Gertrude Ellen Lindquist Owen

A little over 10 years an article appeared in the Whitefish Pilot about the 70th wedding anniversary of Gertrude and Roy Owen who had lived in Whitefish for 50 years. It was a tribute to both of them and then a year later Roy passed away leaving Gertrude to move to Nevada and Oregon to live with daughters.

Gertrude passed away Nov. 19, 2013 in Woodburn, Ore., having attained the age of 104.

She was born in Juanita, Wash., in 1909, attended grade and high school there, worked in downtown Seattle for several years until meeting her husband. She was very active in the outdoors — loving gardening, fishing and golf. And she had a penchant for bowling.

Gertrude was very proud of her Finnish heritage, her parents having migrated from Finland to the U.S. in the very late 1890s. She was the last of seven children to survive.

She is survived by two daughters and son-in-law Patricia Porter of Nevada, and Barbara and Robert Cannon of Woodburn, Ore., and three grandsons and five great-grandchildren.

Her husband nicknamed her "The Blonde" and this blonde will be sorely missed by her family.