Gertrude Cottington

Honored by:Don & Barbara Penquite
Brick location:A:17  map

She had a pioneer spirit and she lived it!! She was born in 1895 and lived from the days of horse and buggy to the space age. She raised 13 children most of them through the Great Depression of 1929 and mostly by herself.

Her husband died during that Depression and the World War II came and her life was changed forever along with the role of women everywhere. Five sons and one daughter served in W.W.II another daughter worked in a defense plant which was certainly a different role for a woman. Other wars came and her sons-in-law and grandsons served in those. One grandson was a Blue Angel in the Navy another serves as the Attorney General of the State of Iowa. As proud as she was of her sons and grandsons she loved seeing what the women could do. One granddaughter was one of the first to play professional women's basketball and another was one of the first to become a Jet Pilot in the Navy.

She believed that education was right up there with moral integrity for having a successful and fulfilling life. She always encouraged her daughters and granddaughters to achieve whatever they desired.

We her children believe she had the true pioneer spirit and was part of what makes the State of Iowa a great place to live and achieve. We honor a very important woman in history.

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