Gertrude Morytko

Gertrude M. Morytko (born Margaret Schmidt) 98, of Windham, wife of the late Stanley M. Morytko Sr., died Friday, April 13, 2012 at St. Joseph Living Center. She was born June 17, 1913 in New York City, the daughter of her birth parents John and Rose (Stuart) Schmidt. Both parents died by the time she was six. She was sent with her late sister Gertrude Sheehan to St. Joseph Orphanage in New York City. She was adopted by the Gaffney family from Fall River, MA. Her late brother Christopher Gaffney, died in 1968. She graduated from Durfee High School in Fall River and enrolled in a three year nursing program at Union Hospital in Fall River. She passed her state board exams and became a Registered Nurse working in the Fall River area for the VNA. She worked summers in the early 1940's at a camp for children with polio in Newport, R.I. That is where she met and later married her husband Stanley on April 2, 1945. Gertrude worked locally at Windham Community Memorial Hospital from 1952 to 1973 mainly as an Obstetrics Nurse. Upon her retirement, a reception was held by her kind co-workers who presented her with a black cocker spaniel appropriately named "OBIE". She was a communicant of St. Joseph Church and belonged to St. Joseph Woman's Club. She had a love for reading. She is survived by her son, Stanley Jr. and his wife Cynthia of Windham; sisters-in-law Mildred Lucas of Durham, Jean Morytko of Cheshire, and Victoria Postemsky of N. Windham and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. Her family will receive friends on Monday April 16th from 9:30 to 10:30 AM at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (RT 195), Willimantic. Her Funeral Mass will then be celebrated at 11:00 AM at St. Joseph Church, 99 Jackson St., Willimantic and internment will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to St. Joseph Living Center, 14 Club Rd. Windham, CT. 06280. For online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .