Postel, Gertrude M.

Gertrude M. Postel, 97, of Monticello, died Wednesday evening, Nov. 25, 2009, at Pennington Square, Monticello. Funeral services will be 11 Monday morning at St. Johns Lutheran Church, rural Monticello, where friends may call after 9 a.m. at the church. Interment will be in St. Johns Cemetery. The Rev. Reed Stockman will officiate at the services. Goettsch Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. 

Thoughts, memories and condolences may be left at www.goettschonline.com

 Memorials may be made to St. Johns Lutheran Church or Above and Beyond Hospice.

Surviving are seven children, Joyce Roberson, Iowa City, Harold Postel, Anamosa, Helen Martin, Anderson, S.C., Ruth Payne, Holy Cross, Janet Isaacson, Johnston, William Postel, Arlington, Minn., and Judy Dumond, Monticello; 19 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Tillie Monk, Monticello.

 She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Merle, in 1978; three brothers, Carl, Lester and Rudy; three grandchildren; and a son-in-law, Dennis Roberson. 

Gertrude Margaret Monk was born Sept. 30, 1912, in Castle Grove Township, Jones County, Iowa. She was the daughter of Rudolph H. and Anna Reuter Monk.   Gertrude received her education in the rural schools of Lovell Township and in the Monticello Community Schools. Gertrude M. Monk and Merle Postel were married Nov. 16, 1932, at St. Johns Lutheran Church. The couple farmed in Scotch Grove and Lovell Township until 1962 when they moved to Monticello. Gertrude worked at and managed Tegler's Dairy Store from 1965 until she retired in 1984. 

Gertrude was a life long member of St. Johns Lutheran Church where she served faithfully, holding many offices in St. Johns Ladies Aid Society and especially worked diligently to sew World Relief quilts, doing so up until a few weeks before her death. She was also a 4-H leader for the Scotch Grove Sunshine Girls and the Wayne Willing Workers and a county committee woman for 4-H.