Gertrude Blancher

HAMMONDSPORT — Gertrude C. Blancher, 88, of 31 Liberty St., passed away Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006 at the Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital.

She was born Aug. 20, 1918, in Perkinsville, NY, the daughter of Archie and Evelyn Isaman Sick. Her husband, Earl G. Blancher, predeceased her on Jan. 5, 1989,

Gertrude was a nurse for more than 40 years. She worked at the old Bath Hospital, the Bath VAMC, and then retired from Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital in 1981.

She was very active in the following organizations: The Wine Country Senior Citizens, Project Care, Hammondsport Organ Club, The Thursday Nighters and The United Methodist Women. She served as UMW Memorial Fund chairperson and chairperson of the bazaars and was active in harvest dinners and rummage and bake sales at the Hammondsport Methodist Church. She served on the church advisory committee, the church missions committee, the church choir, the Sarah Circleand Sunday School, where she was superintendent and held Sunday School classes at her home due to lack of space at the church. She also made visitations to shut-ins several times a month and also took them Communion. She served also as chairperson of the monthly newsletter at the church and was a counselor for Methodist Youth Fellowship for many years.

She also led classes for widows and led classes for adults who were abused as children. She was also a dispatcher for the Hammondsport Volunteer Ambulance Corps for 13 years, from 1991 to 2004. She also traveled in Haiti as a missionary from 1998 to 2002 and was named Steuben County Senior Citizen of the Year and also Methodist Layperson of the Year, both in 1998.

Surviving are her son, Lugene Blancher of St. Petersburg, Fl; daughters Trudy Young of Hammondsport, Marvella (Bill) Campbell of Jupiter, Fl.; Terry Dickerson of Dundee, and Sister Marie Tears of Hammondsport; 11 grandchildren, nine greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

She was predeceased by her daughter, Darlene Wodarski, in 1982, and grandson, Lugene Glenn Blancher in 1997.

Friends may call Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. at the LaMarche Funeral Home, 35 Main St., Hammondsport, were funeral and committal services will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, the Rev. Paul Rowley officiating. Interment will be in Pleasant Valley Cemetery at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Hammondsport Volunteer Ambulance Corps or the hammondsport Methodist church in her memory.