Funeral service and Mass of Christian Burial for Gertrude C. “Babe” Coleman, 86, a resident of Davenport will be 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1923 Fillmore Street, Davenport.
Burial will be next to her husband in the National Cemetery Rock Island Arsenal. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home. You are invited to join the family for a prayer service Wednesday at 4 p.m. to begin the visitation.
Mrs. Coleman went to be with the Lord Dec. 13, 2009, after passing at Manorcare Health Services Utica Ridge.
Gertrude Cyrilla Bernauer was born Sept. 6, 1923 in Davenport a daughter of John Edward and Margaret Ellen (Gardner) Bernauer. She was united in marriage to John Thomas Coleman on Sept. 14, 1940 in Davenport. He preceded her in death on March 21, 1986.
Babe loved bingo, enjoyed ceramics, working puzzles, playing cards and Sorry. She also loved to fish, watching the birds that she fed, driving near the Mississippi to look at eagles, and watching deer at Scott County Park.
She will be greatly missed and was a wonderful person.
Memorials can be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
She is survived by her oldest daughter, Darlene Ann Blakley, two daughters-in-law, Diane (Wulf) Coleman and MaryJo (Ramsey) Coleman, her best friend, Charlie, her dog she adopted from the Milan no-kill shelter; 17 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren, as well as several loving nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the staff at Manorcare Health Services Utica Ridge and Genesis Hospice.
She was preceded in death by her parents, five sisters, Beverly Martin, Annetta Swanson, Delores “Lolly” Gressman, Vivianne “Jacko” Swanson, Alice “Sissy” Meyer, her half brother, Frederick Harris, a sister-in-law, Arline (Coleman) Fugate, five children, Janet Hicks, John Edward Coleman, Thomas Coleman, Mary Fillinger, Margaret Coleman, four grandchildren, Rebecca Hicks, Nicole Spiegel, Amanda Spiegel, and Nathan Spiegel.
Online remembrances and condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Babe’s obituary at www.hmdfuneralhome.com
