Ethel Gertrude (Conger) Whyte (1883-1980)

CONGER, FARMER, HOVLAND, RICHARDSON, SWAFFORD, TROTTER, WHYTE

Posted By: Eileen Reed
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:58

The Eagle Grove Eagle
Eagle Grove, Iowa
Wednesday, November 12, 1980
Page 2, Column 1

Ethel Gertrude Whyte was born in Earlville, Ill. on Feb. 5, 1883, the daughter of John A. and Leah Ellen Conger. She died at the Clarion Community Hospital in Clarion on Saturday evening, Nov. 1, 1980, at the age of 97 years, 8 months and 26 days.

Gertrude came to Goldfield with her parents after the death of her brother, Perry, in 1893. She attended the Goldfield Public School, graduating in the Class of 1901. She then attended Morningside College at Sioux City for two years.

On May 17, 1905, Gertrude was married to George Henry Whyte at Goldfield. To this union were born three children: Margaret Faye, Ruth Lucille, George Conger. Mr. Whyte died in 1932.

The Whyte family was always very active in the Goldfield Methodist Church, in school activities and all community activities. Gertrude was a charter member of the Bay View Club; she taught Sunday School for many years and was active in the Dorcas Society and the Mission Circle of the church. Her husband and family always came first in the planning of her time and devotion. Following the death of her husband, Gertrude spent a great deal of her time visiting her daughter, Ruth, and her family, while they lived in Colorado and she spent many summers with her daughter, Margaret, in Olympia, Wash. She made her last trip to Olympia when she was 90 years old. Conger and his wife, Pearl Hovland, have made their home with Gertrude since their marriage in 1939, their four children became her second family.

During the past several years, Gertrude had been in ill health and was cared for by Pearl and Conger, until four years ago, when she became a resident of the Clarion Care Center. Gertrude fell a week ago and fractured her pelvis.

She is survived by her son-in-law and daughter, Raymond and Ruth Richardson of Kingman, Ariz.; her daughter, Margaret F. Whyte of Olympia, Wash.; her son and daughter-in-law, Conger and Pearl Whyte of Goldfield; eight grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband; a brother. Perry, a foster-sister, Eura, Mrs. Fred Farmer and a cousin, Ruth Swafford, Mrs. Chas. Trotter, who lived with Gertrude and her parents.

Funeral services for Mrs. Gertrude Whyte were held on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1980 at the Goldfield United Methodist Church at 1:30 p.m. Rev. Lester Hancock, church pastor, officiated and burial was in the Glenwood Cemetery, Goldfield. Visitation was held at the Kastler-Babcock Funeral Home in Eagle Grove.