WALLINGFORD Gertrude Ursula (Johnson) Schoonmaker returned to her heavenly father on Wednesday,December 1st, 2010. Gertrude was the wife of the late Royce M.Schoonmaker with whom she shared 58 years of marriage. Gertrude was born on Valentine�s Day 1916 in Searsville, Wallkill township, New York to Mack Johnson and Christine Mahoney Johnson, the eighth of their nine children. Raised on the family farm near Bloomingburg, Gertrude attended grade school in Bloomingburg and high school in Middletown, NY. After graduating from Middletown High School (Class of 1933), she enrolled in a beauty culture school in Newark, NJ and became a licenced Hairdresser. Gertrude lived and worked in Irvington, NJ for several years before returning to Bloomingburg, where she soon met her future husband. Gertrude and Royce were married on November 29th, 1941 and were returning from their honeymoon when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Gertrude lived on the family farm during World War II while Royce served with the 8th Air Force in England. After World War II, Royce continued his career in the Air Force and Gertrude moved to Bremen in occupied Germany with him. While in Bremen, Gertrude learned to speak German. Gertrude went with Royce to Amsterdam and to Denmark. Returning to the United States, Gertrude lived near Andrews A.F.B. Gertrude then lived in Newfoundland, Canada; McDill AFB and West Palm AFB in Florida before living at Wheelus Field in Tripoli, Libya. While living in Libya, Gertrude learned Italian and had begun to learn Arabic before Royce was assigned back to one of his numerous stateside postings. Gertrude also visited the Azores; Rabet, Morrocco; Malta; Sicily; Rome and the Vatican City. Gertrude came to Wallingford in 1967 after Roy had retired from the Air Force and became employed by Pratt & Whitney. After years of moving her hairdressing business, Gertrude settled into being a housewife and a mother to her son. Gertrude was a parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima church in Yalesville and was active in the Legion of Mary, for many years leading a rosary prayer group once a week at a local nursing home. Gertrude is survived by her son Eric Schoonmaker of Wallingford, her special nieces Sr.Therese Christine (Betty Lou) Amero of the Sisters of Charity, Elizabeth, NJ and Chrissy Amero Burns of Barnegat, NJ, nephews Harold Johnson, Jay Davenport, Buddy, Bennie, Frank and Russ Johnson, Frank Gillespie, and Bobby, Roy David and Timmy Johnson, along with nieces Joan (Davenport) Daley and Lucy (Gillespie) Bartels. Gertrude was predeceased by her husband Royce Schoonmaker, her parents Mack Johnson and Christine (Mahoney) Johnson, her brothers Joseph Edward Johnson, Mack Francis Johnson, Earnest Johnson and Robert Johnson and their spouses; her sisters Angeline (Ernest) Hoose, Louise (Alfred) Amero, Amy (Charles) Davenport and Merie (Frank) Gillespie. Her family will receive relatives and friends at the B.C.Bailey Funeral Home, 273 S. Elm Street, Wallingford on Monday, December 6th from 4 � 7 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Our Lady of Fatima Church on Tuesday, December 7th at 10:30 AM. Internment will follow at In Memoriam Cemetery in Wallingford. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Gertrude�s memory may be made to the Father Edmond O�Brien Scholarship Fund c/o Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 382 Hope Hill Rd.,Yalesville, CT 06492.