Gertrude M. Donovan
Thursday, October 12, 1922
Date of Death:
Friday, April 20, 2012
Age:
89 years old
Visitation
Date: Tuesday April 24, 2012
Time: 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home [ view map ]
Second Visitation
Date: Wednesday April 25, 2012
Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Location: Madonna Towers [ view map ]
Funeral Mass
Date: Wednesday April 25, 2012
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Madonna Towers [ view map ]
Burial
Location: Calvary Cemetery [ view map ]
Thursday, October 12, 1922
Date of Death:
Friday, April 20, 2012
Age:
89 years old
Thursday, October 12, 1922
Date of Death:
Friday, April 20, 2012
Age:
89 years old
Gertrude M. Donovan
A funeral Mass for Gertrude M. (Zeller) Donovan will be held at 11:00am on Wednesday, April 25, at Madonna Towers Chapel in Rochester with Rev. James Russell officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.
Mrs. Donovan, 89, of Rochester passed away peacefully on April 20 at Madonna Towers from complications due to advanced Lewy Body Dementia.
Gertrude Mary Zeller was born on October 12, 1922, in Waubay, South Dakota. She graduated from Waverly (MN) High School and attended business college in Minneapolis. While working at Mayo Clinic she met her future husband, Paul R. Donovan. They were married on October 25, 1944. She was later employed as administrative assistant at Aldrich Memorial Nursery School and at Pace Dairy as executive secretary and accounting clerk, retiring in 1985.
Gertrude was an active member of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, square dancing, card club, and 4-H when living near Stewartville. She and Paul were also active members of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Rochester and volunteers with the “donut crew.” She worked at the Olmsted County Fair Board office during the fair for many years. She was also a Boy Scout and Brownie Scout Leader and enjoyed fishing, quilting, sewing, arts and crafts, traveling, playing cards, bingo, and spending time with her family. Gert did genealogy research on her father’s side and helped him write his memoirs. She was an excellent cook and baker. Her apple pie was superb and always a family favorite. The tradition lives on.
Survivors include her children: three sons, Pat of Brooklyn Park, MN; Dick (Wanda) of Oak Grove, MN; Tim of Minneapolis, MN; and a daughter Kathy (Javis) Musolf of Kasson, MN; four grandchildren, seven great-grandsons, three step grandsons, and six step great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Paul on June 26, 2006; a brother, Robert Zeller; and a daughter-in-law, Carol Donovan.
Friends may call from 4:00pm to 7:00pm Tuesday April 24, 2012 at River Park Chapel, Macken Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at Madonna Towers.
The family prefers memorials to Mayo Clinic for Lewy Body Dementia research or to the Madonna Towers Living Community Foundation.
Macken Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com
Condolences
The family of Gertrude M. Donovan has received the following condolences.
Pat, My thoughts are with you and your family as you say goodbye to your mom...I know these times are tough, but she is in a better place. The care given by you and your siblings over the years shows what a great family your folks raised. Hugs!
Please accept my sincere sympathy at this sad time. You probably don't know me, but I worked with Gert at Pace Dairy; she was the Exec Secretary and I was Personnel/Payroll. She was such a kind, knowledgeable person, liked by all. As happens, when she retired and our lives took a different turn, I lost touch with Gert. She was a wonderful friend to me, we share alot about our children and her grandchildren. God Bless.
Our condolence to Dick, Wanda and the family of Gertrude. It is not easy to loose a mother that is loved so much. I never met her, but we heard so many great things about her. May God Walk with you through the days ahead.
Good bye Aunt Gert. We'll all miss your kind, gracious and practical nature. I greatly appreciate the geneology work you and my other Aunts did to compile Grandpa Zeller's memoirs. It was most helpful when I went to South Dakota last year to explore our family history a bit further.
Philip
We are so sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. Our family never knew Gertrude but could tell by the way Dick and Wanda talked about her after their visits with her that she was somebody quite special. Praying for your family during this time.