Benjamin Grace and Carol Haywood of Los Angeles, CA, Nathan McNeill of Tempe, AZ, Samuel Grace of Minneapolis, MN, Brad Durand of Grand Island, and Katie Durand of Grand Island; great-grandchildren, Steve Rowse of Ord, Cindy (Rowse) Beach of Malcolm ,NE, Dakota Likens of Longville, MN, Hanna Abel of Albertville, MN, Anna Likens of Longville, MN, Brett Abel of Longville, MN, and Alex Abel of Albertville, MN; and great-great-grandchildren, Brooke and Colton Rowse of Ord, and Dillon and Lillie Beach of Malcolm, NE. She was preceded in death by her parents; Bolish and Martha; her bothers, Dominick, Carl, Bernard and Leonard; her sister, Barbara Papiernik; and her grandsons, Jason McNeill and Joshua Durand.

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