NEW ULM

Gertrude Donahue, 98, of New Ulm died Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at the Divine Providence Home in Sleepy Eye. Mass of Christian burial will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 15, 2012 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm with Father Mark Steffl celebrating the Mass. Burial will be in the New Ulm Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 – 8 p.m. Friday and from 7:30 – 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home, North Chapel, in New Ulm. The Christian Mothers will pray the rosary at 4:00 p.m. Friday at the Cathedral. There will be a parish prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Gertrude is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Pat Donahue, Kathleen and Joel Schwarz, Myrna and Don Lage all of New Ulm, Arlene "Dedee" Champion of Little Canada, Sheila and Jim Eickman of Chisago City, Sharon and Jeff Marvin of Rapid City, S.D., Noreen and Jim Miller of Stillwater; sons and daughters-in-law, Parnell and Mary Donahue of Brentwood, Tenn., Leonard "Lenny" and Donna Donahue of New Ulm; 32 grandchildren; 61 great-grandchildren; 9 great-great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Rosemary Peterson of Springfield; brother-in-law, Leo Hansen of Tracy; and many caring sisters and staff at Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Melvin Donahue on January 26, 2007; sisters, Ann Donahue, Mary Hansen; brothers, Tom Leonard, John Leonard; son-in-law, Gerald Champion.

Gertrude Catherine Leonard was born on January 15, 1914 in rural Currie to Thomas and Susan (Biren) Leonard. She was a 1932 graduate of Immaculate Heart of Mary High School in Currie and was her class salutatorian. On November 19, 1934 she was united in marriage to Melvin Donahue at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Currie. Gertrude was a homemaker all of her life and they farmed near Westbrook until moving to New Ulm in 1956. She enjoyed sewing, gardening ,cooking, reading and was involved in the school association and was a sacristan at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Westbrook. She was a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm, the Christian Mother's Society, Catholic Daughters, and was a charter member of the Marigold Garden Club in Westbrook. Memorials are preferred to N.U.A.C.S. or Divine Providence Commmunity Home in Sleepy Eye.