Gertrude Eliza McCann

The news of the death of Miss Gertrude McCann saddened the hearts of young and old who knew her and loved her.

Gertrude Eliza McCann, daughter of W. J. McCann, who resides south of Blair, was born in Kennard, Nebr. Febr. 23, 1904 and passed away at the Blair hospital Mar. 30, 1924, her death coming at the end of a six week’s heroic battle with rheumatism.

Her mother was Mary Blazier McCann, who died in August, 1910. Besides the father, there survives one sister, Gladys Glen McCann, and her grandmother, Mrs. Eliza Blazier, who lives at Kennard, besides a number of other relatives and a host of friends.

Gertrude attended the Blair high school but did not graduate with her class. She has made her home with her sister in Omaha for the past year. Previous to this she has lived with her grandmother at Kennard. Gertrude had a severe attack of rheumatism and heart trouble seven years ago and at that time her life was despaired of for many weeks.

Funeral services were held at the Methodist church of which she was a member, Rev. W. H. Underwood officiating and burial was made in the Kennard cemetery beside the mother, whose love and sympathy she so sorely needed in her childhood and youth.

Rev. Underwood fittingly closed his tribute to the deceased with these lines,

“There fell upon the home a sudden gloom, A shadow on those features fair and thin; And softly from that hushed and darkened room, Two angels issued, where but one went in.”

Pilot 2 April 1924

Gertrude McCann died Sunday night at the Blair hospital of rheumatism of the heart, from which she had suffered for several years, being better at times but recurring in severe attacks. The body was taken to the residence of Frank Shafer, sr., and the funeral held at the Methodist church at 2 o’clock this afternoon, Rev. O. U. McProud officiating, assisted by her former pastor, Rev. W. H. Underwood. Gertrude was the daughter of W. J. McCann, her mother having passed away a number of years ago. She was born in Kennard, Neb., February 23rd, 1904, so was just past 20 years of age. She attended the city schools here until in her senior year but did not graduate because of ill health. She had been working in Omaha, living with her only sister, Gladys. She was an unusually handsome girl and was generally beloved by all. The many friends of the bereaved family mourn with them the passing of one so young and promising.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~