Gertrude E. Clauw, 86, formerly of Libby
Obit Clauw
Gertrude Elaine Clauw, 86, formerly of Libby, passed away Monday, Sept. 10, 2012, at Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho.
She was born Nov. 11, 1925, in Bessemer, Mich., to George and Mary Putkela. She was the youngest of four children.
She was married to William Seppanen for 10 years, and they had one daughter, Barbara. Her second marriage was to Gus Clauw for 37 years. She resided in Michigan until Gus passed away in 1994. In 1996, she moved to Libby.
She was an executive secretary most of her working life. However, volunteerism was her passion.
She was a hospital auxiliary member at several hospitals, including St. John’s Lutheran Hospital in Libby. She volunteered in the Health Information Management records room for 13 years.
She helped other organizations in the community, including Wings, STOKR, the Libby Wrestling Team, Honeybee Homemakers, and the Friends of the Library. When she attended Christ Lutheran Church, she helped in the kitchen, as an usher, and was able to join a servant trip to a San Francisco, Calif., homeless shelter. Even during her challenges with dementia, she still wanted to help others.
Gerty loved music and dancing, bowling, traveling, gardening, playing cards, sharing her baked cookies and brownies with others, and she loved people.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, and her husbands.
Gerty is survived by her loving family, which includes daughter, Barbara Dumont, and son-in-law, Dennis Dumont, of Libby; granddaughter Jennifer Dumont, and her husband, Matt Shields, of Portland, Ore.; Carrie Dumont and her fiancé, John Lundeby, M.D., of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; great-grandchildren, Chance, Brooke and Paul Kaze, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; brother Fritz Putkela, Farmington Hills, Mich.; stepson, Mike Clauw and his wife, Kathy, of Berlin, Mich.; and stepdaughter, Pam Aulgur, and her husband, Charlie of Shelby Township, Mich., and many special friends who touched her life.
A memorial service for Gerty will be 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, at the Libby Christian Church, 100 Kootenai River Road, Libby.