Obituaries: Gertrude Elizabeth ‘Gert’ Graff

Published 5:00 pm Monday, April 28, 2008

Gertrude Elizabeth “Gert” Graff, 87, of Longview, Wash., formerly of Clatsop County, died Tuesday, April 22, 2008, in Longview.

She was born Aug. 23, 1920, in Evanston, Ill., to Ernest and Elizabeth “Mimi” (Wiederanders) Duis.

In 1938, she graduated from Oregon City High School, then attended Northwest Business College. She relocated to Portland and joined the staff at Concordia College.

She married Herman Sosnovske. He preceded her in death in 1963. The couple owned and operated a service station in Yachats for several years before traveling to Hadera, Israel, and Coshocton, Ohio.

On Oct. 24, 1972, she married Morris Graff in Portland. He survives, residing in Longview. The couple moved first to Omak, Wash., then to Wenatchee, Wash., where they both worked in the banking industry.

Mrs. Graff retired to Cannon Beach in 1986. She later lived in Gearhart, Surf Pines and Neawanna By the Sea in Seaside. She moved to Longview in 2007.

She was a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Seaside.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Sharon and Fran George of Waco, Texas, and Nancy and Larry Johnson of Woodland, Wash.; two stepsons, Garry Graff and his wife, Diana, of Bremerton, Wash., and Rod Graff; 18 grandchildren; and 30 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, Leonard “Butch” Sosnovske; and a stepson, Ron Graff.

A memorial will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Seaside. Inurnment will take place at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made to Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, 320 First Ave., Seaside, OR 97138 or Community Home, Health and Hospice, 1035 11th Ave., P.O. Box 2067, Longview, WA 98632.

Green Hills Funeral Home in Longview is in charge of the arrangements.