Gertrude Mills

Mills - Gertrude (Indoe) of Port Charlotte, Florida (formerly of Englewood FL, and Bergenfield and Tenafly NJ). Soon after celebrating her 100th birthday, Gertrude contracted COVID and the combined complications of the disease and her age sent her home to our Lord on January 5, 2021. Born on November 27, 1920, in Paterson NJ to Frederick Indoe and Elizabeth Stringer, Gertrude was the fourth of five children. As the only daughter in the family, she was the apple of her father’s eye and she adored him in return. She grew up in Paterson and Midland Park, graduated as a Registered Nurse from St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing and received specialized training in Obstetrics at Margaret Hague Hospital in Jersey City. In August, 1943, she volunteered for service with the Army Nurse Corps. After a brief stay at Camp Shanks, she deployed to England and Europe. She served with the 226th General Hospital established near Mourmelon-le-Grand, France, southeast of Reims, and was promoted to first lieutenant. The 226th redeployed to the US in 1945 and Gertrude completed her term of service. Her decorations include the European, African, and Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Medal with bronze service star, the American Theater Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Gertrude married Gerard Mills in 1951 and worked for the Englewood health department before moving to Bergenfield where they raised four daughters. While the family was growing, Gert volunteered at a number of church and school organizations - the Rosary Altar Society of St. John’s Church, Catholic Daughters of America and Girl Scouts. While her daughters attended the Academy of the Holy Angels, she became involved in the Mothers’ Guild, serving one term as president. In addition to volunteer work, she enjoyed golf and bowling, loved to travel and was very happy sitting on a beach. In later life, the Millses moved to Tenafly where they began to travel with a group from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Eventually they landed in Englewood FL where Gert participated in the Council of Catholic Women at St. Raphael’s and was a mainstay of the craft group. Her uncoerced decision to stop driving initiated a move to Lexington Manor in Port Charlotte Florida where she headed the resident’s advisory board and was an “angel”, welcoming new residents. She was a social creature, participating in card games and bingo until Covid forced the end of those activities. Gertrude, known to a few as Trudy, made her daughters promise not to name any granddaughters after her. Despite the lack of a namesake, she will be forever in the hearts of her daughters: Elizabeth (Larry) Switaj, Mary Ellen (Mark) Barton, Kathleen (John) Heisey, and Rosemary (Jeffrey) Russell. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Timothy (Jennifer) Switaj, Kenneth (Amy Brunell) Switaj, Gregory (Laura) Switaj, Christopher Switaj and Jonathan (Mary) Switaj; Matthew (Sara) Barton and Sara Barton; Caroline, Julia and Benjamin Russell; and 11 great-grandchildren: Andrew, Zachary, Tyler, Caeleigh, Alexandria, Justin, Mikayla, Alyssa, Brianna, Gavin and Olivia Switaj. She will be sorely missed by her Indoe nephews and nieces. One of Gertrude’s cherished experience in her later years was participation in an “honor flight,” a trip to Washington DC where veterans visit the memorials to those who have served and sacrificed for our country. Contributions in her memory would be appreciated. www.honorflight.org. A funeral mass will be held Saturday at 10:30 am at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Tenafly. Entombment will follow at Madonna Cemetery and Mausoleum in Fort Lee. Gertrude is reunited with her beloved “Millsie” and they are both at peace with the Lord. They would be thrilled if you could raise a glass to a life well lived. FUNERAL MASS WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON MT. CARMEL CHURCH FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/olmctenafly