In loving memory of
Gertrude A. Frederick
Business Woman, Teacher and Beloved Mother and Grandmother
Dec. 1, 1921-May 12th 2015
Gertrude was born on December, 1st, 1921 on a farm in Wishek, North Dakota.
She was one of nine children born to Jacob and Katherine Krein, eight of which survived and to grow into adulthood. Gertrude spent her childhood living and attending school in Wishek, North Dakota. She very much enjoyed attending school, and learning, and was very successful achieving excellent grades. She graduated as Salutatorian at Wishek high school. After her graduation, she then went on to teach grades 1-6th that next school year in Wishek school district.
Gertrude then moved out to the West Coast, initially to Seattle and then settled in Portland, Oregon. She attended and completed two years of Business College there.
She eventually found herself hired at a downtown Manning’s restaurant in Portland, Oregon, a restaurant company where she worked for over 30 years, most of the time as the Personnel Manager at the Lloyd Ctr., Manning’s restaurant, supervising over 60 employees. She took a particular interest in helping young college students who worked for her, mentoring and supporting them in their early careers.
Throughout her career at Manning’s, she met and worked closely with many other business leaders in the greater Portland area and had the opportunity to meet with many local and state politicians, as well as US presidents and State Senators on numerous occasions.
During World War II, Gertrude worked at Navy shipyards in Vancouver, Washington. She became a Graveyard supervisor there, during this time, managing over seven people working until the war ended.
After WW II, Gertrude met and married her husband, Robert P. Frederick and after three years of marriage had her only daughter, Paula in April, 1954. Gertrude continued to be a successful career woman throughout her life as well as a dedicated mother.
She was very interested in nutrition, health, and culinary preparation. She enjoyed teaching others how to properly prepare food, teaching nutritional value of specific foods and incorporating, this knowledge into living a healthy lifestyle.
After her retirement in 1987, Gertrude moved to Seattle Washington where she became involved in many community activities however her primary focus was supporting and caring for her two grandsons, Brandon and Colin, Frederick-De Bruhl. Gertrude was a dedicated grandmother supporting and caring for them throughout their childhood and into early adulthood.
Gertrude is survived by her Daughter, Paula and her two grandsons, Brandon and Colin, as well as youngest sister, Arlene Hefner, and youngest brother, Don Krein, Kathy Lawrence , her niece and many other numerous nieces and nephews.
There will be a memorial at Life Care Centers of Kirkland on June 23rd at 2pm.
And another service at Seaside, Oregon in August.
In place of flowers, please donate to the following organizations, she was very passionate about supporting:
March of Dimes: http://www.marchofdimes.org/
The Ocean Conservatory: http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/marine-debris/?referrer=https://www.google.com/
Reading is Fundamental: http://www.rif.org/
We will miss her very much!