On October 30 ^th , 2019 Gertrude Rosalie Biggs, 86, Grand Forks, ND, died peacefully in the comfort of her own home. She was born lucky number 13 of 15 children to Alexander and Anastasia (Stella) Gerszewski in Fork Township, Argyle, MN on March 16, 1933.

Gertrude, after graduating from Argyle High School in 1951, moved to St. Paul, MN. She was there until May 1956 when she moved to Grand Forks, ND to live with her sister, Loretta - who had been widowed and left with three small boys to raise. Gertrude met her future husband, Paul Frank Biggs, while he was a tenant in the house Loretta owned - he had asked Gertrude where he might keep a frozen turkey that he had been given by Minnkota Power for Christmas. They married on September 8, 1962 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Grand Forks. They were married 57 years and had three children together.

Gertrude worked for Implement Dealers and Morrison and Knutson while starting a family, until becoming a full time stay at home mom for a number of years. In 1983, she began working in the Grand Forks Public Schools as a lunch lady. For a few years during the beet harvest, she also worked a second job for American Crystal Sugar in East Grand Forks, MN. After Gertrude retired, she made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.

Gertrude was a gifted gardener featured more than once by the Grand Forks Herald. A child of the depression, putting up a store of produce was important to her. She harvested her labors by the pail full – over 50 different fruits and vegetables in a year. Her garden was so bountiful that her children were able to earn money by selling vegetables to the neighbors. Gertrude was famous amongst her family and friends for her pickles; she could put up well over 100 quarts in a season. For a number of years, she donated significant amounts of produce to Holy Family's school lunch program.

Gertrude was a kind and generous person with a sense of humor. She was a frequent donor to the local blood bank and gave over 5 gallons. She was instrumental for gaining adequate bus service for her neighborhood's school children in the mid 1970's. Gertrude was an award-winning quilter, cleaned the church, assisted in the church-sponsored resettlement of refugees, embroidered baptismal gowns, and made crafts and donated pickles for the church's annual Holiday Bazaar.

Gert, or Gertie, as her family, friends, and neighbors called her, was a 30 year member of the Honey Do Homemakers Club. She played Bunco with the gals, Sequence and puzzles with the family, fished with her husband, and exercised with her friends at Achieve Therapy.

Gertrude was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings Eleanor Smith, John Alexander, William, Leo, Peter, Raymond, Chester, Joseph and Magdaline Kostrzewski.

She is survived by her husband, her children Suzanne (Todd) Romine, Elaine (Kevin) Chapman, and Steven (Diane) Biggs, her grandchildren Alexandra (Nick) Strand, Francesca (Dustin) Skaare, Norah Chapman, Emily, Maxwell, and Ian Romine, Megan, Nichole, and Erica Biggs, her great grandchildren Hadley and Orrin Strand, and Julian and Oscar Skaare, and her siblings Thomas Gerszewski, Anna Seeba, Frances Kazmierczak, Loretta Lechner, and Steven Gerszewski.

Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 9, 2019 in Holy Family Catholic Church, Grand Forks, ND.
Visitation : 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 8 with a 7 p.m. rosary service and vigil service to follow in The Historic Norman Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will continue from10:15 to 11:00 a.m. in the church on Saturday.
Interment, Calvary South Catholic Cemetery, Grand Forks, ND.