Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for Gertrude Elbert, 96, a resident of Garner, will be held on Thursday, July 6, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 2817 Poole Rd, Raleigh, NC. A Rosary service will begin at 10:15am followed by a Mass at 11:00am. The family will greet friends in the community room following Mass. Gertrude passed away Thursday, June 29, 2017 at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, surrounded by her daughters.

Gertrude and her husband Willi, together with their first daughter, left Germany and settled in Raleigh in 1956. She devoted her life to her family, her neighbors on West Aycock Street, and the community of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and School in Raleigh. Her Catholic faith was the cornerstone of her life, and her devotion to God and the Church were deep and steady throughout her life.

After Willi’s death in 1982, Gertrude became an active volunteer with many Church-affiliated groups, and was a kind and loving visitor to elderly friends and Church members in the hospital or in nursing home care.

In 2001 Gertrude moved to Arizona to live near her eldest daughter and son-in-law. Driving up Scottsdale Rd. for the first time, she proclaimed the sight “awesome!” and came to love Arizona, especially the glorious sunsets which delighted her almost every evening. She enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the community of friends at Our Lady of Joy Parish in Carefree, though she would always introduce herself as “Gertrude Elbert, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Raleigh, North Carolina.”

In 2006 Gertrude returned to North Carolina and worshipped at both St. Mary and St. Joseph Catholic Church. She lived with daughter Terri and son-in-law Derrick for her last 11 years. No one could have cared for her with greater kindness, love, and patience.

Gertrude is survived by her daughters Christa (Greg) Romanowski, Terri (Derrick) Stout, and Margaret Elbert, 4 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church building fund, 2817 Poole Rd, Raleigh, NC.