Gertrude McDowell

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Gertrude McDowell, 90, of Harrisburg, passed away at 2:50 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, 2008, at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield.

Gertrude was born in Harrisburg on April 5, 1918, to the late Griff and Josephine (Hendrickson) Froman. She married Elmer McDowell on Nov. 22, 1933, and he preceded her in death in 1995. Gertrude was a member of the First Christian Church of Harrisburg.

Gertrude is survived by several nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews and two sisters-in-law, Rose Froman and Kathleen McDowell, both of Michigan.

Gertrude was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Elmer; a son, Lyndell McDowell; one brother, Bernard Froman; and three sisters, Bernice Kerszis, Beatrice Brashear and Belva Aldridge.

Funeral services for Gertrude McDowell will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008, at Reed Funeral Chapel in Harrisburg. The Rev. Jimmy Dale Lambert and the Rev. Richard Bosecker will officiate; burial will follow in Liberty Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, 2008, at Reed Funeral Chapel. Memorials may be made to the First Christian Church and envelopes will be available at the funeral home.