Gertrude was born in Wizard Wells, Texas to Wesley Purl and Ethel Bryson Laird. The family later moved to Benjamin, Texas where she graduated high school. She attended Texas Tech for two years until the outbreak of WWII. During the war, she worked for the Phillips 66 Company at its headquarters in Bartlesville, Okla. where she met Clint Goad, who had served during WWII with the Army-Air Corps. They were married in Muskogee, Okla. on April 20, 1947. The Goads owned and operated a flower shop in Durant while Clint attended Southeastern State College, earning his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Arts.
The Goads became an Air Force family in 1951, and served worldwide until Clint’s retirement in June 1969. They returned to Durant, to be near the Goad family in southeast Oklahoma and the Laird family in north Texas. Their two sons, Dan Michael and Ronald Dale, both graduated at Southeastern State College; Gertrude later took classes at the same university.
Gertrude was a full-time homemaker, including two, one-year stints as a single parent while Clint served overseas tours in Korea and Saudi Arabia. She made a home wherever the Air Force took the family, raising her sons in Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Wyoming, Nebraska, Okinawa (Japan), and Maryland, prior to their military retirement. Gertrude was a part-time school teacher, Cub Scout den mother, and a consummate artist, working in oil, acrylic, and water color painting, pottery, sculpture, quilting, sewing, crocheting, cake decorating, and much more. Some of her best paintings were completed in the Ozarks, where she sketched and painted the vivid Fall scenery. Gertrude and Clint loved traveling in their motor home, especially enjoying long weekends with friends at Lake Texoma.
Gertrude was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ, the hub of the Goad family. She taught Sunday School classes and participated in ladies’ organizations for many years. She was a loving wife, a devoted parent, always thoughtful of others, including helping those in need of prayer, visits, and meals. Gertrude and Clint were committed to church-sponsored programs such as “Search,” Pettijohn Springs programs, and other missions worldwide.
Gertrude is survived by her two sons, Dan Michael and Ronald Dale and wife Gail, grandsons Clint, Scott, and Taylor, and granddaughter Micah. She was preceded in death by her husband (Clint) of 59 years, mother (Ethel Bryson Laird), three siblings (Fannie Doak McAvoy, Elda Purl Thompson, Bryson Laird), other family members, and many dear friends.
Acknowledgements:
Caregivers who became part of her family: Loretta Whalin, Diana Gonzalez, Elizandra Cuestas, Brenda James, Janet Ingram, Sue Mounkes, and especially Victoria Roland, who became as a daughter for the past seven-plus years.
Unity Home Health team: nurses, aides, and staff with special thanks to Megan Cummins who supported her for over 5 years, nurses Brandy Humble and Kaylee Schier, Special thanks to Doctor Kevin Gordon.
Support of family and friends, visits, cards, calls of encouragement, especially Dee and Charlie Davis, Diane and Paul Mauck, Pat and Don Duncan, John and Ola Fay Carrell, Mickey and Barbara Davis, Kyron Wyatt and many other members of the Church of Christ congregation.
A celebration of her life will be conducted at Northwest Church of Christ in Durant on Monday, Dec. 31 with family visitation from 1-2 p.m. followed by a service and interment at Highland Cemetery.