Gertrude Agnes Kernan, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2026, at the age of 96. She was born on September 23, 1929, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where she spent her entire life nurturing her family and cultivating her passions. As a devoted homemaker, Gertrude created a warm and loving environment for her eleven children and their families, leaving behind a legacy of love and care.

Gertrude's spirit shone through her many interests, including her passion for gardening where she found joy nurturing plants and watching them bloom. Her children remember taking walks through the yard with her to look at the flowers and making salads with the fresh vegetables from the garden and enjoying fresh fruit throughout the summer. Her windowsills where always filled with beautiful houseplants. She also cherished her time spent coloring and doing paint by numbers, immersing herself in the creativity that brought her happiness. She spent time making crafts for enjoyment and as gifts for the children. The children remember her making plastic canvas doll house furniture and recipe boxes. She made a variety of types of Christmas tree ornaments that still hang on the family member's Christmas trees every year. She used her sewing skills to make clothes for the children as well as gifts. Her children remember the homemade seersucker pajamas they wore on hot summer nights. She would sit at the sewing machine and make dresses for her daughter's dolls as Christmas gifts every year. She even made tiny clothes for their troll dolls. This is a skill she developed as a young girl with her sister Jenny using the scrap material her father would bring home from work. She was careful to save money by taking damaged clothes from her older children and remaking them into something for the younger ones. As adults many of her children and grandchildren still cherish the crocheted afghans she made for the babies.

Her family often saw her spending time reading. Be it gardening, crochet or craft books and magazines, medical books, cook books or recipes in magazines or newspapers she was consistently improving herself.

As the mother of eleven children she fixed dinner every night. The children discovered that even though many of them felt she was a wonderful cook she did not believe this of herself. She did enjoy baking which resulted in the tradition of many types of Christmas cookies every year. She taught the girls how to bake and they would all stand around the kitchen table baking the dozens and dozens of cookie. There were so many cookies they would often last though the New Year's celebrations. Another tradition at this time was to stay up every year to watch the New Year come in while putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

In addition, Gertrude had a cherished collection of angels that reflected her nurturing heart and belief in the beauty of God's love in life's moments. The angels all sat together on a shelf, each representing the love and light that God brought into the lives of those around her. Gertrude had a strong faith in the Lord. During a visit to the hospital near the end, she stated that she is ready to go whenever God chooses. In the hospital visits, the family found her to be surprisingly funny and cooperative with the hospital staff. Towards the end she repeatedly requested to go home, both while in the hospital and after she had returned to her home, therefore the children wondered if "home" was referring to heaven.

Gertrude's legacy lives on through her children: Sandra, Linda (David) Stadelman, Deborah (Niles) Blough, John, Peggy, Nancy (Patrick) Thornton, Thomas (Christine Schoeb), Timothy, Mary, David and Donald Kernan, along with countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will forever hold her memory close. She was an extraordinary mother who instilled values of kindness, compassion, faith and resilience in her family. Her presence in their lives was a source of joy and strength. She also leaves behind a legacy of love as a grandmother and great-grandmother, having created countless cherished memories with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Gertrude's presence will be missed profoundly, yet her warmth and kindness will continue to inspire all who knew her.

There will be a mass held for all family, loved ones, and friends on Friday March 20th at 10am. This will be at St. Monica Church at 116 Thorndale Drive, Beaver Falls PA 15010.

Additionally, the family will hold a celebration of Gertrude's life, honoring her remarkable journey and the many lives she touched. Gertrude's warmth, humor, and nurturing spirit will be dearly missed. As the family gathers to celebrate her remarkable life, they invite all who knew and loved her to honor her memory by sharing stories and treasuring the moments that made her truly special. Gertrude's spirit will continue to bloom in the hearts of her family and friends. The Celebration of Life to be held for all family, loved ones, and friends on: Sunday May 17th from 1 pm until sunset at East Rise Grove in South Park.

Gertrude was preceded in death by: Her Husband, John Kernan, her Parents, Frank Goldbronn and Josepha Goldbronn and her six siblings, Ella, Robert, Edward, George, Arthur, and Genevieve.

In the Garden

I come to the garden alone,

While the dew is still on the roses,

And the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses.

Refrain:

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

I'd stay in the garden with Him,

Though the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling.

Words and Music by C. Austin Miles, 1912