Idaho State Journal, 07/08/02

MONTPELIER, Idaho -- Gertrude Berrey, 91, passed away Wednesday, July 4, 2002, in the Bear Lake Skilled Nursing Facility in Montpelier. She was born Dec. 15, 1910, in South Montpelier to Adam LaMar and Julia LaReva Bissegger Berrey. She attended school in Montpelier and graduated from Montpelier High School in 1929. 

After graduation, she moved to Salt Lake City where she attended the Excelsior Beauty College for at least two years. She graduated with not only her degree, but also with an instructor's license. She owned her own shops in Salt Lake and in Colorado. 

Gertrude was active in the American Businesswomen's Association and the Association of Beauticians and Cosmetologists and served on the Utah State Board of Beauticians. 

In 1954, she was named Business Woman of the Year for the state of Utah and represented the state at the National Businesswomen's Convention that year in Chicago. 

In the 1950s, she worked for Mrs. Franks and the Hotel Utah Beauty Shop. In the 1960s, Gertrude moved back to Montpelier and opened the Montpelier College of Beauty in conjunction with her own shop. 

She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved doing volunteer work and donated great amounts of time to the veterans at the hospital in Salt Lake and also to the American Cancer Association. She was very well read and was an excellent conversationalist. She belonged to the Montpelier Book Club for many years. 

Gertrude is survived by two sisters, Ruth Walton of Montpelier, and Mina Lorenz of Salt Lake City; two brothers, Milton Berrey of South Jordan, Utah, and Garth Berrey of Salt Lake City; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Florence, and three brothers, John, Zane Richard, and V. LaMar, the latter two being killed in World War II. 

Funeral services will be held Thursday, July 11, at 1 p.m. in the Montpelier 4th Ward Chapel. Burial Will be in the Montpelier Cemetery with services under the direction of Matthews Mortuary of Montpelier.