Gertrude Marie Moore

Gertrude Marie Edwards ,born to Issie and Cleveland Edwards, 1925 in Selma, Alabama was the youngest of ten children: eight brothers : Amnel who died at birth, Gardner, Morris, Willie (‘Boot”), Cleveland (“Rome”), William (“WD”), John (“Men”), Rand (“Dan”), and one sister, Addie Mae. Gertrude was affectionately referred to as “Daught”. She received her education in Public Schools in Selma. Alabama. Gertrude was baptized in Phillip Grove Baptist church at twelve years old and a member of Green Street Baptist Church in Selma Alabama.

After graduating from high school, Gertrude attended Wayne State University in Business Administration and Lewis Business College in Secretarial Science. She returned to Selma to marry James and worked at the Catholic Church. They married March 14, 1946 at the local court house and Gertrude’s mother prepared a southern cuisine of roast pork shoulder, macaroni and cheese, cake, pie, greens, and candied sweet potatoes to celebrate their marriage. Gertrude stayed at her parents’ home for two months until James got out of the service in summer of 1946 when they moved to Detroit.

Gertrude was the first African American hired in personnel at Kelly Office Services. Initially she was not hired, because she was mistaken as white on the telephone interview and told after learning she was Negro, they could not hire her. This motivated Gertrude to become active in civil rights and community organizing. While working in causes with the NAACP, the first civil rights bill for employment was acted one year later and she returned to Russell Kelly. The vice president hired her after scoring the highest on a written test. Years later she would work for the federal government at TACOM in Warren, Michigan and would later retire in 1985.

Always a civic minded person, Gertrude later went on to be an active community organizer and civic leader in Detroit. She organized the Gladstone Block Club as a very young mother, and helped to organize the Virginia Park Neighborhood Association. She was an active member of the National Council of Negro Women and a life member of the NAACP. She worked in Area 9 section under the leadership of Arthur Johnson, the Executive Secretary of the NAACP.

James and Gertrude joined St. Phillip Evangelical Lutheran Church under Edgar R. Pflug and she was a member of the Altar Guild and Jan, Feb Month Birthday club.

In 1972, Gertrude was honored as Michigan Chronical Mother of the Year.

Gertrude had a magical marriage journey for 69 years with her loving husband, James. Together they raised two daughters: Marvilyn Delores, and Addie Jean. They loved square dancing and attended numerous national and international conventions.

She went to be with the Lord and James, three weeks after he left this life on June 23, 2015. She leave behind her daughters; Addie Morrow and Marvilyn Delores Cheek, Angela Cheek Welch (Myron), David Emanuel Cheek, James DeAndre Morrow (“JD”), many nieces, nephews and close friends.