Gertrude Backes

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7029066

Gertrude Willenbring was born June 17, 1873, the 4th child of Joseph and Susan (Klosterman) Willenbring. On May 18, 1897, she married John Backes at Farming, Minnesota. They had 3 children while living in Farming, and in 1902, the family moved to North Dakota. They homesteaded in the Foxholm area and raised 8 children, Leonard, Grace, Arnold, Alfonse, Norbert, George, Joseph and Louise. Arnold became a priest and both daughters became nuns. Grace became Sister Rose Gertrude and Louise became Sister Helen.

She died Saturday, January 30, 1937, at her home after a long battle with cancer. Sister Rose Gertrude came home and ministered to her mother for the last two months of her life. At her funeral, her son, Arnold, said the mass.