Gertrude C. Highness

Gertrude C. Highness, 93, Eventide Lutheran Home, Moorhead, MN, died there on Tuesday, March 20, 2007.Gertrude Caroline Johnson was born on July 24, 1913, to Herman and Rodi Weum Johnson, in Flom, MN, where she grew up and attended school. She married Selmer B. Highness on January 13, 1935, in Flom. They lived in Montana for a short time where they worked on a farm, with Selmer in the fields and Gert cooking for all of the hired men. They returned to Moorhead where Gert worked for the Fairmont Creamery and the Red Owl Grocery store. They had many friends and had fun going to card parties and entertaining. They took many trips to the west coast to see friends, relatives and their daughter Violet in Reno, NV. She also spent many weekends going to see her brothers and sisters that lived close. There were always the famous chicken dinners at her sister Rose's and then on the way home a stop in Twin Valley, MN, for coffee and dessert. They moved to Reno, NV, for a short time, where they kept very busy with the business they opened. Selmer got sick and they returned to Moorhead. Selmer died on November 28, 1964, soon after they returned to Moorhead.Gert had to learn to drive, pay the bills and get a job. She started work at the Bowler in Fargo and worked there until 1996. She worked the P.M. shift 3-12 and most weekends. She was always a night owl, so this worked well for her. She had also worked in the kitchen at Probstfield Elementary School in Moorhead. She loved meeting all the people she saw everyday and made many friends with the customers and staff at the Bowler, where she spent 38 years. Gert prided herself on her lefse, and if you were on her list to receive it, you were lucky. Some years she would make 40 to 50 dozen in her apartment. There was flour everywhere, but she was in her glory. She had been active at Our Saviors Lutheran Church for much of her life.In 2001, she moved to the Eventide Fairmont Retirement Center in Moorhead and in 2003, she moved to Eventide Nursing Home. She was always around the people and the activities but liked to watch people most of all.Gert is survived by two daughters, Leslie James McCollum, Dilworth, MN, and Violet Hatzi, Reno, NV; one sister, Pat Grendahl, Crookston, MN; five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, three brothers and six sisters.