Florence Faye Gertz

On July 3, 2018, Heaven welcomed another angel. Florence Faye Hughes Gertz passed away unexpectedly in West Jordan, Utah, surrounded by her family. A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, July 28th at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Steele, with Rev. Jake DeBoer officiating. Burial is at Woodlawn Cemetery, Steele. Visitation will be held at Eastgate-Steele Memorial Chapel in Steele on Friday, July 27th from 5-7:00 p.m., followed by a prayer service at 7:00 pm. Florence was born on September 17, 1927, to George and Helen (Huhncke) Hughes in Priest River, Idaho, where her father was a logger for a short time. Growing up on farms in the Steele area during the Depression, she attended grade school in small one or two-room country schools with the novelty of her teacher boarding at their house and sharing her room. Part of the Steele High School Class of ’45, Florence played baritone in the school band since many of the boys were gone to war and there was a lack of males for the larger instruments. She was recruited out of high school to support the war effort as a typist for the War Department in Washington, D.C. About a year later, homesickness got the best of her and she returned to Steele. After the end of WWII, she caught the eye of Melvin Gertz who asked her father’s permission to date her before asking her out. On August 14, 1949, they were married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Steele and celebrated 67 happy years together at the time of Melvin’s passing in 2016. They were long-time residents of Steele where they raised their three children, Roxane, David and Roger. Florence was a secretary and was employed before her children were born at the Kidder County Extension Service and later at the Farmers Home Administration. A faithful member of Trinity Lutheran since her marriage, she sang in the choir, enjoyed Bible study “Circle”, and served on the Alter Guild where she helped sew the beautiful alter cloths that are still used today. She enjoyed 4-H, serving as a leader for many years where she helped numerous girls learn to cook and sew. Florence was a charter member of the Woodlawn Homemakers and was recognized as the only charter member to achieve over 25 years of membership. Through Homemakers, she traveled all over the county teaching knitting lessons to anyone that wanted to learn. Mom spoke often of her wonderful memories of camping with friends in their Starcraft, square dancing, Wednesday morning coffee group, shopping trips to Bismarck, neighborhood get-togethers, family holidays, bird watching, sewing and knitting projects and lessons, Fall Fair musicals, dice games, ceramics, and vacations including trips to the Beach House in Oregon, Branson, New England fall foliage tour, Minnesota Twins games and weekends in Fargo. Family and friends meant everything to her. Florence will always be remembered by her family and friends as kind, classy, beautifully dressed and for her love of everything purple, clothes, jewelry and shoes. Florence is survived by a daughter, Roxane (Craig) Siggard, West Jordan, UT; two sons, David (Pat) Gertz, Waterville, MN, and Roger (Annette) Gertz, Smithfield, UT; nine grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren; two sisters and their spouses, Vernice (Robert) Johnson and Joanne (Ray) Andres; a sister-in-law, Clarice Hughes; as well as many nieces and nephews, all whom she dearly loved. She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; sister, Patricia Hughes; brother, Robert Hughes; nephews, Timothy Johnson and Bradley Hughes; and great-grandchildren, Caleb and Kyra Siggard. Treasure those special moments with the people you love because in the end, it is never enough. In honor of Florence, please consider wearing something purple to the funeral.