Gertrude was raised on Wood Island and later became a hairdresser and also worked packing sardines for Connors Bros. She was a great soft ball player in her earlier years, and also enjoyed curling. Gertrude was a member of the Seal Cove Wesleya

n Church and later when she moved to Saint John she became a member of the Kings Valley Wesleyan Church. Active in the church she sang in the choir, and taught Sunday School.