Gertrude Louise Smith
August 17, 1910 ~ September 19, 2007
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
Gertrude Forsman Smith died Wednesday, September 19, 2007, in Asheville, NC, where she had lived since 1978. She was 97 years old and had lived a long and full life.
Gertrude Louise was born in Waubay, SD, August 17, 1910, to the late William A. and Alice Mabel Greene Hawkins. Her family, including her sister and only sibling, Alice, moved to Spring Valley, MN, about 1916, where she was raised and graduated from high school.
Mrs. Smith received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Minnesota. She moved to Michigan in 1935 and worked for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek. In 1939 she moved to Mt. Pleasant, MI where she began a teaching career in the business department at the high school. She retired from the Mt. Pleasant School District in 1976 after more than 30 years. She was still writing in “shorthand” until shortly before her death.
She married Warner Forsman in 1942. After his death in 1960, she married Dr. J. Harold Smith in 1965. He predeceased her in 1997. Her sister also predeceased her in 1993.
Gertrude was active in several educational organizations throughout her career. She served as president of the Michigan Business Education Association, was active in the Women’s City Club of Mt. Pleasant and served as secretary of Opportunity House in Hendersonville, NC for several years. She and Dr. Smith were some of the original residents of Givens Estates of Asheville, NC, having moved there in 1983. She was a member of Skyland United Methodist Church, Asheville.
Surviving are her daughter and son-in-law, Kay and Peter Moscon of Gilbert, AZ and herson, Bill Forsman of Shepherd, MI. Her stepchildren, Lynn Smith, Hal Smith and Amy Dietz, and a niece, Marge Farmer also survive her.
A memorial service will be held in the chapel at Givens Estates, Asheville, at 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 21, with the Rev. Joe Fulk officiating.
Her cremated remains will be interred at Riverside Cemetery, Mount Pleasant, MI at a later date.
Memorials may be made to the Givens Estates Supplementary Assistance Fund, 2360 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803, or to the chapel at Givens Estates.
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Because of Mrs. Forsman, my entire working careers focused around typing and shorthand, first at Dow Chemical and later at TRW in Cleveland. Even as a travel consultant, the keyboard was GOD! There was ONE electric typewriter in the old high school lab and we took turns trying it out! As for shorthand, the only problem I had was she graded on a curve — so no matter how fast I got, Judy Cox was always faster — ah, the elusive A out there! Your mom was a sweet lady and she impacted my life greatly — a fond teacher with her always sweet smile! Good memories.
Mrs. Forsman, as I will remember her,was so instrumental in my career that I often silently thanked her for her typing teaching skills. It re-directed my career in an odd turn. I was interviewing for a cabinetmaker job and had a resume that included typing as one of my skills. I have no idea why it would mater that a cabinetmaker could type! During the interview I was asked no less than 3 times if I could type, and of course the answer was a resounding YES. The result was I became the first office employee of a company that grew to be a leading nationwide architectural woodwork company, that I grew with, all because I could type. And as you can see, I still love to type. Thanks Mrs. Forsman!
Gordon Graham, MPHS Class of ’53
Kay and Pete,
I know you will hold the memories of you mom always close in your heart. I have so many good memories of both your parents and as I type this I realize that it was your mom that taught me to do it!
Penny
To the family of Mrs. Gertrude Smith:
I was enrolled in Mrs. Smith’s shorthand classes at Mt. Pleasant High School shortly before she retired. I can still picture her as she dictated letter after letter while we learned to take shorthand. She was always very professional in appearance and demeanor and provided a positive role model for me. I’m sorry to hear of her passing. Please accept my deepest sympathies.