Obit of Van Aken, Gertrude Cowdery - Washington County, Oklahoma

Submitted by:  Terri    16 Oct 2005
Return to Washington County Archives:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/washington/washington.html
==========================================================================
                             USGENWEB NOTICE
                     Copyright.  All rights reserved.
             http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
==========================================================================
Surnames: VAN AKEN, EVANS, STEPHENS, COWDERY, CHARLES, TAYLOR, SOMICH
from 1-12-2003 Examiner Enterprise

Mrs. Gertrude Cowdery Van Aken

Mrs. Gertrude Cowdery Van Aken, 91, wife of Mr. John Sumner Van Aken and a 
longtime Bartlesville resident, died at 3:50 a.m. on Saturday in the Jane 
Phillips Medical Center.

Funeral services for Mrs. Van Aken will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday 
in the St. Luke's Episcopal Church. The Rev. Robert Evans and The Rev. Dr. 
T. Lee Stephens will officiate. Dedication of the grave, committal prayers 
and interment will be directed in the Memorial Park Cemetery by The Arnold 
Moore Funeral Service.

Memorials in Mrs. Van Aken's name have been established and may be sent to 
either the Jane Phillips Medical Center, Geriatrics Section, c/o Bluestem 
Regional Medical Foundation, 3400 E. Frank Phillips, Bartlesville, Okla. 
74006, or the Jane Phillips Hospice, 219 N. Virginia, Bartlesville, Okla. 
74003.

Gertrude Cowdery Van Aken will lie in state in the Drawing Rooms of The 
Arnold Moore Funeral Residence where friends may call for their visitation 
until she is removed to the church for final rites on Tuesday morning.

A native of Kansas, Gertrude was born in Lyons on December 7, 1911. She 
was the daughter of the late Herman R. and Blanche (Charles) Cowdery. 
Gertrude was reared and received her education in the Lyons, Kansas Public 
Schools, and was graduated Valedictorian of the Senior Class of 1929 from 
the Lyons High School. She attended Kansas State University and was 
graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in General 
Sciences. Following her education, Gertrude was a teacher in the Lyons 
Public Schools and taught the 5th and 6th grade. She and John Sumner Van 
Aken were united in marriage on December 12, 1936 at Lyons, Kansas and 
they made their first home there. In April 1937 the Van Aken's moved to 
Bartlesville and Mr. Van Aken was employed with the National Zinc Company 
where he served as the Plant Manager and was a Vice President and the 
manager of the Gas Field Operations. He was retired in 1982 and they have 
continued their residence living in retirement in Bartlesville.

Mrs. Van Aken was a member of the St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Phi Kappa 
Phi Scholastic Fraternity and the Pi Beta Phi Sorority.

Surviving Mrs. Van Aken are her husband, John Sumner Van Aken of the 
Bartlesville home; two sons, Stephen Michael and wife, Cheryl Van Aken, 
Bartlesville; and Mark and wife, Suzanne Van Aken, Henderson, Nevada; one 
daughter Mrs. Judy (Van Aken) and husband, Geary Taylor, Yorktown, Texas; 
a daughter-in-law, Mrs. Phyllis Van Aken, Ft. Worth, Texas; a brother, 
Robert D. Cowdery, Wichita, Kansas; eight grandchildren, John and M. E. 
Van Aken, Katherine and Scott Somich, David and Dayna Van Aken, Todd and 
Laura Taylor, Van and Paige Taylor, Sara Jane Taylor, Kelly and Stefanie 
Van Aken and Cory Van Aken; five great grandchildren, Reyann Taylor, 
Ashleigh and Abby Somich, and Morgan and Olivia Van Aken. Preceding her in 
death were her father; mother; two brothers; a sister; and a son, John C. 
Van Aken on January 19, 1975.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to Washington County Archives:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/washington/washington.html