Gertrude Jeanette Mondeel Ness of Denton, Texas, died May 30, 2018, at the age of 97.

Gertrude was born April 9, 1921, to Juel and Gena (Rovang) Sather in Barrett. After the family moved to the Albert Lea area in 1924, she became a member of Round Prairie Lutheran  Church. Gertrude was a graduate of Albert Lea High School and Mankato State Teacher’s College. She moved to Hollandale as a teacher in 1942 and was a member of Hollandale Reformed Church for the next 50 years. She had been a Sunday school teacher, Bible school teacher and enjoyed working in women’s mission work. She also taught in Freeborn County schools and did private and homebound tutoring. She was later employed by Albert Lea and Hollandale schools as a secretary for 16 years and at Bonnerup Funeral Service for four years.

Gertrude married Gerrit Mondeel on Dec. 9, 1946. He died Feb. 23, 1972. She married Earl Ness on Sept. 24, 1992 and became a member of Ascension Lutheran Church. They lived on the farm until 2003, when they moved to Bancroft Creek Estates. Earl died June 23, 2006. In June 2012 she moved to Denton to be nearer to her children.

She is survived by her son, Mark Mondeel (Kris), of Eden Prairie and children Leslie (Bryan) Bleichner and Ben (Stephanie) Mondeel; son, David (Suzanne) Mondeel, of Plano, Texas, and daughters Laura (Tony) Spear and Erin (Michael) Deleon; daughter, Jane (James) Sewald, of Denton, and children Corey VanMeekeren, Christopher and Keith VanMeekeren; daughter, Ann (Keith) Carlson, and son, Gerrit, of Valparaiso, Indiana; stepchildren Mary Ness and daughters Sondra and Alysia of Albert Lea, Lois Steiger of Savage and daughters Kay (Ben) Miller and Laura (Josh) Clark, Bruce (Eileen) Ness of Albert Lea and sons Brent (Katherine) Stuart (Christie) and Scott (Meghan); brother, Milo Sather, of California; sister, Adeline (Duane) Muri, of Rochester; sisters-in-law Betty Mondeel and Joan Ness; brother-in-law, Peter (Audrey) Mondeel; and many great-grandchildren.

Other family members who preceded Gertrude in death are her parents; son, Paul; infant sister, Vaneta; stepson, Philip; stepson-in-law, Bruce Steiger; brother, Almon; brothers-in-law Willard Ness, Russell Ness, Arent Mondeel and Bernard Godeke; and sisters-in-law Alice Godeke, Dorothy Sather and Earline Ness.

A memorial service is being planned in early August in Minnesota.