A funeral Mass for Gertrude M. (Zeller) Donovan will be held at 11:00am on Wednesday, April 25, at Madonna Towers Chapel in Rochester with Rev. James Russell officiating.  Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.

Mrs. Donovan, 89, of Rochester passed away peacefully on April 20 at Madonna Towers from complications due to advanced Lewy Body Dementia.

Gertrude Mary Zeller was born on October 12, 1922, in Waubay, South Dakota. She graduated from Waverly (MN) High School and attended business college in Minneapolis. While working at Mayo Clinic she met her future husband, Paul R. Donovan. They were married on October 25, 1944. She was later employed as administrative assistant at Aldrich Memorial Nursery School and at Pace Dairy as executive secretary and accounting clerk, retiring in 1985.

Gertrude was an active member of St. Bernard's Catholic Church, square dancing, card club, and 4-H when living near Stewartville. She and Paul were also active members of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Rochester and volunteers with the "donut crew."  She worked at the Olmsted County Fair Board office during the fair for many years. She was also a Boy Scout and Brownie Scout Leader and enjoyed fishing, quilting, sewing, arts and crafts, traveling, playing cards, bingo, and spending time with her family. Gert did genealogy research on her father's side and helped him write his memoirs. She was an excellent cook and baker. Her apple pie was superb and always a family favorite. The tradition lives on.

Survivors include her children: three sons, Pat of Brooklyn Park, MN; Dick (Wanda) of Oak Grove, MN; Tim of Minneapolis, MN; and a daughter Kathy (Javis) Musolf of Kasson, MN; four grandchildren, seven great-grandsons, three step grandsons, and six step great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Paul on June 26, 2006; a brother, Robert Zeller; and a daughter-in-law, Carol Donovan.

Friends may call from 4:00pm to 7:00pm Tuesday April 24, 2012 at River Park Chapel, Macken Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at Madonna Towers.

The family prefers memorials to Mayo Clinic for Lewy Body Dementia research or to the Madonna Towers Living Community Foundation.

Macken Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.  Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com