Gertrude E. Mercer

Gertrude “Gerti” E. Mercer, born July 15, 1934, passed away peacefully on September 29, 2023. Gerti grew up in Marshall, Virginia, spent many years on the family farm and helped her parents in their grocery store. Thanks to a nearly impossible chance encounter at her sister’s wedding (Gay Edwards to Paul Mercer) Gerti met her husband to be William “Bill” O. Mercer. Gerti and Bill married on June 19, 1955, and celebrated 68 years of marriage. Soon after their wedding they moved to Silver Spring, MD where they helped build the house in which they still lived. Together, they raised two sons. A deeply religious woman, Gerti was extremely active in the community at Ashton Baptist Church which is now Christ Community Church of Ashton where she could always be counted on to lend a hand and say a prayer for those in need. She fiercely loved her family and was constantly sharing stories and pictures of her loved ones, especially her grandbabies. A consummate cook, she was always ready with a home cooked meal, cookies, fudge, pies, and various other treats. When at home, you could often find her working out in the yard arranging and caring for her flowers -roses being her favorite. 

Gerti was greeted in heaven by her mother and father, Nellie Corder Edwards and Felton Edwards, mother and father-in-law, William and Dorothy Mercer, son, William Gregory Mercer, and sisters, Gay Mercer (Paul) and Ardell Huffer (Lewis). She is survived by her loving husband William O. Mercer, son Geoffrey O. Mercer, daughters-in-law Sharon Mercer and Cyndi Mercer, granddaughter Melissa K. Poland (Mike), grandson Isaac O. Mercer, great-grandsons, William “Liam” and Max Poland, brother Gilbert Edwards, sister Joyce Johnson (Sam), and many beloved nieces and nephews. 

Graveside services will be held on Thursday, October 5th at 11:30 am at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland and directly followed by a luncheon at the home of Bill and Gerti. A Memorial Service will be held at Christ Community Church of Ashton at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in her memory be made to Christ Community Church of Ashton, 17826 New Hampshire Avenue, Ashton, Maryland, 20861, http://www.cccashton.org.

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