Gertrude Obergoenner

Gertrude J. "Gertie" Obergoenner, 90, formerly of St. Louis, passed away Friday, March 18, 2005, at her home in Cape Girardeau.

Gertie was born Nov. 16, 1914, to Arno Paul and Marie Anne Haintl Lippmann, who came to America from Germany as small children. Her family owned and operated a grocery store in St. Louis, and Gertie attended school and studied office skills and accounting at Columbia School in St. Louis. She and Herbert George Obergoenner were married June 14, 1947, in St. Louis. He passed away Nov. 11, 1974.

Also preceding her in death were her parents and four siblings, Hildegard Lippmann, Arno Paul Lipmann II, Arthur Lipmann and Elsie Jobe.

In addition to being a loving mother and housewife, Gertie held accounting and business manager positions for Fred Smith Materials (which later became Concrete Inc. and then Basic Materials), Cole Chemicals and Fluffo Snacks, all of St. Louis. She also worked as a payroll officer for the U.S. government during World War II. She taught Sunday school for many years at Grace Lutheran Church and was later a member of Unity Lutheran Church, both in St. Louis. After moving to Cape Girardeau in 1994, she became a member of the Senior Ladies Life group at Lynwood Baptist Church.

Worth noting is that Gertie was not your ordinary 90-year-old woman. In addition to constantly crocheting afghans and baking desserts for family and friends, she embraced technology and was shopping for groceries online from Schnucks right up to a few weeks prior to her passing.

Loving survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, David and Marietta Obergoenner of Gordonville; a grandson, Jerimy Obergoenner and fiancee Lucia Kozlovska, both of Cape Girardeau; a granddaughter, Jill Watkins and husband David of Jackson; a stepgranddaugher, Whitney Steward of Gordonville; a great-grandson, Nate Prince of Jackson; three great-stepgrandsons, Ryan Watkins, Ethan McDowell and Evan Watkins, all of Jackson; a nephew, Richard Job and wife Idalla of Manson, Wash.; and several cousins and friends.

Friends may call from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. A private graveside memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 24, at New Bethlehem Cemetery in St. Louis with Unity Lutheran pastor emeritus Herb Hohenstein officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials take the form of contributions to Lutheran Home Hospice, 2825 Bloomfield Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63703.